Baker's Formular /Baker' s Percentage
- Thread starter Akos
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Akos, I'm not sure I understand what you are asking about baker's percentages. Baker's percentages is not used to increase/decrease ingredients separately, unless you are troubleshooting a recipe.
Baker’s percentages is used for production to ensure 1) quality control by keeping the ratios the same no matter how large/small the batch of batter or dough; 2) allows the baker to scale production to demand, thereby reducing waste, and also ensuring enough product to meet customer demand.
Example of how baker's percentages is used for a cake batter in production:
1. Multiply the number of cakes by the amount of batter for each cake tin
2. Divide the total weight of the batter by the total baker’s percentages. The quotient is the multiplier for each ingredient.
3. Multiply each ingredient with the quotient
Example:
Cake flour 100%
Egg whites 93%
Yolks 35%
Sour cream 15%
Sugar 115%
Oil 50%
Liquid 68%
Leavening 4%
Salt 1.5%
Total Baker’s percentages 480.05%
Example: you want to make two 20” cm cakes. The tins hold 500ml of batter.
1. Multiply the number of cakes by the amount of batter for each tin
2 x 500 = 1000 the total amount of batter is 1000 ml
2. Divide the total weight of the batter by the total baker’s percentages. The quotient is the multiplier for each ingredient. 1000 ml of batter; 480.05 total baker's percentages
1000 ÷ 480.05 = 2.08 the quotient is 2.08
3. Multiply each ingredient with the quotient
2.08 is the multiplier for all your ingredients. Multiply the baker’s percentage of each ingredient with the multiplier.
Cake flour 100 x 2.08 = 208 - use 208 g cake flour
Egg whites 93 x 2.08 = 193 - use 193g egg whites
Yolks 35 x 2.08 = 73 - use 73 g yolks
Sour cream 15 x 2.08 = 31
Sugar 115 x 2.08 = 239
Oil 50 x 2.08 = 104
Liquid 68 x 2.08 = 141
Leavening 04 x 2.08 = 8
Salt 015 x 2.08 = 3
Total Weight 480.05 x 2.08 = 998.50
Say you want to use the same batter, but you want to use a larger tin that requires 625 ml per tin and you need to bake 6 cakes.
You use the same process.
1. Multiply the number of cakes by the amount of batter for each tin
6 cakes x 625 ml = 3750 total batter weight
2. Divide the total weight of the batter by the total baker’s percentages. The quotient is the multiplier for each ingredient.
3750 ÷ 480.05 = 7.81
3. Multiply each ingredient with the quotient
7.81 is the multiplier for all your ingredients. Multiply the baker’s percentage of each ingredient with the multiplier.
Cake flour 100 x 7.81 = 781g
Egg whites 93 x 7.81 = 726.33g
Yolks 35 x 7.81 = 273.35g
etc…
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Suppose you have a good cake recipe that you normally bake in a 20 cm cake tin. A customer orders the cake in a 30 cm size. If you want to change the size of the cake tin, then you want to use a different formula to scale the recipe to the cake tin.
This is to scale to different diameter tins BUT same height tin.
Step 1: find the radius by dividing the diameter of the circle.
20 cm tin ÷ 2 = 10 cm
30 cm tin ÷ 2 = 15 cm
Step 2: Square the radius (r²)
10 cm x 10 cm = 100
15 cm x 15 cm = 225
Step 3: multiply r² by Pi
(Pi = 3.14)
3.14 x 100 = 314 (area of pan in recipe)
3.14 x 225 x 1 = 706 (area of pan you want to use)
Step 4: Divide the area of the pan you want to use into the area of the pan in the recipe.
706 ÷ 314 = 2.248
Round up to 2.25
The multiplier is 2.25.
Multiply the amount of each ingredient with the multiplier.
If we were using the recipe from above then the adjustments using the multiplier 2.25 are:
Cake flour 208g x 2.25 = 468 g cake flour for two 30cm cake tin
Egg whites 193g x 2.25 = 434g egg whites for two 30cm cake tin
Yolks 73g x 2.25 = 164.25 yolks for two 30cm cake tins
etc...
If this does not answer your question or if you have other questions about baker's percentages, please let me know. I will be more than happy to answer you.
Regards,
Cate
BTW, those percentages will make a real cake.
Hello Cate,
Thanks for the write-up. You've given me something to think about. I wasn't taught Baker's Fomula/Baker's Percentages in pastry school. So I'm learning a lot of things on my own and on this forum, especially the science of baking.
