Archive Issue - Monthly Tidbits Article
April 2008

Tidbit for Baking Chemistry
by Jill Jackson

Over the past year, we have discussed many topics related to the basics of baking. Among them, that baking includes a lot of chemistry as well as mathematics and the reactions of certain ingredients with one another can either make or break your favorite creation. However, one of the most prominent and essential rules we live by in the kitchen is using the correct tools to make our desserts. Because when we do not, the nearest destination is disaster! Maybe you’ve wondered why that cake didn’t turn out the way you had planned, after all you did follow the recipe.

Probably the most common error in judgment with baking has to do with the consistency of the ingredients and the methods by which they are measured. For instance, are you using a liquid measuring cup to measure your sugar? Or a dry measuring cup to measure your milk? If so, you are compromising the true integrity of your recipe.

The reason for this is simple. Measurements are different with wet and dry ingredients. In other words, the volume of a liquid is different than the mass of a solid. Your methods of measurement should be mutually exclusive. One quarter cup of milk in a liquid measuring cup does not equal one quarter cup of flour in that same cup.

You may find so many different varieties of these accessories at any supermarket or specialty stores. Liquid measuring cups not only come in 4 cup as in the early days of commercialism, but now also come in cone shapes with teaspoon, tablespoon, quarter, third, half and full cup measurements all in the same product—now that’s easy to use and cuts down on frustration!

Dry measuring cups have handles that make it easy to scoop the dry ingredients to the desired amount, level at the top and easy to shake or scrape the excess or heaping amount of a particular ingredient from the top.

I hope this helped clear any confusion in your kitchen. I suggest that for best results invest in both wet and dry measuring cups. You won’t be sorry, just a culinary success!