Cake to cookie...

[andrew172]

So after a few mistakes and perfections making cookies and cakes... am I right in assuming that the only difference between cakes and cookies is the amount of flour you add to the mix?

 

[NThomas]

I think the mixing process is a bit different. When you add your wet ingredients and how you combine them.

 

[andrew172]

Hmmm... I make them all pretty similar!

 

[veroniquebrown72]

Actually the difference between cakes and cookies is not only the amount of flour you add to both, but also the amount of wet ingredients. Baking is chemistry. When baking cakes you want a wet batter, but with cookies you want a batter that is a formable dough. For most cookies that I want to have a chewy consistency I may add a tbsp. or two of milk or some other liquid. However, one must be very careful when do this as the cookies can have more of a cake like consistency than cookie.

 

[TheViper]

The difference is in the amount of wet and dry ingredients. If you notice with cake batter the consistency is loose. While, cookies are more close to the consistency of something like play dough. I have made cookie cakes before and the only difference was the texture.

 

[MyDigitalpoint]

Besides differences stated above, keep in mind that cookies don't include yeast or baking powder in the recipe (perhaps a few recipes may) besides requiring less baking time and many times an after-oven cooling process to get them having the right consistence.

 

[andrew172]

Actually the difference between cakes and cookies is not only the amount of flour you add to both, but also the amount of wet ingredients. Baking is chemistry. When baking cakes you want a wet batter, but with cookies you want a batter that is a formable dough. For most cookies that I want to have a chewy consistency I may add a tbsp. or two of milk or some other liquid. However, one must be very careful when do this as the cookies can have more of a cake like consistency than cookie.

You've just solved about three of my baking dilemmas all in one post... thank you so much! I'm gonna try the tblspoon of milk trick tonight!

 

[Sarah Ali]

I have never tried converting cake to cookies, but I guess you need more flour (and dry ingredients in general) and no backing powder. You actually just inspired me to try that. I have great cake recipes but all the cookie recipes I have are not good enough for me.

 

[OhioTom76]

I did try a couple of cookie recipes that called for cake mix as part of the ingredients years ago, and wasn't happy with the results. The "cookies" were way too soft and didn't hold up well at all. Cookies generally don't use cake flour either, but rather All Purpose Flower, which I believe has different levels of gluten in it too.

 

[TheViper]

You could actually make a "cookie" with cake batter. It will just turn out like a small and probably more "fluffy" type of cookie.

 

[andrew172]

You could actually make a "cookie" with cake batter. It will just turn out like a small and probably more "fluffy" type of cookie.

I actually did this and this was one of the reasons I started the thread haha. honestly it turned out pretty great- it was just like a soft tear away cookie! It was a good snack!