My question was for example, if I want to reduce/increase let say the sugar quantity in a recipe, how can I use the BF to do that? What is the standard in doing that; not more than 80%, 70%, etc comparing to the standard 100% of flour? How can I use the same BF to reduce/increase other ingredients in a recipe, if any?
I tried someone's sponge cake:
AP flour - 80g
Custard powder - 80g
Sugar - 170g
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp
Eggs - 5
Oil - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1tbsp (optional)
Method: whisking eggs and sugar, cut and gold in flour. When I tried the sugar was so much for me, the cake was chewy.
What do you think of the above recipe; anything wrong?
I really want to understand the BF to help me twist to suit my work.
Thanks for the write-up. You've given me something to think about. I wasn't taught Baker's Fomula/Baker's Percentages in pastry school. So I'm learning a lot of things on my own and on this forum, especially the science of baking.
My question was for example, if I want to reduce/increase let say the sugar quantity in a recipe, how can I use the BF to do that? What is the standard in doing that; not more than 80%, 70%, etc comparing to the standard 100% of flour? How can I use the same BF to reduce/increase other ingredients in a recipe, if any?
I tried someone's sponge cake:
AP flour - 80g
Custard powder - 80g
Sugar - 170g
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp
Eggs - 5
Oil - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1tbsp (optional)
Method: whisking eggs and sugar, cut and gold in flour. When I tried the sugar was so much for me, the cake was chewy.
What do you think of the above recipe; anything wrong?
I really want to understand the BF to help me twist to suit my work.
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In commercial baking they use formulas instead of recipes. The system is called baker’s percentages. It’s a system in which the quantities of ingredients are constructed in a mathematical relationship so by adjusting the variables (ingredients) the baker can create different products or create the same product consistently in different quantities.
The mathematical relationship is based on the weight of flour. So baker’s percentage is a system of measurement in which each ingredient is expressed in the ratio of weight based on the total weight of the flour.
The flour is always 1.00 or 100% in the formula. All other ingredients must be weighed against the flour.
The ratio of any one of the other ingredients can be more than the weight of the flour. But it must be weighted against the flour.
So let’s look at the recipe you used. While the list of ingredients can tell me something about the recipe, knowing the baker’s percentages will tell me a lot about the recipe. So I will convert it to baker’s percentages. Once I convert it I will be able to analyze it.
INGREDIENT AMOUNT Baker’s percentage
AP flour 80g 1.0 same as 100%
Custard powder 80g 1.0 same as 100%
Sugar 170g 2.125 same as 212.5%
Vanilla essence 1 TBSP 14g 0.175 same as 17.5%
Eggs – 5 (50g per egg) 250g 3.225 same as 322.5%
Oil - 1 TBSP 14g 0.175 same as 17.5%
Milk - 1tbsp (optional) 14g 0.175 same as 17.5%
So how did it get the baker’s percentages? To calculate the ratio of baker’s percentages, divide the weight of the ingredient, into the weight of the flour
INGREDIENT Divide amount of each ingredient into the amount of flour
AP flour is always 100% or 1.0 divide all ingredients into 80g of flour
Custard powder 80 ÷ 80 = 1.0 Custard powoder is 1.0 = 100%
Sugar 170 ÷ 80 = 2.123 Sugar is 2.125 = 212.5%
Vanilla essence 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 Vanilla essence is 0.175 = 17.5%
Eggs – 5 (50g per egg) 250 ÷ 80 = 3.125 Eggs are 3.125 = 312.5%
Oil - 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 Milk is 0.175 = 17.5%
Milk – 1TBSP (optional) 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175 = 17.5%
Total baker’s percentages 677.5%
To change a quantity of any one ingredient, it must be based on the weight of the flour. Your concern was the sugar. The sugar in a standard genoise is 1.00 or 100%.
So revised example this what the recipe would look like with standard amount of sugar
INGREDIENT Divide amount of each ingredient into the amount of flour Decimal expressed as percentage
AP flour is always 100% 80g 1.0
Custard powder 80 ÷ 80 = 1.0 1.0
Sugar REVISED 80 ÷ 80 = 1.0 1.0
Vanilla essence 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175
Eggs – 5 (50g per egg) 250 ÷ 80 = 3.125 3.125
Oil - 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175
Milk – 1TBSP (optional) 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175
Total baker’s percentages 6.65
You asked my thoughts on this recipe. I am sorry but do not think this is a good recipe. Someone took a genoise recipe and added in custard powder to try to make a softer cake. AP flour makes a cake with a low rise, and a coarse crumb. Custard powder is mainly cornflour (cornstarch). Many people incorrectly believe if they add cornflour to AP flour it will cut the gluten in AP flour and make a softer cake. This is wrong. It will only make a dense and gummy cake.
