Pound Cake Questions...

[NewBaker65]

Hi All...


Trying to figure out what went wrong, as the name states I'm new to baking. Pizza and breads have come out great for years but there's not much too them, cake baking seems a bit more tricky.


So I tried a Pound Cake - wife loves them and I went old school with all ingredients being even and it came out perfect! She thought she'd like it a bit denser so I tried a recipe she found and it came out awful! Outside cooked to what appeared normal but it was a shell and collapsed soon after taking it out and I mean a SHELL, the entire inside was much like oatmeal, and had formed maybe a 1/4 inch shell all around it.


Same process, ingredients, cook times, oven, temp, I measure all with a scale, same pan...the only variable was changing 3 of the main ingredients.


First one that was perfect in every way...
110 grams of each - Flour, Eggs, Butter & Sugar. Added a tsp of vanilla and baking soda. 325 for 30 min. Came out amazing.


Second one...
The only change here was upping the Flour and the Sugar to 200 grams & the Butter to 160 grams which created oatmeal in a shell.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

The additional fat is probably the issue. There has to be sufficient structure to form the cake crumb. The flour and egg provide that. Were you using all purpose, or cake flour?AP flour has more gluten and will provide more structure. Cake flour must use more precise measurements as it has less gluten, resulting in cakes being lighter in texture. The eggs, play and important role in cakes made with cake flour. The egg proteins create much of the structure.

The purpose of the butter is to add rich flavor, and moisture to the cake, as the water is absorbed into the flour, and evaporates. Too much butter will make the cake too moist. And remember, butter has water in it as well.

For pound cake, use your first recipe. It works. If you want a more dense cake, increase the egg and flour with respect to the butter.

If you want a lighter version, separate the egg white, and whip the egg white into stiff peaks. Beat the yolk into the batter; then, fold the egg white back into the batter.

Seeeeeya; Cnhief Longwind of the North

 

[NewBaker65]

Thank you for the detailed reply, I appreciate it.


Yes, AP flour

 

[jennyema]

Pound cake, by definition, uses a pound each of flour, butter, eggs and sugar. The ratio needs to be 1:1:1:1

The most important lesson to learn in baking is that it’s about science. Ratios. Chemical reactions. Use tested recipes and follow them exactly.

Also learn more from trusted sites like Baking 911