Welcome to Baker’s Corner! This week, we cover an important factor in baking delicious cakes: specific gravity.
The specific gravity of a batter is the ratio of the weight of cake batter in a standard volume container compared to the weight of water in the same container. This ratio is a way to measure the amount of air incorporated into the batter during the mixing process. Correct mixing times and temperatures will ensure that the batter’s specific gravity falls within the range specified on the bag instructions – which in turn will ensue a finished cake with consistent volume, texture and grain. Low specific gravity would signify an over-aerated batter that could lead to collapsing in the oven. High values result from a lack of aeration and will yield a dense cake with poor volume.
This useful information comes from one of our valued vendor partners, General Mills. Please contact our team of bakery specialists for more helpful tips to produce scrumptious cakes, cookies, muffins, and more!