Cornflour is very hygroscopic, which means it pulls water from its environment. It’s more hygroscopic than flour. So it competes with the flour for the water. There’s equal amount of AP flour and custard powder in this recipe. Not knowing what brand you used, there’s no way to know exactly how much cornflour there is in the custard powder. But still, the amount in this recipe is 100% to the flour. That is a lot.
Cornflour is a thickener. It will absorb water and turn thick and gummy. That this cake was chewy was not surprising. And AP flour is already a heavy flour. So between the AP flour and 100% cornflour in the form of custard powder, this cake could be nothing by a heavy chewy cake.
Normally when cornflour is added to a cake, the amount that is used is12% cornflour to the weight of the flour. They used 100% to the weight of the flour. So they used significantly more that what is standard. But I do not recommend ever using cornflour in cake.
Other problems I see with this formula:
• The four and sugar should be equal in weight (100%). They used over 200% sugar.
• The eggs should be 162% of the weight of the flour. They used over 300% eggs.
• Butter if added should be 10% the weight of the flour. They substituted oil and increased it to 17%. You cannot substitute oil for butter in genoise. The whole purpose of the small amount of butter in genoise is to create a nice buttery flavor. This is a really terrible recipe.
So knowing baker’s percentages is very important in helping you analyzing a formula. You can look at a formula and spot potential trouble like high ph.
This is a classic genoise baker’s percentages for a home baker. Compare this to the recipe you were given
INGREDIENT Baker’s Percentages
Cake flour 100%
Eggs 162%
Sugar 100%
Butter 10%
Total baker’s percentages 372.00%
A processional bakery will use different formula. They will invert sugar (trimoline) for as a natural preservative and to add moisture; add potato starch, not cornflour for a softer and finer crumb; and butter for flavor. This formula is from Michel Suas. He runs the most highly regarded baking school in the US. His textbook on baking is considered the best textbook written in English on professional baking. Although he is French, he lives in the US.
INGREDIENT Baker’s Percentages
Eggs 162.00
Sugar 90.50
Trimoline 11.00
Pastry flour 81.00
Potato starch 19.00
Melted butter 10.00
Total baker’s percentages 373.50
Left me know if you have any more questions on baker's percentages Akos. I am always happy to answer your questions.
Regards,
Cate
The mathematical relationship is based on the weight of flour. So baker’s percentage is a system of measurement in which each ingredient is expressed in the ratio of weight based on the total weight of the flour.
The flour is always 1.00 or 100% in the formula. All other ingredients must be weighed against the flour.
The ratio of any one of the other ingredients can be more than the weight of the flour. But it must be weighted against the flour.
So let’s look at the recipe you used. While the list of ingredients can tell me something about the recipe, knowing the baker’s percentages will tell me a lot about the recipe. So I will convert it to baker’s percentages. Once I convert it I will be able to analyze it.
INGREDIENT AMOUNT Baker’s percentage
AP flour 80g 1.0 same as 100%
Custard powder 80g 1.0 same as 100%
Sugar 170g 2.125 same as 212.5%
Vanilla essence 1 TBSP 14g 0.175 same as 17.5%
Eggs – 5 (50g per egg) 250g 3.225 same as 322.5%
Oil - 1 TBSP 14g 0.175 same as 17.5%
Milk - 1tbsp (optional) 14g 0.175 same as 17.5%
So how did it get the baker’s percentages? To calculate the ratio of baker’s percentages, divide the weight of the ingredient, into the weight of the flour
INGREDIENT Divide amount of each ingredient into the amount of flour
AP flour is always 100% or 1.0 divide all ingredients into 80g of flour
Custard powder 80 ÷ 80 = 1.0 Custard powoder is 1.0 = 100%
Sugar 170 ÷ 80 = 2.123 Sugar is 2.125 = 212.5%
Vanilla essence 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 Vanilla essence is 0.175 = 17.5%
Eggs – 5 (50g per egg) 250 ÷ 80 = 3.125 Eggs are 3.125 = 312.5%
Oil - 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 Milk is 0.175 = 17.5%
Milk – 1TBSP (optional) 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175 = 17.5%
Total baker’s percentages 677.5%
To change a quantity of any one ingredient, it must be based on the weight of the flour. Your concern was the sugar. The sugar in a standard genoise is 1.00 or 100%.
