What makes a cake fall? Do u use oil or margerine?

Senior Member Joined: Oct 02 2007 Posts: 243

I just made a marble pound cake last night. I had 3 recipies which were almost the same. The differences had to do with the oil/margerine/shortening, baking powder/baking soda.
I picked the one with oil because that is what I had.

So I have 3 questions -
1) what could have contributed to the cake middle falling in?
2) what is the difference between oil, margerine, and crisco?
3) what is the difference between baking powder and baking soda (I used both but it varied in the recipies)

Thank you for helping me with my new hobby!

Silver Member Joined: May 07 2009 Posts: 591

Cakes can fall for a number of reasons
Certain recipes are fine no matter what you do, and others are more prone to falling if you're not careful.
Some recipes need to be followed exactly and if the measurements are a little bit off, the cake can fall. Sugar, oil, baking powder, baking soda are ingredients that really effect it.
If your baking soda or baking power are old it can also cause your cake to rise unevenly.
Exposing the cake to temperature changes while it's baking is another thing. again, some recipes are fine and others can fall if you open the oven while it's baking, or if you move the cake while it's baking.
Large air pockets in your batter is another thing.

Baking soda is often used in recipes that don't bake for a long time (like cookies) because baking soda won't work at prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Baking powder is usually used in recipes that bake for a long time (like cakes) beacuse it has an extra ingredient that will continue to rise even after prolonged exposure to heat. You could, if you really wanted, exchange baking powder for baking soda (although you'd need a different measurement of it), but they don't taste the same so you wouldn't really want to try.

In terms or marg, oil, crisco are you asking health or baking?

In terms of recipes, margarine and crisco can generally be interchanged evenly, but the end result will vary slightly in texture because different fats cook at different temperatures. Crisco generally provides a lighter (better?) texture but many stay away from it for health reasons (it is a hydrogenated oil/transfat).
Oil is a liquid fat, so it doesn't distribute and bake the same way as a solid fat. Unless your recipe specifically calls for oil (which many cake recipes, but few cookie recipes do), you're going to have to play around to find the right ways to bake with oil. Don't forget that because one is liquid and one is solid that even though they may have the same volume measurementt, the weights are different so you may not be able to exchange evenly.

I'm very into baking (also as a hobby), and cake and cookie decorating, so if you ever want to discuss, feel free!

Silver Member Joined: Dec 02 2009 Posts: 978

greaqt response 6scoops!

baking is a science - u are dealing with different chemisries of foods and how they react with eachother and with the heat element.

the amount that you mix item can also effect the batter - if u just mix the eggs and not beatthem till fluffy - that can have an effect on the batter. if u just mix in the margarine instead of mixing it with sugar and eggs until fluffy it can have an effect -
old eggs and different types of flour have an effect....
if u open the oven door in the middle of baking - the cold air from outside the oven can effect the baking.... lots effect it....

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2006 Posts: 2595

The difference between soda and powder is that baking soda requires an acid to work: buttermilk, lemon, cream of tartar. (Baking powder is a mix of baking soda plus acid.) They are not interchangeable. (This is also why recipes will specify if it is natural or Dutch process cocoa: you can use baking soda with a natural cocoa such as Hersheys, but Dutch cocoa is pH neutral and requires baking powder.) Double acting baking powder is the one that is partly activated by liquid and partly by the heat of the oven.

In cookies, the baking soda promotes browning as well as a small amount of leavening. Baking powder would make puffy, cakey cookies.

Solid and liquid fats behave differently. When you cream your butter or margarine, it traps air. This is the sole leavening for a pound cake. Oil does not cream, so your recipe needs to be designed for it. (Generally speaking, a traditional butter layer cake, such as a 1-2-3-4 cake, uses a mix of creaming and baking powder for leavening, but there are oil based recipes for these.) Whipping eggs also traps air and leavens the cake, as in angel food or sponge cakes. In a chiffon cake (sponge cake with oil) the cake is leavened primarily by the whipped egg whites (though some recipes also call for baking powder) and the oil provides moisture.

(We have soy allergies in my house so we do not use margarine or Crisco.)