2. Choose the Fatty Part
Essential to a successful, tall, and fluffy cake is the correct use of the fat, usually butter or oil. Butter is the most classic choice, as it makes the dough very flavorful and quite soft, but for an even softer result, try replacing it partially or completely with seed oil. Many other ingredients can replace butter: ricotta, among them all, is ideal for giving the inside of the cake an even softer texture.
3. Which Yeast to Choose and How Much
To make a very tall cake, one of the most important ingredients is yeast, in this case specifically the kind used for cakes: it’s what allows the cake to rise instantly, starting to rise a few minutes after baking. If you like, you can replace part of the yeast with half a teaspoon of baking soda, but if you want even more height, add cream of tartar.
Preparing the Cake
Once you’ve chosen and prepared the ingredients, it’s time to put on your apron and start kneading: this phase is the heart of the recipe, so it’s essential to pay attention to every single step, because every move counts for a tall, fluffy cake. Let’s take a detailed look at the essential tricks to know and follow.
1. Beat the Eggs Well
One of the elements that most affects the softness of a cake is the eggs, or rather, how you beat them. Sponge cake is a perfect example of this: despite not containing yeast, it still rises very high thanks to properly beaten eggs. Depending on the recipe, you may need to beat the eggs whole or separate the egg whites from the yolks. If you’re beating the eggs whole, combine them with the sugar and use an electric whisk; if you need to separate the yolks, beat the yolks with the sugar until they become very light and fluffy. Place a container in the freezer for 10 minutes, then use it to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, until they stick to the sides of the container when you turn it upside down. Fold them in gently, in several batches, stirring slowly from top to bottom to avoid deflating the egg whites.
2. Sift the Dry Ingredients
It’s a step that’s often overlooked, but sifting the dry ingredients before adding them to the eggs is actually essential, as it helps prevent lumps from forming and results in a lighter dough. Use a sieve or strainer to add the flour, baking powder, potato starch, or cornstarch to the dough, and continue mixing in batches, adding 3-4 tablespoons at a time. Add the remaining flour only when fully incorporated. If using a stand mixer, play around with the speed: lower it when adding the flour, then raise it again for a minute, then lower it again while adding more flour. Once you’ve added the dry ingredients, avoid overmixing: overmixing the dough develops the gluten and makes the cake tough and chewy.
3. Add the Flavorings and « Extra » Ingredients Only at the End
All the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly, but to give it a distinctive character and flavor, you’ll need to add more: cocoa, lemon zest, fresh or dried fruit, chocolate chips or pieces. Whether you’re making an apple pie or a cocoa bundt cake, these ingredients should only be added at the end. Additionally, the fruit and chocolate chips should be dusted with a little powdered sugar before adding them, to prevent them from sinking during baking and leaving the top exposed.
Cooking the Cake
Once the dough is kneaded, it’s time to bake it, the most delicate part of the entire cake-making process. Here too, we have three tricks to recommend to ensure the cake doesn’t turn out dry, flat, or deflated: here they are.
1. Preheat the Oven
Unless otherwise specified in the recipe, the cake should be placed in the oven when it is already hot, so before placing the pan in the oven, preheat it to around 355°F/180°C. Whether to use a static or fan-assisted oven depends on the type of recipe you are preparing: choose the static oven if your preparation requires even and prolonged cooking, while if it requires quick cooking, set the convection oven to cook the outside quickly while leaving the inside soft and fluffy.
