Science of Cooking: The Secret Life of the Rising Cakes!

You must be wondering why I am written this. I am not an ingredient, Nor something you enjoy munching on, but guess what? I am the one who knows all the secrets! I watch all your batter Rise into cake and cookie dough, become crispy and golden. Nobody knows the details as much as I do now, do they?

“Hey, My Name is Oven Microwave. I come from a family of the best bakers in the world, and everybody adores my cooking skills.”

Have you evr wondered how the liquid batter builds all fluffy, soft and delicious after hanging out with me? It’s simple science! I have the ability to trigger several reactions in the matter, which helps them get a makeover. Let’s Dive into the Science of Baking! The ingredients responsible

As I said, my warmth and skills trigger the makeover; However, it is the ingredients you put in your batter that let me do the same. When you bake a cake, the batter absorbs the heat produced by the oven, causing chemical changes to the molecular structure of the batter. All the ingredients react differently to the heat in an oven; This will change the structure of the cake.

Wheat Flour, The Starchy White Flour Commonly Used In Baking, Contains The Proteins Gltenin and Gliadin. When you mix the flour with water, a reaction occurs that Binds Gltenin and Gliadin togeether to Create Glten. Glten Forms in Long, Stretchy Strands that Stick Together, Which Helps the batter expand better While Getting Baked.

The batter itself continues Leavening agents like baking power or baking soda. Both baking powder and baking soda emit carbon dioxide gas when reacting with the other ingredients when heated. These very bubbles of carbon dioxide get trapped in the batter as you stir. Then, as the batter absorbs heat inside the oven, the bubbles of carbon dioxide gas heat up and expand. The expanding bubbles of gas push the batter up and out, causing the cake to expand. Baking soda needs an acid to react and produce co₂, while baking powder contains both a base (like baking soda) and an acid, allowing it to react with moisture or heat.

That Sweet, toasted Crust is also the result of a chemical reaction between sugar and proteins called the Mailard reactionWhen the baking temperature reactions Around 150 degrees Celsius, The Sugar Mixed Into The Batter Reacts With The amino acids (Molecules that Combine to Form Proteins) From the Eggs, butter, and Glten. Both the proteins and the sugars break apart and recombine, forming new molecules that give the cake its toasty aroma and rich, golden brown color.

With all these reactions Happy and heat emitted by me fasting them, the cake rises to the glorious form you love gobbling up.

niranjana.ps@thehindu.co.in