Comparing Butter and Oil in Yellow Butter Cake: Impact on Crumb Structure and Flavor

Abstract

Cakes are complex systems where the interactions between ingredients determine the final product’s texture, flavor, and overall structure. Among these ingredients, fat plays a crucial role in shaping the cake's characteristics. This study specifically investigates how varying the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats in a yellow butter cake recipe affects several key attributes: color, texture, moisture, flavor, and crumb structure. The experiment involved baking cakes with different butter-to-oil ratios, each based off of a modified version of Rose Levy Beranbaum’s All-Occasion Downy Yellow Butter Cake recipe. To evaluate the cakes, a combination of quantitative measurements and visual analysis was conducted, including assessments of height, density, color, and air bubble distribution. Additionally, sensory evaluations were performed to examine flavor and texture.

The results revealed distinct differences based on fat proportions. Cakes made with higher oil content were moister, slightly shorter and denser, and had a subtler flavor. In contrast, cakes with a higher butter content had a more delicate, crumbly texture and a richer, more pronounced flavor. Despite these variations in texture and flavor, color differences among the cakes were minimal. Cakes with more oil also exhibited less uniform air bubbles, likely due to the thinner consistency of the batter, which caused air to be less evenly distributed throughout the cake. These findings highlight the significant role that fat composition plays in determining a cake’s moisture, texture, and flavor profile. This study can provide useful insights for both home bakers and industrial cake production, where texture and flavor consistency is crucial.