Why my cake is dense

[Baking 2023]

Why my cake is dense

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Why my cake is dense

It can be a number of things:

1) in butter cakes it could be butter is too warm; cream butter at 65°F (18°C). Google creaming butter and sugar Stella Parks for a full explanation. She creams butter at 60°F, but the standard is 65°F. Your finished batter temperature should not exceed 68°F.

2) flour has too much protein. A flour like King Arthur flour brand is too high in protein (11.7%) to make a light airy cake crumb. A flour with a protein level around 10% or less is best for cake.

3) unbleached cake flour makes a denser cake. For a light airy crumb, bleached flour like cake flour is best.

4) over-creaming butter and sugar. Butter is too warm and/or speed of mixer too high. Start mixer on low and gradually increase speed know more than medium. It’s important to recognize what properly creamed butter and sugar looks like. Again. I recommend you look up. Stella Parks article on serious eats.

5) too much flour in the formula

6) not enough leavening.

 

[Baking 2023]

I didn’t know the differences on the flour contents! Now I know what to use, my recent bake was a King Arthur flour and my cake was densed, thinking also in how I creamed the butter.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I didn’t know the differences on the flour contents! Now I know what to use, my recent bake was a King Arthur flour and my cake was densed, thinking also in how I creamed the butter.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

Some cakes like carrot cake, hummingbird cake, and some chocolate cakes need an all purpose flour. But when AP flour is needed, use a lower protein flour like Gold Medal, Pillsbury, or White Lily brands (all are around 10% - 10.5% protein and bleached). If an unbleached flour is desired, the Central Millings Beehive (10% protein). King Arthur flour is high in protein AND unbleached. KA make for a dense and terrible cake.