So revised example this what the recipe would look like with standard amount of sugar
INGREDIENT Divide amount of each ingredient into the amount of flour Decimal expressed as percentage
AP flour is always 100% 80g 1.0
Custard powder 80 ÷ 80 = 1.0 1.0
Sugar REVISED 80 ÷ 80 = 1.0 1.0
Vanilla essence 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175
Eggs – 5 (50g per egg) 250 ÷ 80 = 3.125 3.125
Oil - 1 TBSP = 14g 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175
Milk – 1TBSP (optional) 14 ÷ 80 = 0.175 0.175
Total baker’s percentages 6.65
You asked my thoughts on this recipe. I am sorry but do not think this is a good recipe. Someone took a genoise recipe and added in custard powder to try to make a softer cake. AP flour makes a cake with a low rise, and a coarse crumb. Custard powder is mainly cornflour (cornstarch). Many people incorrectly believe if they add cornflour to AP flour it will cut the gluten in AP flour and make a softer cake. This is wrong. It will only make a dense and gummy cake.
Cornflour is very hygroscopic, which means it pulls water from its environment. It’s more hygroscopic than flour. So it competes with the flour for the water. There’s equal amount of AP flour and custard powder in this recipe. Not knowing what brand you used, there’s no way to know exactly how much cornflour there is in the custard powder. But still, the amount in this recipe is 100% to the flour. That is a lot.
Cornflour is a thickener. It will absorb water and turn thick and gummy. That this cake was chewy was not surprising. And AP flour is already a heavy flour. So between the AP flour and 100% cornflour in the form of custard powder, this cake could be nothing by a heavy chewy cake.
Normally when cornflour is added to a cake, the amount that is used is12% cornflour to the weight of the flour. They used 100% to the weight of the flour. So they used significantly more that what is standard. But I do not recommend ever using cornflour in cake.
Other problems I see with this formula:
• The four and sugar should be equal in weight (100%). They used over 200% sugar.
• The eggs should be 162% of the weight of the flour. They used over 300% eggs.
• Butter if added should be 10% the weight of the flour. They substituted oil and increased it to 17%. You cannot substitute oil for butter in genoise. The whole purpose of the small amount of butter in genoise is to create a nice buttery flavor. This is a really terrible recipe.
So knowing baker’s percentages is very important in helping you analyzing a formula. You can look at a formula and spot potential trouble like high ph.
This is a classic genoise baker’s percentages for a home baker. Compare this to the recipe you were given
INGREDIENT Baker’s Percentages
Cake flour 100%
Eggs 162%
Sugar 100%
Butter 10%
Total baker’s percentages 372.00%
A processional bakery will use different formula. They will invert sugar (trimoline) for as a natural preservative and to add moisture; add potato starch, not cornflour for a softer and finer crumb; and butter for flavor. This formula is from Michel Suas. He runs the most highly regarded baking school in the US. His textbook on baking is considered the best textbook written in English on professional baking. Although he is French, he lives in the US.
INGREDIENT Baker’s Percentages
Eggs 162.00
Sugar 90.50
Trimoline 11.00
Pastry flour 81.00
Potato starch 19.00
Melted butter 10.00
Total baker’s percentages 373.50
Left me know if you have any more questions on baker's percentages Akos. I am always happy to answer your questions.
Regards,
Cate
What more can I say? All I can say is thank you lots. THANKS much. I had to go over your reply to really understand, and I'm happy I did. From your explanation, I can really see it to be a very bad recipe.
My questions, please:
1. Is BF same as BP or different?
2. Are there different baker's formulas for different vanilla and chocolate cakes?
3. Is BP for the homebaker too or only for commercial bakeries. If not then I may not have to bother myself to know because I am a homebaker?
4. If I have to reduce an ingredient in a recipe what percentage <, = Or > the ratio to flour should I use?
5. How many eggs make 162% in the recipe revised recipe you used?
6. You indicated that cornflour shouldn't be used in a cake recipe. We don't have cake flour on.rhe Ghanaian market. I know cake flour is 1 cup flour less 2 tbsp plus 2tbsp cornflour gives me cake flour. How do you please reconcile that?
I want to thank you immensely for being up for me. I really appreciate.
My questions, please:
1. Is BF same as BP or different?
2. Are there different baker's formulas for different vanilla and chocolate cakes?
3. Is BP for the homebaker too or only for commercial bakeries. If not then I may not have to bother myself to know because I am a homebaker?
