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Cake is "Too Heavy"

post #1 of 24
4/27/11 at 10:13am
Thread Starter 
Hi! I was just looking for tips, and thoughts...I bake, like a lot! =) new to the decorating thing, but I love to bake. Generally people are pretty pleased when I bring in goodies to work. BUT one co-worker, keeps insisting my cakes are "too heavy", dense. He has told me this at least 5 times. I'm good with constructive criticsm, but don't know how to change a recipe. I usually do a scratch cake, experimented with WASC and noticed that was just decadent, and YES the texture was different. I use cake flour, unless the recipe says AP flour. Don't know if thats my problem? Is this even a problem? Just the recipe I am using? Anything in the way of advice would be FABULOUS! Thanks!
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post #2 of 24
4/27/11 at 10:40am
It's probably the recipe you're using. You could try the kind of cake where you have to beat the egg whites and fold in the rest of the ingredients (some white cakes are made that way), but really a dense cake is the best kind for decorating, because it will hold up under all that heavy fondant and icing. If this person has told you 5 TIMES that your cakes are too dense, tell him that you got the message and you're sorry he's going to be missing out on the (FREE, by the way) office treats. Some people just love to needle you!
Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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post #3 of 24
4/27/11 at 10:43am
Could you try separating the eggs, mixing the batter as usual but omitting the egg whites. Then whisk the egg whites up to soft peaks and fold them in at the end? That should make it more aerated.

If that's part of the recipe already, I'm stumped lol!
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post #4 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:03am
Thread Starter 
Thanks! This specific cake is RV that has the baking soda added after if "explodes" with vinegar...could I still do the egg thing? would I do the eggs before or after vinegar?
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post #5 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:11am
What do your other co-workers say? If it's just one guy, maybe it's just his personal taste? Why alter a recipe if only one person out of many co-workers find it too dense?
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post #6 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:17am
I agree with sweets4you. If its just one guy, I wouldnt change anything. You could try making an angel food or sponge cake to bring, that may make him happy and quite for a while icon_smile.gif
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post #7 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:32am
This guy maybe use to cake mixes, my cakes are from scratch and when compared to a cake mix they seem heavier... but they taste amazing. I would
see what other people say before over hauling your recipe.
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post #8 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
I get a huge amount of "ego boosting" positive feedback icon_biggrin.gif . Just not from him! icon_sad.gif I think I will experiment a little, but I know I prefer my cakes a little on the dense side, just didn't know if this was a common complaint? Thanks for the comments, at least I feel a little better regarding my picky cake-eater. icon_rolleyes.gif
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post #9 of 24
4/27/11 at 12:29pm
If you're really interested in experimenting (I personally don't think this guy is worth catering to, but you might want to experiment a little just for your own happiness), you could look up some recipes for sponge, chiffon and angel food cakes. These are all very light. On the other hand, gbbaker is right: scratch cakes (and some doctored cake mixes) are heavier than just plain mixes.
Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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Marianna
"I know my own mind...and it's around here somewhere!"
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post #10 of 24
4/27/11 at 6:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Allie06

Thanks! This specific cake is RV that has the baking soda added after if "explodes" with vinegar...could I still do the egg thing? would I do the eggs before or after vinegar?



Wait, in what order are you adding your ingredients? Maybe I read this wrong, but are you mixing the baking soda and vinegar in a bowl, then adding that to the rest of the ingredients? If so, I don't think that is correct, you would be losing a lot of your leavening. I apologize if I didn't understand.
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post #11 of 24
4/27/11 at 10:14pm
I found this article on Fine Cooking. They say you should use the egg foam for leavening. The vinegar/baking soda combo is to help with the coloring when you use beets rather than food coloring.

http://www.finecooking.com/item/13618/red-velvet-vinegar-and-baking-soda
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post #12 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:28pm
Thread Starter 
That's...odd?=) it's the Joy of Baking, Red Velvet recipe. After everything is incorporated, combine vinegar and baking soda, fold in the "explosion". Maybe I am in search of a new RV recipe to play with?! =)
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post #13 of 24
4/27/11 at 11:59pm
I am a scratch baker. Some of my recipes are very heavy... RV is in that category. I have others that weigh next to nothing. But I engineer these recipes to be what I want them to be paired with the frosting. If you really want to understand cakes and baking, read a few books on baking science. Even if you don't want to create a recipe, this knowledge will help you read a recipe and know immediately if it will be a good one and what the texture will be. Bakewise, by Shirley Corriher is a good one. thers are Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Berenbaum, Baking, by James Peterson, and I'm Just Here For More Food, by Alton Brown. Many of these will be in the library.
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post #14 of 24
4/28/11 at 3:39am
Let me get this straight -

...everyone is pretty pleased with your cakes

... one co-worker insists that they are "heavy"

.. you are madly running around trying to change your recipes BECAUSE one person insists they are "heavy"...

He must be a very important person for you to change successful recipes on his say-so ...
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post #15 of 24
4/28/11 at 4:07am
I make my red velvet cake the same way with mixing the baking soda and vinegar. As someone else said, this man is probably used to cake mix cakes so don't take his comments to heart. I'm sure your cakes are delicious, and your other co workers think so! Don't mess around with a good recipe for one person. Make your goodies for everyone and don't worry about him. As an experiment, make a box mix cake and see what he thinks!
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