Hmmm, Weighing Eggs?

[chesschef]

I came across a recipe where you first weigh the eggs in their shells and then base your dry ingredients weight on the eggs weight.

I found this an interesting concept so I weighed some farm fresh eggs and found the weight varied from 53 grams to 70 grams. That is a big difference of wet ingredients. So it is conceivable that this variation in weight could cause
inconsistent results in the baking process.

Does anyone else follow this process when baking? What do you think about this idea?

Thanks,
MJ

 

[retired baker]

commercial formulas are usually in weight, but the eggs are liquid from cartons, pasteurized or frozen sugared. i would never recalculate dry ingredients to match liquids, its safer and more efficient to measure liquids to match dry.

 

[chesschef]

Interesting so do you mean utilizing the baker's math where flour is considered 100% and then base the rest of the ingredients from this?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I came across a recipe where you first weigh the eggs in their shells and then base your dry ingredients weight on the eggs weight.

I found this an interesting concept so I weighed some farm fresh eggs and found the weight varied from 53 grams to 70 grams. That is a big difference of wet ingredients. So it is conceivable that this variation in weight could cause
inconsistent results in the baking process.

Does anyone else follow this process when baking? What do you think about this idea?

Thanks,
MJ

The traditional method for a Victoria sponge (which is not a sponge, but creamed batter cake) is to weigh the eggs in the shell, the use the same weight in flour, sugar,

I came across a recipe where you first weigh the eggs in their shells and then base your dry ingredients weight on the eggs weight.

I found this an interesting concept so I weighed some farm fresh eggs and found the weight varied from 53 grams to 70 grams. That is a big difference of wet ingredients. So it is conceivable that this variation in weight could cause
inconsistent results in the baking process.

Does anyone else follow this process when baking? What do you think about this idea?

Thanks,
MJ

A traditional Victoria sponge cake (which is actually a creamed batter cake, not a true sponge) is made by weighing the eggs in the shell, and using the same weight of flour, sugar, and butter. The individual weight of each egg doesn’t matter; since only the total weight of all the eggs is used, the ratio of egg to flour/sugar/butter remains the same.

For example, if a recipe calls for four eggs, and their weights are 72 + 69 + 70 + 64 = 275 grams, then 275 grams each of flour, sugar, and butter should be used.

The eggshell typically makes up about 9% of the egg’s total weight.

275 g x 0.09 = 24.75 g (total weight of the eggshells)

Subtract the weight of the shells from the total egg weight:

275 g - 24.75 g = 250.25 g net egg weight

To find the egg-to-flour ratio, divide the net egg weight by the flour/sugar/butter weight:

• 250.25 g / 275 g = 0.91

So, the egg-to-flour ratio is 91%.

Now, suppose the four eggs weigh:

67 + 64 + 69 + 64 = 264 grams

The eggshell still makes up about 9% of the egg’s total weight:

264 g x 0.09 = 23.76 g (total weight of the eggshells)

Subtract the weight of the shells from the total egg weight:

264 g - 23.76 g = 240.24 g net egg weight

Calculate the egg-to-flour ratio:

• 240.24 g / 264 g = 0.91

The ratio remains 91% regardless of the variation in egg weight.

 

[Jessie_Roos]

That’s a really interesting concept! I’ve heard about using egg weight as a base for dry ingredients, and it definitely makes sense for achieving more consistent results. The variation you found in egg weights highlights a common issue in baking—small differences can lead to big changes in the final product.

I think it’s great to weigh the eggs, especially if you’re working with farm-fresh ones where the sizes can vary so much. For recipes that rely heavily on precision, like meringues or soufflés, this approach could really help in getting the ratios right.

I haven't tried it myself, but I’m tempted to give it a go! Have you noticed any differences in your baked goods since you started weighing the eggs? Click here to get more info.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Yellowperiltechie]

The traditional method for a Victoria sponge (which is not a sponge, but creamed batter cake) is to weigh the eggs in the shell, the use the same weight in flour, sugar,


A traditional Victoria sponge cake (which is actually a creamed batter cake, not a true sponge) is made by weighing the eggs in the shell, and using the same weight of flour, sugar, and butter. The individual weight of each egg doesn’t matter; since only the total weight of all the eggs is used, the ratio of egg to flour/sugar/butter remains the same.

For example, if a recipe calls for four eggs, and their weights are 72 + 69 + 70 + 64 = 275 grams, then 275 grams each of flour, sugar, and butter should be used.

The eggshell typically makes up about 9% of the egg’s total weight.

275 g x 0.09 = 24.75 g (total weight of the eggshells)

Subtract the weight of the shells from the total egg weight:

275 g - 24.75 g = 250.25 g net egg weight

To find the egg-to-flour ratio, divide the net egg weight by the flour/sugar/butter weight:

• 250.25 g / 275 g = 0.91

So, the egg-to-flour ratio is 91%.

Now, suppose the four eggs weigh:

67 + 64 + 69 + 64 = 264 grams

The eggshell still makes up about 9% of the egg’s total weight:

264 g x 0.09 = 23.76 g (total weight of the eggshells)

Subtract the weight of the shells from the total egg weight:

264 g - 23.76 g = 240.24 g net egg weight

Calculate the egg-to-flour ratio:

• 240.24 g / 264 g = 0.91

The ratio remains 91% regardless of the variation in egg weight.

Essentially what you are talking about here is the modern iteration of the original Pound Cake. Some 18th century Pound cake recipes express the eggs as "1 lb of eggs in their shell". As you remark in your calculations this is not actually 100% eggs on flour. More often than not early Pound cake recipes expressed the egg as a number of whole eggs but with a number of the whites left out. A popular egg ratio in late 18thc Pound cake recipes was "12 egg yolks and 6 egg whites" which based on a medium egg equates to 92% Egg on flour.

 

[Jessie_Roos]

That’s a fascinating concept, MJ! I’ve seen recipes that use egg weight as a base and it makes sense for achieving precision, especially in baking where ratios matter a lot. Using the weight of eggs ensures consistency but as you noticed, the variation in egg sizes can make a big difference in the final outcome. It might work best for small batch baking or when using eggs from the same source. For me, I usually stick to standard measurements but this approach seems perfect for someone who enjoys the science of baking. Have you tried baking with this method yet? I'd love to hear how it turned out!