4. If I have to reduce an ingredient in a recipe what percentage <, = Or > the ratio to flour should I use?
5. How many eggs make 162% in the recipe revised recipe you used?
6. You indicated that cornflour shouldn't be used in a cake recipe. We don't have cake flour on.rhe Ghanaian market. I know cake flour is 1 cup flour less 2 tbsp plus 2tbsp cornflour gives me cake flour. How do you please reconcile that?
I want to thank you immensely for being up for me. I really appreciate.
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1. Is BF same as BP or different?
This photo is an example of an actual professional baker’s formula.
The formula is the entire “recipe”.
- First column is the ingredients
- Second column is the baker’s percentages of that ingredient in the formula
- Third column is the amount of ingredient in metric weight
- Forth column is the amount of ingredient in US decimal weight
- Fifth column is the amount of ingredient in US imperial weight
- Sixth column is the amount of ingredient to test the formula
- Yield for the formula is listed under the columns. There is also an amount to test the formula. Testing a formula is important. If the test cake does not turn out right, then the baker analyzes the cake to determine what needs to be adjusted in the formula, then runs another test.
If you use the amounts listed in column 2 (columns 3 – 5 are equivalent to column 2), the yield should be 7 [8” (20cm) cakes].
Note the total batter weight. This is very important. The yield is 7 cakes. So 3.200 ÷7 = 0.457 (same as 457g); this is how much batter to place in each cake tin.
2. Are there different baker's formulas for different vanilla and chocolate cakes?
Vanilla and chocolate are flavors, not types. Formula for the various cakes and mixing methods are specific to cake type. This is true for all categories of baked goods, not just cakes. After years of experience, a baker begins to recognize formulas. They can tell the different baked goods by looking at the formula.
Cakes are categorizes by type of leavening and mixing method. The formulas and percentages are very different for types of cakes. The are some variations between bakers. And home bakers will have recipes that contain different ratios because they do not have access to commercial ingredients.
There two main categories for cakes: fat and foam base.
Fat base cakes are made with butter, shortening, or liquid fat. They are usually leavened with chemical leaveners, but can also contain whipped eggs. The fat and sugar is usually creamed in a process called mechanical leavening. But there are other mixing methods that do not involve creaming the fat and sugar. The order in which ingredients are mixed is always important. Fat based cakes are always denser and lower in rise than foam cakes. Pound cake and butter cake are examples of fat base cakes.
Foam base cakes are leavened with whipped eggs. Egg whites or whole eggs are whipped and the dry ingredients are they sifted over the whipped eggs and folded in. Foam cakes do not have no or very little added fat. Foam cakes are lighter and rise higher than fat based cakes. They are also drier. Foam cakes are fragile, and some, like angel food cake require cake flour special cooling to avoid collapsing.
3. Is BP for the home baker too or only for commercial bakeries. If not then I may not have to bother myself to know because I am a home baker?
When you work in metric weight, you are working in BP, but in an abbreviated form. Where BP is most useful to the home based business is if you are baking a lot of product like rolls and bread. This type of baker needs to create different product, of different scale. So they would need to use BP every time they bake. But if your recipes are all in metric and they are all very reliable, then you are just repeating the same steps in baking every time. Your only changes are decorating the cakes differently to your customer’s order. So when you do not need to change anything in scale or quantity then you do not need to worry about learning all the details of BP unless you want to. But it is good to know because it can help you fix problems. Read the answer to the next question.
4. If I have to reduce an ingredient in a recipe what percentage <, = Or > the ratio to flour should I use?
There is no set amount to adjust a formula. To adjust a ratio you have to understand the role of each ingredient. For example, very few ever consider that sugar might be the cause of a sunken cake. So they do not think to look at the ratio of sugar to flour, and any other sugar that might be in the formula and start adjusting the sugar.
Or look at the cake on this site. Scroll
Down and look at the cake layers that are unfrosted. Look at the unusual “U”
shaped seam on each layer. That strange seam on each cake layer and the dark color crust tells me she has too much sugar in her formula. Now scroll down and actually look at her BP. Divide the amount of sugar into the amount of the flour. I didn’t need to do the math to see it was high for a fat based cake. Her cake shows it. But the BP confirms it.
https://iambaker.net/the-perfect-white-cake/
You rarely change an ingredient amount once your formula is developed and tests out to be reliable. Baker’s percentages ensures the results are consistently reproduced over and over again because the ratios remain the same. There’s other variables that come into play, ambient temperature, finished batter/dough temperature, humidity, variation in quality of brands, etc., but there are methods to mitigate against those variables.
