Amount of Sugar

I’m constantly asked by bakers whether they can decrease the amount of sugar in a recipe. Most people know that this will alter the taste, but don’t realize it also has a dramatic effect on texture. Using no sugar at all will create large, uneven, air pockets and a denser cake. If you add more sugar than normal, the cake will have a higher volume for the same weight of batter, but it will be crumbly, taste surprisingly eggy, and come out sticky on top.

Just the right amount of sugar results in small, even air pockets and a moist, yummy cake. There is a little bit of wiggle room, though, and trimming back to 75 percent of the sugar will still make an acceptable cake.