Gelatinization

The heat of baking causes the flour starches to absorb liquid and swell. As more and more liquid is absorbed by the starch, the cake batter changes from a soft, fluid mix to a solid, set shape, creating the lightly textured layers desired by the baker. This process is called gelatinization. Sugar slows gelatinization by racing with the starch to absorb the liquid. This delay allows the sugar to tenderize the finished cake. The result is that the temperature at which the cake will “set” or solidify is raised, allowing the perfect amount of gas to be produced by the leavening agents so that the desired fine, uniformly textured cake with a soft, delicate crumb is achieved.