Examples for changing a ratio of an ingredient:
- developing a recipe; the recipe still has problems
- changed an ingredient brand and the new brand is causing problems
- plan to use the finished good in a different application and desire a slightly different texture, so adjusting the ratio to create that texture
5. How many eggs make 162% in the recipe revised recipe you used?
The eggs in the recipes is 1.388 = 1388 grams
One large egg out of the shell is approximately 50 - 53grams.
1388 ÷50 = 27.76 round up 28 eggs for 7 cakes
So that comes out to approximately 4 eggs per cake
In commercial baking even the eggs are weighed. The customer expects the baked goods to taste the same every time they buy; so to make it exact every time they must use the exact amount of ingredients every time. Also, they use many kilos of ingredients in many different products every day; they would lose money if they did not weigh the ingredients exactly. A bakery might use 6000 eggs in a week. So if they just put that few extra grams in the cake that will add up to a lot of egg cost over the year. Why put more egg than is necessary in the cake batter when there is still other things to be made? So weighing everything exact every time is good business sense too.
6. You indicated that cornflour shouldn't be used in a cake recipe. We don't have cake flour on.rhe Ghanaian market. I know cake flour is 1 cup flour less 2 tbsp plus 2tbsp cornflour gives me cake flour. How do you please reconcile that?
Cornflour is not going to make cake flour. Place 2 Tbsp of cornflour is a cup and add water to it and heat it up. Then watch as it absorbs all the water and turns rubbery. And when it cools it will be like a molded gel. That cornflour is not going to do anything different in your cake. It cannot and does not make cake flour. That is a myth. Cornflour is not used in cake formulas for this reason.
If you want to make you all purpose flour perform more like cake flour, heat treat it to trigger protein denaturation. A study on high heat treatment of flour found it improved the performance quality of flour for baking.
Instructions on how to heat treat flour. If you do not have a microwave, you might be able to it in the oven with a heat proof bowl. Just watch the flour and adjust the times. What’s important is the temperature of the flour. I do not think its necessary to add the xanthan gum. You can try it to see if there is any improvement in performance.
https://amerrierworld.com/kate-flour/
this is the abstract on the paper that was published on heat treated flour that found heat treatment improved the quality of flour for baking
http://www.icef11.org/content/papers/epf/EPF493.pdf
This is 2 Tbsp cornflour and water heated. It forms a gummy gel. It will act the same way in your cake.
When cools it hardens to a gummy gel. This is why it is not used in cake formulas. Once mixed with water the texture is not good. Even in small quantities this is a very bad choice for cake batter because of the high liquid content in the batter.
Wow, wow wow wow wow wow. You are such an awesome teacher. Thanks so much. The science of baking - I'm learning a lot from you especially, and on the forum, answers given to other members.
Thanks a lot. I'll put all that I'm learning to use. From the picture, I've understood why the supposed sponge cake was rubbery. Knowledge of the science behind baked goods is really an added advantage. Thanks so so very much. I can't thank you enough, Cate.
Thanks a lot. I'll put all that I'm learning to use. From the picture, I've understood why the supposed sponge cake was rubbery. Knowledge of the science behind baked goods is really an added advantage. Thanks so so very much. I can't thank you enough, Cate.
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You are very welcome. Knowing the science is very important. There will always be problems in baking. But knowing the science it helps you avoid problems and it helps you fix problems. It makes you a better baker.
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Hi, I'm a filipino and most of the cakes we use are chiffon cakes. Would you be able.to give me the bakers percentage in making the chiffon cake please. Thank you in advance.
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These are basic baker’s percentages for a standard chiffon cake. You can deviate +/- 10% on the ingredients to flour to tweak it to your taste, ingredient, brands, and equipment. This recipe has 60% liquid and 130% total sugar. But I use 68% liquid and 115% total sugar since my family is Japanese, so we don’t like really sweet things.
My brother lives in the Philippines. He’s lived there for years now. My SIL is filipino. My son is mixed asian, Japanese anon my side, filipino on his dad side
| Chiffon Cake DO NOT GREASE YOUR CAKE TIN | 8” test cake | |
| cake flour | 100% | 113g |
| leavening (normally baking powder | 3.5% | 4g |
| fine salt | 1.5% | 1.5g |
| sugar #1 | 90% | 102g |
| citrus zest | ||
| vegetable oil | 50% | 56ml |
| egg yolk | 50% | 56ml |
| water* | 60% | 68ml |
| vanilla extract | 2.5% | 3ml |
| egg whites, 68°F | 100% | 113ml |
| sugar #2 | 40% | 45g |
| cream of tartar | 0.03% | 3.39 |
*water or any combination of sparkling water, cordial, champaign, non-alcoholic sparkling wine, sparkling juice, etc. will work. It is just not advisable to use heavy liquids with a milk or cream base as that just defeats the whole purpose of a chiffon cake. If you use a heavy liquid, you might as well just make a butter cake.
