Extent of mixing, its effect upon texture. With a definite proportion of
ingredients the texture as well as the character of the crust and the volume
varies with the extent of mixing. The cakes in which the ingredients are
just mixed so as to show no dry flour do not have a desirable texture.
See cakes 1 in illustrations. The ingredients of the cake are not well
blended, and the crumb has a horny, flinty texture, which is sometimes
called bready. The crumb is crumbly. It is not smooth and velvety on
the palate. The cell walls are thick and the cells coarse and large in size.
A cake made with this amount of mixing dries out and stales in a very
much shorter time than portions of the same batter mixed for a longer time.
With more mixing the grain of the cake is finer and the cell walls thinner.
The crumb is smooth and velvety when tasted, and the ingredients are well
blended. With a definite amount of mixing of the plain cake batter, 150
to 400 strokes, which varies somewhat with the kind of baking powder
used, the maker's technic, and the temperature of the ingredients, tunnels
begin to appear. More mixing than the optimum produces a finer grain, or
smaller cells, until a stage is reached, 1000 strokes or more, at which the
texture is very compact or even soggy and solid.
Swanson and Working, also Bailey and Le Vesconte, have shown that
extended mixing of bread dough modifies the quality of the gluten, and
its extensibility is decreased. It seems logical to expect this stage to develop
in cakes as well as in bread, although on account of the different propor-
tion of ingredients the amount of mixing to bring this about may vary
from the amount required for bread. Several factors may aid in producing
the small volume with 1000 strokes. These include the extent of mixing,
its effect upon the gluten, the effect of the baking powder upon the gluten,
and the loss of carbon dioxide formed from the baking powder.
Tunnels. Tunnels in cakes develop in the same way as the tunnels in
mufHns. Gas expands in a weakened section of the batter. This weaker sec-
tion is between long parallel strands of gluten which have been stretched
and developed in mixing and in putting the batter in the pans. An excess
of flour, see Fig. 71, and too much mixing tend to favor the formation of
tunnels. An increased percentage of sugar lessens the tendency to form
tunnels. A high baking temperature may tend to increase the tendency
for tunnel formation, but is quite variable. Tunnels are formed more
often when small portions of the batter are baked in small deep pans
than when the whole cake recipe is baked in a large or a shallow pan,
for the batter for the small cake is usually dropped from a spoon, whereas
for the larger cakes it is more often poured into the cake pan. Tunnels do
not develop so often if the batter is stirred with a circular motion as
they do when the batter is beaten across the bowl. The reason for this is
that, if the batter is stirred, the mixing utensil is pulled around and around
the bowl and after a definite amount of mixing the appearance of the batter
500
BATTERS AND DOUGHS
Fig. 70. — Showing the effect of extent of mixing on volume and texture when
sulfate-phosphate baking powder is used. Experiment 84C. As shown in the
illustration the cakes are about seven-ninths actual size.
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Extent of mixing, its effect upon texture. With a definite proportion of
ingredients the texture as well as the character of the crust and the volume
varies with the extent of mixing. The cakes in which the ingredients are
just mixed so as to show no dry flour do not have a desirable texture.
See cakes 1 in illustrations. The ingredients of the cake are not well
blended, and the crumb has a horny, flinty texture, which is sometimes
called bready. The crumb is crumbly. It is not smooth and velvety on
the palate. The cell walls are thick and the cells coarse and large in size.
A cake made with this amount of mixing dries out and stales in a very
much shorter time than portions of the same batter mixed for a longer time.
With more mixing the grain of the cake is finer and the cell walls thinner.
The crumb is smooth and velvety when tasted, and the ingredients are well
blended. With a definite amount of mixing of the plain cake batter, 150
to 400 strokes, which varies somewhat with the kind of baking powder
used, the maker's technic, and the temperature of the ingredients, tunnels
begin to appear. More mixing than the optimum produces a finer grain, or
smaller cells, until a stage is reached, 1000 strokes or more, at which the
texture is very compact or even soggy and solid.
Swanson and Working, also Bailey and Le Vesconte, have shown that
extended mixing of bread dough modifies the quality of the gluten, and
its extensibility is decreased. It seems logical to expect this stage to develop
in cakes as well as in bread, although on account of the different propor-
tion of ingredients the amount of mixing to bring this about may vary
from the amount required for bread. Several factors may aid in producing
the small volume with 1000 strokes. These include the extent of mixing,
its effect upon the gluten, the effect of the baking powder upon the gluten,
and the loss of carbon dioxide formed from the baking powder.
Tunnels. Tunnels in cakes develop in the same way as the tunnels in
mufHns. Gas expands in a weakened section of the batter. This weaker sec-
tion is between long parallel strands of gluten which have been stretched
and developed in mixing and in putting the batter in the pans. An excess
of flour, see Fig. 71, and too much mixing tend to favor the formation of
tunnels. An increased percentage of sugar lessens the tendency to form
tunnels. A high baking temperature may tend to increase the tendency
for tunnel formation, but is quite variable. Tunnels are formed more
often when small portions of the batter are baked in small deep pans
than when the whole cake recipe is baked in a large or a shallow pan,
for the batter for the small cake is usually dropped from a spoon, whereas
for the larger cakes it is more often poured into the cake pan. Tunnels do
not develop so often if the batter is stirred with a circular motion as
they do when the batter is beaten across the bowl. The reason for this is
that, if the batter is stirred, the mixing utensil is pulled around and around
the bowl and after a definite amount of mixing the appearance of the batter
500
BATTERS AND DOUGHS
Fig. 70. — Showing the effect of extent of mixing on volume and texture when
sulfate-phosphate baking powder is used. Experiment 84C. As shown in the
illustration the cakes are about seven-ninths actual size.