How to make a tall and fluffy cake

When we start preparing a cake, we think that there is one thing we want above all, and that is to get a super fluffy cake . To do this, there are some tricks and tips that are very useful, and you don't have to be a super chef to follow them.

Below I give you the most popular tips to get perfect, fluffy, tall cakes that don't crack during baking.

Tricks to get a fluffy cake

To get a cake that rises and is fluffy, there are several aspects to take into account, related to:

• mold preparation,
• the preparation of the dough,
• the quality of the ingredients,
• and baking.

Let's go for it! At the end of the post I'll leave you with a few recipes for super fluffy cakes to put it all into practice.

1. Choosing and preparing the mold for the cake to rise:

• Remember, as much as possible, to always use ceramic moulds for making cakes. Unlike other moulds, it is a moist material, which will help to keep the cake moist (steel dries it out).
• Choose the right mould: if you want the cake to rise, it is ideal to choose a tall mould , to help it rise.
• If you want to make tall cakes from recipes that you follow, use a mold with a smaller diameter than that recommended in the recipe (but with higher walls), so that with the same dough you will get a taller cake.
• Grease the mould well with butter or spray : we don't want the dough to stick or it will prevent the dough from rising. That's why it's important to brush the entire surface of the mould very well with butter, so that the cake really rises in it. You can also coat it with flour, or replace the butter with release spray .
• Never fill the mold to the top, or it will overflow. Always fill the mold up to 3/4 of the way, to leave room for the mixture to rise.

2. How to make the sponge cake batter so that it is fluffy:

Although it is not essential, there is a trick that is very helpful, and that is to separate the egg whites from the yolks :

• Preparing the egg whites: start beating the egg whites until they turn white, then add half of the sugar. Continue beating until they form stiff peaks.

This step is very important, and it is vital that you always use a hand whisk or an electric whisk : with the whisk you will help incorporate air into the mixture (as opposed to using a whisk or a fork), air that will then give fluffiness to the cake.

• Preparing the yolks: mix the yolks with the rest of the ingredients in your recipe (oil, fruit zest, vanilla essence, flour, baking powder, the rest of the sugar... everything that the recipe includes). It is a good idea to do this in a large bowl , one that you can work with comfortably, because once you have mixed it well, you will add the egg whites that you have beaten separately to this mixture.

• Mixing the two parts: To mix the batter you have prepared and the egg whites that have been whipped until stiff, it is very important to use folding movements. That is, with the help of a large spatula , mix from the bottom up, along the side of the bowl and towards the centre, enveloping the mixture. You can turn the bowl to help this movement of enveloping the whole batter. It is important to do it gently, taking care of the batter. It is important to respect it and mix just enough to achieve good integration, because with each movement the egg whites will lose air (the more abrupt you are, the more they will lose), which is not important: remember that the air that you have incorporated with the beating is what will give it fluffiness, and you do not want to lose it.

To get a fluffy cake, choose the right mould (a tall one, like the Push Pan ), separate the egg whites from the yolks (an egg separator is very helpful) and beat the egg whites until stiff with a whisk or electric mixer to incorporate air before adding them to the rest of the mixture.

3. About the ingredients:

• All ingredients, especially the eggs, but also milk, juice and butter, should be at room temperature.
• The eggs are fresh (fresh in date, not in temperature!) and of good quality.
• It is advisable to use pastry flour , because a flour with an inadequate amount of gluten can prevent the dough from rising properly.
• Add the amount of flour indicated in the recipe (if you add too much, it may not rise properly).
• Also make sure that the flour is in good condition: flour that has been open for a long time, is damp, or has expired... will once again prevent the cake from rising.
• Sift the flour before adding it : sifting the flour will make it loose, airy and lump-free. All of this will help the cake to rise more easily and be fluffier.

Use a large bowl and a large spatula to work comfortably and effectively. Before adding the flour, sift it with a sieve .

4. How to properly bake a cake

• Always preheat the oven slightly above the baking temperature, since when you open it to insert the mould, the oven will lose a little temperature (preheat to 185-190 ºC and change to 170-175 ºC when you insert the mould).
• Do not put the mold in the oven until the oven is hot.
• The cake needs time to develop, it has to rise slowly. If it rises too quickly or browns from the start, it means that the temperature is too high, and you should lower it. But each oven is different, so it is interesting to adjust to the temperature that each one requires after experience (maybe 170º in one oven is 180º in another...).
• Use an oven thermometer to find out the actual temperature of your oven - most ovens don't work properly or display the temperature incorrectly. A thermometer will help you know what temperature your oven is actually at at any given time (and it will be very useful for everything, not just cakes but also for baking meat and fish).
• Remember that The oven should not be opened during baking when making cakes, or they will not rise properly (the oven temperature changes drastically and can cause the cake to fall instantly or stop rising).
• You can bake the first 15 minutes with the oven only on from below, to help the cake rise on the base, and then switch to top and bottom heat.
• If you doubt your oven, cover the cake with baking paper or aluminium foil, loosely so that it doesn't touch the dough (remember that it will rise!). This way the surface won't become too hot and the dough will be able to rise more easily, resulting in a tall, fluffy cake.
• Never bake cakes using the fan function if you can avoid it. Air dries out cakes and heats the dough very quickly, so much so that it doesn't give them enough time to rise at their proper pace.
• Place a ramekin filled with water in the oven. This will generate steam and moisten the dough, making it more tender, the crust will not harden as easily and will be able to rise more.

Additional note on baking:

• We often think that the cake is done and we prick it with a toothpick to check that it still needs some work since the inside is still very raw. Before pricking it, you can move the mould (the cake) with oven gloves to see if the centre of the cake moves: if it is raw you will see how the centre moves as if it were jelly. If this is the case, leave it a little longer; if it does not move, you can check that it is actually well done by pricking it and seeing if there are any moist remains in the dough.
• After baking, leave the cake for a few minutes to settle, to lose heat and the steam retained in the dough. You will see that the flavours shine more when it is not hot and it will also be better for the stomach when the cake has rested.

Super fluffy sponge cake recipes

If you want to start preparing the fluffiest cakes, you will be interested in these recipes:

• Japanese Cheesecake or 3-ingredient Sponge Cake
• Traditional fluffy yogurt cake
• Sponge cake or "pa de pessic" with 3 ingredients
• Lemon cake
• Angel food cake or egg white cake
• Orange chiffon cake with chocolate glaze and candied oranges

Post updated in October 2021