Use cake flour. This is very important for a good chiffon cake.
Whisk the leavening into the flour thoroughly first. Then sift all your dry ingredients together into a very large bowl. This ensures even distribution of the leavening, sugar, and salt, and making sure the flour is not lumpy. Set aside.
In a large measuring cup, add the egg yolks to the oil, and blend them together. Then add the water/liquids, flavoring, and citrus zest. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites to medium stiff peaks, not too stiff. And definitely not firm peaks. I’ve written a lot on this site about the proper way to beat egg whites. A link below to some threads if you want to read.
Add the egg and liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk to just combine and form a batter. It will be heavy.
Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the batter. And with a balloon whisk, run it down the center of the bowl cutting the egg whites into the batter, while using the whisk to lift the batter from the bottom of the bowl up and over the egg whites. Turn the bowl a 1/4 turn, then repeat.
Run the whisk down the center of the bowl cutting the egg whites into the batter, while using the whisk to lift the batter from the bottom of the bowl up and over the egg whites. Turn the bowl a 1/4 turn, then repeat.
Do this several times until the egg whites blend into the batter.
Repeat this with the remaining egg whites, adding the remaining egg whites in two additions.
Take care not to over mix. There will be some wisps of white eggs in the batter.
The batter will increase significantly in volume when you fold in the egg whites.
DO NOT GREASE YOUR CAKE TIN DO NOT GREASE YOUR CAKE TIN DO NOT GREASE YOUR CAKE TIN
Chiffon is my go to for layer cake. But to bake it as a layer cake you need to use a heating core to provide center support as it bakes. And you need to cool it upside down, just like a regular chiffon cake in a tube pan. Otherwise the cake will collapse.
This is elderflower and lemon chiffon. Now a chiffon layer cake is more delicate, so you can’t dump a bunch a heavy filling inside, and can’t make these into super big event event cakes. The largest I have gone is a 3 tier with a 10” base. I doweled each layer and center doweled the entire cake. If you over mix, will not rise to beautiful heights. If you do not use a heating core, your cake will collapse. The beautiful soft cake without the dried out brown crust and the level cake is due to cloth baking strips and proper oven temperature of 325°F. Also, NO anodized cake pans; NO dark metal; NO non-stick pans. Keep it simple and plain when it comes to bakeware.
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Thank you so much. It's big help.
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Hi, sorry to bother you again. Is there a certain formula in making cookies or its the same in making cakes. Hope you don't mind me asking. Thank you in advance
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Every type of cake has a different baker’s percentages. The bakers percentages for a sponge cake is not the same as for a chiffon cake. And the baker’s percentages for an angel food cake are not the same as sponge, or chiffon.
The bake’s percentages is formula— like the DNA, that determines the type (cake, bread, cookies, danish, etc.) and the variety (chocolate chip or shortbread; bagel or brioche; chiffon or butter cake) baked good you get.
If you use the ingredients and ratios for a shortbread cookie, you can only end up with a shortbread cookie, never anything other than that because that is the “DNA” of what you started with.
Of course the mixing method is also important, since baking is a chemical reaction of all the ingredients to time and temperature. But that is another topic.
I’ve written about shortbread on this site. Link below. I gave a couple of ratios for shortbread.
Below is a standard chocolate chip cookie dough formula. My instructions might not be the best since I don’t keep compete instructions my baking binder.
- Note the temperature of the butter. Room temperature butter is NOT correct for creaming butter and sugar.
Creaming butter and sugar is mechanical leavening. The butter needs to stay placid in order to expand and trap the gas bubbles created by the leavening in the early stages of baking.
Friction causes heat. Using room temperature butter just overheats the butter and it loses its plasticity.
