Using Alcohol While Baking

You have probably heard of alcohol being used while making pastas or other kinds of savory dishes, but did you know that it can be used in the baking process as well? Indeed, using alcohol while baking can give it a delicious flavor, and there are a bunch of other benefits that you can look into as well. Before you start using alcohol while baking, though, you need to understand why it makes cakes taste better if it is used right. This will help you independently use it without needing someone to hold your hand all the way.

There are two basic chemical properties of alcohol that have an impact on the flavor of a cake.

Alcohol Evaporates Quickly

When a freshly baked cake comes out of the oven, it is going to be very hot. You have probably seen cakes steaming when they are freshly out of the oven. Alcohol evaporates much more quickly than alcohol, and when it does so it brings unique flavors to the forefront. This is a way to layer the flavors of your cake. Not only are you going to end up getting a richer overall flavor but there will be steps to the flavor composition as well. Fragrances from the alcohol will hit you first, followed by the texture and flavors of the cake itself.

Alcohol Has a Unique Flavor

If you have ever tasted alcohol, you would know that there is nothing quite like it. It is an acquired taste without a doubt, but once that taste has been acquired nothing else in the world will give you that same level of satisfaction. Adding this flavor to cakes can help you experiment a lot more instead of just baking a simple chocolate cake every single time.

The more alcohol a certain beverage has, the less you need to put into your mix. Liquor such as whiskey and vodka is very high in alcohol content, so adding a few tablespoons will be more than enough, and certainly no more than about ten. If you are using beer or some other kind of low alcohol content beverage, you will need to add a lot more so that you can get the ideal amount of flavor that would enable your cake to be truly unique in pretty much every single way.

Using alcohol is also a great way to control the texture of your finished product. Acidity from the chemicals present within can make your cake a bit more crumbly which can be wonderful in certain situations but absolutely awful in other situations. It is important to use it sparingly and only when you know it will do a good job at improving your cake. Once you master the use of alcohol in baking, there is no end to where you can go from there. You will be able to bake amazing cakes and come up with your own recipes as well which are sure to delight everyone.

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