Baking Cake Ingredients Measuring

It is critical to carefully measure ingredients while making cakes so that your cake comes out precisely. If you measure incorrectly, you will obtain an entirely different outcome than you planned. Here I offer my measurement techniques to help you create your finest cake ever.

In this article, I’ll discuss measuring and weighing ingredients, as well as what works best and genuine advice for what to do and what not to do while measuring ingredients.

By the way, don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom of this page.

There are affiliate links in this post. I earn money as an Amazon Associate by making qualifying purchases.

FIRST THINGS FIRST-MEASURING VS WEIGHING:

Let us address the elephant in the room. The elephant is the entire weighing vs. measuring debate.

I suppose it’s not really a scandal, but people tend to get all worked up over it, particularly in Facebook groups. There are some very serious (and occasionally critical) individuals in such organizations, and there is only one way (the best way) to accomplish things in their opinion.

Let’s just get this out there: In theory, weighing substances is more precise than measuring by volume.

Don’t start feeling horrible about yourself just yet. I’ll just declare right now that I’m not a snob about this topic.

Absolutely, weighing ingredients brings you as near to accurate quantities as possible while also being more predictable and varying less than measuring by volume.

If someone wants to weigh everything out, that’s wonderful, but I’m simply here to remind you that it’s not the end of the world and that you can still create excellent cakes if you measure by volume.

SO LET’S BREAK THE WEIGHING VS MEASURING ISSUE DOWN:

I utilize volume measures while creating cake recipes. I do this since that is what the majority of people (at least in the United States) utilize. I recognize that weighing ingredients is more exact, but the general populace is accustomed to using volume measures (cups, etc.), so I want to make things easy for people, and honestly, people will gravitate to anything that isn’t hard, and measuring ingredients may be complicated at times.

Now, if you’re a die-hard weigher, don’t get all worked up over it. I know it’s not that difficult, but what I mean is that it seems or appears tough to folks who aren’t accustomed to baking in that manner. And, to be honest, you don’t have to weigh everything. (gasp)

Let’s get back on track. My recipes are tested using volume measures (cups, for example), since this is how most people measure and many people find it simpler than weighing ingredients.

You may have noticed on my website that I have a button on my recipe cards that may convert those volume measurements to metric for weight and volume (grams, ml etc). It computes it for me, but it’s really just a best-guess scenario since the recipe is tested and refined using volume measurements.

If someone truly wanted to weigh their materials, they could utilize the metric converter button to view the weight (gram) values, however those numbers are only basic conversions performed by a computer program. Since the recipe was tested and created based on volume, the results may differ somewhat from the original recipe when using weight measurements.

Thus, one thing you’d have to do to ensure you have the exact weights would be to follow the recipe by volume, but weigh out the dry ingredients as you go and record the weights. Then you’d have the weights to go by the following time, and you’d have the same exact outcome every time (or pretty darn close). And you won’t have to utilize volume measurements where the variables may change slightly each time.

Therefore the choice is yours. You may either weigh or measure your materials by volume. It’s your decision, and I’m not going to make you feel terrible about either one or tell you that one is better than the other.

I simply want you to know that just because a recipe was created and tested using volume measurements does not indicate that weighing the ingredients would be better or precisely the same. It requires some tinkering.

Now that that’s out of the way, I’d want to discuss the right method to measure. Thus, if you use volume measures (like many of us do), you won’t make any errors that will ruin your cakes.

THE PROPER WAY TO MEASURE CAKE INGREDIENTS:

There are affiliate links in this post. I earn money as an Amazon Associate by making qualifying purchases.

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR MEASURING CAKE INGREDIENTS:

• dry ingredient measuring cups
• liquid ingredient measuring cups
• measuring spoons (I have these lovely rose gold ones in my store!)
• various scoops and spoons

HOW TO MEASURE CAKE INGREDIENTS:

Measuring cups are classified into many varieties. Some are for dry components, while others are for liquid ingredients.

MEASURING CUPS FOR LIQUID INGREDIENTS:

MEASURING CUPS FOR DRY INGREDIENTS:

You may use both for both purposes; it’s not critical, but you’ll obtain more precise readings if you use dry for dry and liquid for liquid.

Personally, I’ve been known to take whatever was around or clean and use it to measure with, whether dry or wet. Well, it’s preferable to measure more precisely, but life occurs, don’t you think?

What I will emphasize is that you should not cram down your dry components.

Now let’s get started on measuring.

MEASURING LIQUID INGREDIENTS:

Liquid is simple. Just place your measuring cup on a flat surface, pour in your beverage, bend down, and verify that it is at the correct level.

You’ll merely use measuring spoons for extracts or other little liquid quantities.

MEASURING DRY INGREDIENTS:

It is critical not to cram the flour in when measuring dry ingredients. It is something you would never do.

If you use too much flour, your cake will be dry, thick, or otherwise unappealing.

Using another scoop, scoop the flour out of the container (or bag) and put it into your measuring cup.

The next step is to level it off. Some individuals use the back of a knife, while others just use their finger (ex. Ina Gartenwho seems like a lovely lady by the way).

There are certain cookie recipes and I’m sure other sorts of recipes that ask for the flour to be packed, but it’s not the usual, so don’t pack down your flour by scooping it out with your measuring cup unless it’s specified.

It makes no difference when measuring sugar. I usually scoop it out of the container and then into the measuring cup, but you may simply scoop it out of the bag or pour it out of the bag and it will be OK.

When measuring brown sugar, the recipe will almost certainly instruct you to pack it down. In such case, just place your measuring cup in the bag and pack it as you measure.

You may just put your measuring spoon to the container and level it off with the container to measure baking powder and soda; however, be sure you actually level off the spoon; you don’t want a heaping tablespoon unless the guidelines specify for a heaping teaspoon.

I also spoon in cocoa powder since you don’t want it to be too dense.

Now, if you only use a volume measuring cup to measure flour, sugar, and so on, you may notice some tiny discrepancies in measurement since you can’t really get the top level. It’s hardly the end of the world, but keep in mind that dimensions may vary somewhat.

I do this more often than I should because #sometimeslazy

Well, I hope this helped clarify the various measurement strategies and gave you permission not to be too harsh on yourself if you’re not into weighing out materials.

You will not be arrested for weighing ingredients, and you will still be able to bake delicious cakes. Just don’t pile on the flour!

VIDEO FOR MEASURING INGREDIENTS FOR BAKING CAKES:

OTHER POSTAGES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

• Flour Varieties for Baking Cakes, as well as Mixing Techniques
• How to Determine if a Cake is Ready
• How to Prepare Cake Batter

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