Google “Serious Eats creaming butter” for a full article written by pastry chef Stella Parks for full explanation if you are interested in learning more.
| 24 - 3” Chocolate Chip Cookies 52g per cookie | GRAMS | BAKER’S PERCENTAGES | |
| All purpose flour approx 11% protein (King Arthur or Central Milling Organic Artisan Bakers Craft Plus) | 285 | 1.00 | 100 |
| Diamond Crystal kosher salt | 6 | 0.02 | 2 |
| Baking soda | 4 | 0.014 | 1.4 |
| Espresso powder | 2 | 0.007 | 0.7 |
| Light brown cane sugar C&H | 150 | 0.53 | 53 |
| Granulated cane sugar C&H | 150 | 0.53 | 53 |
| Unsalted butter 82% butter fat Plugra 65°F | 200 | 0.70 | 70 |
| Dash fresh nutmeg (optional) | |||
| Eggs. cold, slightly beaten | 100 | 0.35 | 35 |
| Vanilla extract | 15 | 0.052 | 5.2 |
| Semi-sweet or bittersweet chopped chocolate or chocolate chips* | 350 | 1.23 | 123 |
| TOTAL DOUGH WEIGHT | 1262 |
Equipment:
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Parchment paper
- Rimmed baking sheets
- Cooling rack and 4 mugs to elevate rack
Plan ahead: dough is chilled 1 hour and up to 36 hours before baking.
Mise en place: weight all ingredients; set up mixer with paddle attachment
Thoroughly whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and espresso powder. Set aside
Place sugars in mixer bowl and mix to combine
Add butter to mixer bowl
Cream butter and sugars on medium speed for 2.5minutes.
Scrape sides AND bottom of bowl
Continue beating additional 2.5 minutes. Do not exceed 68°F.
Add cold eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until egg is incorporated
Scrape down bowl
With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture and mix for about 30 seconds. There will be traces of flour.
Add chocolate and mix to distribute chocolate.
Do not overmix.
Transfer dough to clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
TO BAKE
Place mugs under corners of cooling rack. Circulation around and under the cooling rack is key to proper cooling of all baked goods—cookies, cakes, pies, bread, rolls. I don’t care what you are cooling—-get that rack up off the countertop!!!!
Place the rack in the center of the oven
Preheat oven 350°F at least 25 minutes before baking
Confirm the oven temperature with an oven thermometer before placing a cookie sheet in the oven
Cover rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Do Not Use silpat mat. They are terrible for cookies. Do not use a dark metal
Scale 52g dough per cookie. I use a is known as a disher in the food industry, and what home bakers call cookie scoops.
You can scoop all the dough, and refrigerate it while waiting to bake. Dough balls can also be frozen up to 4 months.
Place 3” apart on cookie sheet
Bake about 12 minutes, rotate mid way.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to elevated cooling rack
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The texture of chocolate chip cookies is ultimately determined by the amount of sugar and the ratio of brown sugar to white sugar. You can also change the texture by substituting a little bit of the sugar with an invert sugar (essentially a liquid sugar like Lyle’s golden syrup, corn syrup, or molasses).
From the base formula, just adjust the sugars to achieve texture. More brown sugar than granulated sugar for a thicker chewier cookie; more granulated sugar than brown sugar for a thinner crispy cookie.
I discuss the effects of sugar in cookie dough in the linked thread below. I also have a photo of one of my cookies that has an invert sugar in it. I gave the poster a formula for a cookie with invert sugar if you want a different texture. To calculate the Baker’s percentages from the formula in this thread, just divide the weight of the ingredient into the weight of the flour.
Example: 210 g butter, 280 g unbleached Flour
210÷280 = 0.75
Flour 100%
Butter 75%
Remember in baker’s percentages, flour is always 100%. Another ingredient can weigh more than flour, but flour is always 100%.
Example: 310 g chopped chocolate, 280 g unbleached flour.
310÷280 = 110%
Flour 100%
Chopped chocolate 110%
https://www.baking-forums.com/threads/cookie-ph-vs-gluten-formation-question.6327/#post-43291
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Link to the thread that I posted ratios for shortbread. I have photos of some of the process as well as shortbread cookies in bar form (1st pg) as well as cutout cookies (2nd or 3rd pg)
https://www.baking-forums.com/threads/shortbread-biscuits-cookies.5629/
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Hi again, it's me again lol. I was just wondering if you have baker's percentage for a good chocolate cake. And any tips in making it moist and decadent many thanks in advance.
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there’s so many types of chocolate cakes so it’s not a matter of Baker’s percentages.
Alice medrich decadent chocolate cake
Alice Medrich Chocolate cake
Alice Medrich Cocoa layer cake
also look up recipes on Valrhona and Callebau’s websites
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Hi this is so super helpful. I wanted to ask, can I use cake strips on my chiffon cake that’s being baked in a tube tin?