Are you one of those people who makes a cake without bringing the milk and/or eggs to room temperature? I sure am. Even though I'm great at remembering to soften the butter, I never remember the milk and eggs. And for a while, I was proud of it. "Who cares?" I thought as I laughed inside, "I can make just as good a cake without the hassle."Turns out, there's a reason all of my cakes are dense. According to REAL SIMPLE magazine, January 2011 issue:
"At room temperature, eggs, butter, and liquids such as milk bond and form an emulsion that traps air. During baking, the air expands, leavening the batter or dough and producing a light and airy baked good. Cold ingredients, on the other hand, don't incorporate evenly to bond."
So when making those baked goods this holiday season, take the butter, milk and/or eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes - to an hour before baking and enjoy that airy cake (or muffin or bread).
3 comments:
Wonderful post. Speaking as one who always forgets to let the milk and eggs warm before mixing, I appreciate this explanation. I think it will help me remember this step for future cakes.
I make pancakes practically every Saturday and take the eggs and milk right onto the mixing bowl. But I'll take the eggs and milk out and hour earlier to see how it'll turn out!
I'll have to try that, I never knew why they said to let things come to room temperature!
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