Vegan Baking Made Easy: Acid + Base - Cooking By Laptop (2024)

FAQs

Why did my vegan cake collapse? ›

If you use too much baking soda and/or baking powder, your cake will rise too quickly in the oven, causing it to collapse and sink.

Vegan Cake Troubleshooting

Reduce water content. Reduce sugar content. Increase baking powder and baking soda. Usually caused by batter being too thin or lack of leavening power.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which requires an acid and a liquid to become activated and help baked goods rise. Conversely, baking powder includes sodium bicarbonate, as well as an acid. It only needs a liquid to become activated. Substituting one for the other is possible with careful adjustments.

If your ingredients, even vegan ingredients, aren't all room temperature (i.e. some are cool, some are warm, some are hot), the cake will come out gummy. Another reason is that you might have been checking on your cake in the oven…by opening the door! Try to keep the oven door closed as much as possible.

Perhaps the recipes you're following are a little off? You could try different ones or try reducing the water and/or oil content a little. If you're adding things like fruit to the batter it can release juices during baking that can make cakes soggy.

It's all in the chemistry: the acidity in the vinegar reacts with the baking soda creating bubbles and making your batter rise.

You can make your vegan baked goods rise (erupt) in a very similar way (just minus the dish soap). Simply put, you acidify a liquid ingredient in your recipe, and then add baking soda. During the baking process, the acid and the base (the baking soda) react together, and voila! you get a fluffy, light cake.

Why does an eggless cake turn bitter? (It is mostly the overuse of baking powder/soda, but it has happened twice, even after reducing the baking powder.) Yes , usually its because of baking soda , but if you are making a chocolate cake and using cocoa powder , excess of same could cause the bitterness to occur.

This is why baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has been incorporated into beauty routines due to its alkalinity with a high pH level. The substance works by lightening gray hair but should only ever be used cautiously as it also affects moisture retention capacity making it brittle.

What happens if I accidentally use baking powder instead of baking soda? ›

Baking powder: Baking powder can be used to replace baking soda, though not at a 1-to-1 ratio. Because the former is not as strong as the latter, it's important to use three times the amount of baking powder as baking soda. Be aware, a slightly bitter, off-putting taste might result from using that much baking powder.

The job of butter in baking (besides being delicious) is to give richness, tenderness and structure to cookies, cakes, pies and pastries. We alter the way butter works in a recipe by changing its temperature and choosing when to combine it with the other ingredients.

You may have added too much raising agents to your batter which causes it to rise too quickly and then sink as your batter doesn't have enough structure to hold the height or there isn't enough room for the cake to continue to grow.

1. My cake has peaked in the middle and is cracked. This happens when a/ there's too much raising agent, b/ the cake tin's too small or c/ the oven temperature is too high.

Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay perfectly fresh for a 2-3 days or keep it covered in the fridge to stay good for up to a week. The cake is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. You can freeze it either frosted or unfrosted (but definitely don't add strawberries if you plan to freeze it).

You need to incorporate enough air during the creaming process to achieve a light and fluffy cake, without over or undermixing. Incorporate too little air and your cake won't rise enough. Too much air and your cake will collapse because it simply can't hold onto all that air.

There are a few reasons why your vegan cake might fall apart. One common reason is overmixing the batter, which can activate the gluten in the flour and create a crumbly texture. Not using enough liquid or fat can also result in a cake that falls apart.

Your cake is often subject to sinking in the middle due to various factors, including inaccurate oven temperature, excessive or insufficient leavening agent, overmixing of the batter, or premature opening of the oven door. Moisture loss or incorrect ingredient ratios may also play a role.

YOUR CAKE IS SINKING IN THE MIDDLE OR NOT RISING

You may not have used enough raising agents. I do recommend experimenting with double action baking powders. Otherwise try using 25 percent more chemical raising agents (baking soda or baking powder) if you're converting a recipe to gluten free.