Taste the Science: Cake Dissection

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Baking is easier than you think! Just a few basic kitchen lessons at an early age will inspire plenty of simple and entertaining adventures in the kitchen. Each ingredient has it’s own super powers and needs to work together to create this vanilla cake, perfect for every occasion. Understanding what these ingredients do and how much to add will help kids create and experiment with their own recipes. Discover the mad science of baking.

Ingredients Checklist

Flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

Flour provides the structure when mixed with liquid to form gluten. This gluten stretches expanding gases during rising.

Baking Powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Baking powder when mixed with water creates bubbles that get trapped causing the cake to rise making it soft and spongy.

Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Baking soda adds a little extra lift without affecting the flavor.

Salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

Salt enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and a balance to the sweetness of the batter.

Sugar

1 1/2 cups sugar

Sugar mixed with water allows sugar to lock in moisture so your cake doesn’t dry out too quickly. It also adds tenderness and sweetens the flavor.

Milk

1 1/3 cups milk

Milk hydrates the dry ingredients, adds flavor, supports browning and softens texture.

Butter

1/2 cup salted butter

Butter is a fat and adds flavor and moisture.

Vegetable Oil

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Vegetable oil also adds moistness.

Egg + Egg Whites

2 large eggs and 2 egg whites

Eggs hold the ingredients together within a batter and adds moisture. Egg whites will give it a little extra volume.

Vanilla Extract

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Vanilla enhances all the other flavors in the recipe. Without it, your cake will taste bland.

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  2. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour.

  3. Whisk dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

  4. Combine wet ingredients: milk and vanilla.

  5. Mix butter, oil and sugar. Add eggs and egg whites.

  6. Mix all ingredients by alternating dry and wet mixtures. Keeping the wet and dry components separate is a secret to avoiding a mushy lump.

  7. Pour batter in pan and bake for about 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely.

  8. Spread with your favorite frosting and toppings.