You might be wondering why I am writing this. I’m not an ingredient, nor something you enjoy eating, but guess what? I am the one who knows all the secrets! I watch as all your batter turns into cake and cookie dough, turning crisp and golden. Now no one knows as many details as I do, do they?
Meet the oven microwave! , Photo Credit: Created with Google AI
“Hey, my name is Owen Microwave. I come from a family of the best bakers in the world, and everyone appreciates my cooking skills.”
Have you ever wondered how the liquid solution becomes fluffy, soft and delicious after rotating with me? It’s simple science! I have the ability to create multiple reactions in this matter, helping them bring about change. Let’s dive into the science of baking! responsible elements
As I said, my warmth and skills drive change; However, it’s the ingredients you add to your batter that let me do this too. When you bake a cake, the batter absorbs the heat generated by the oven, causing chemical changes in the molecular structure of the batter. All materials react differently to oven heat; This will change the structure of the cake.
What do we need to make cake?
A basic vanilla cake contains flour, eggs, sugar, butter, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla or flavored essence, and milk. This will vary depending on the type of cake you are making.
Wheat flour, the starchy white flour commonly used in baking, contains the proteins glutenin and gliadin. When you mix flour with water, a reaction occurs that binds glutenin and gliadin together to form gluten. Gluten forms into long, flexible threads that stick together, which helps the batter spread better when baking.
The batter contains leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda. Both baking powder and baking soda emit carbon dioxide gas when they react with other ingredients when heated. These bubbles of carbon dioxide become trapped in the batter when you stir the batter. Then, as the batter absorbs heat inside the oven, the carbon dioxide gas bubbles heat up and expand. The expanding bubbles of gas push the batter up and out, causing the cake to rise. Baking soda requires an acid to react and produce COâ‚‚, while baking powder contains both a base (like baking soda) and an acid, which allows it to react with moisture or heat.
That sweet, toasted crust is also the result of a chemical reaction between sugars and proteins called maillard reactionWhen the baking temperature reaches about 150 °C, the sugar mixed in the batter reacts with amino acids (molecules that come together to form proteins) from eggs, butter, and gluten. Both the proteins and sugars separate and recombine, forming new molecules that give the cake its delicious aroma and rich, golden brown color.
With all these reactions happening and the heat coming off as I bind them, the cake comes into that glorious shape that you love to lick.
niranjana.ps@thehindu.co.in
