Ingredient Functions

For the purpose of balancing cake formulas, we can classify cake ingredients according to four functions: tougheners (or stabilizers), tenderizers, dryers, and moisteners (or moisturizers). The idea of formula balancing is that tougheners should balance tenderizers and dryers should balance moisteners. In other words, if we increase the amount of tougheners in a formula, for example, we must compensate by also increasing the amount of tenderizers.

Many ingredients fill more than one function, sometimes even opposite functions. Egg yolks contain protein, which is a toughener, but they also contain fat, which is a tenderizer. The major cake ingredients are classified as follows: