Although some people like tart cookies over other types, it’s fair to say that most people prefer either thin and crunchy cookies or chewy ones. While you’re here, I assume you’re asking, “Why are my cookies cakey”? I think it’s fair to assume that you tried to make one of these two types of cookies, but ended up with cake cookies instead.
If you made this mistake, it’s not the end of the world. As long as the cookies are not severely overbaked, they should still taste pretty good. Take it as a lesson to see where you went wrong and see what you can do to avoid it next time. To help you with this, I’ll discuss what causes cakey texture and what you can do to prevent it next time.
When cookies are cakey, it’s often because the fat:sugar:flour ratio is off. Too much flour will generally result in drier and drier cookies. Too much flour is usually the result of incorrect measurement. Always weigh ingredients instead of volume for better results.
Cookies Too Cakey?
The type of cookie you make is determined by the ratio of ingredients used. Someone has more butter, someone more sugar, someone more flour. If you don’t get the ingredient ratios right from the start, you’re already setting yourself up for failure.
If your cookies baked differently than you expected, it could be due to a number of things, but it’s probably because your method was off or something was wrong with the recipe you were using. Try a few different recipes, and if you still have the same problem, it’s time to take a closer look at what else you’re doing wrong.
Why did my cookies come out Cakey
Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to answer the question – why are my cookies cakey? You may need to try different methods before you figure out what you did wrong.
Here are some of the reasons that can cause this cakey texture:
The Sugar And Butter Was Overbeaten
You may have spent too long beating the butter and sugar together, which will incorporate too much air and result in a cakey texture.
If you use a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer, you may be making this mistake.
You don’t want to beat the butter and sugar like you would a cake batter because you don’t want to get the same texture as a cake, so you should beat it less so you don’t add too much air.
You used volume measurement
If you’re measuring a lot of ingredients like flour and sugar, your measurements probably won’t be. Chances are, even if you think you’ve measured your ingredients correctly, you haven’t. If you use cups or any other volume measurement, it will be at least slightly different from the recipe. This is simply because measuring volume does not provide accurate results.
When measuring by volume, flour is often the most inconsistently measured ingredient. Because it is very light and compacts easily, one person can measure out a cup of flour 50g more or less than another person.
This small mistake can cause your cookies to spread very thin when baked, or not spread at all. Too smeary and they will be like hard crackers and too little smeary and they will be thick and dry.
Baking is a science, so it’s smart to measure ingredients by weight for consistent results.
Too many eggs
Whether you added too many eggs or added too large eggs, it can definitely be a problem.
Eggs are used as a leavening agent in many recipes, so adding too many of them can have an adverse effect on your cookies as they will rise and become cakey instead of spreadable.
The leavening ability of an egg will increase if it has been beaten, as the air that is beaten into it will allow it to rise more during baking.
If you add too many eggs, you could end up with a sticky cookie dough, so it’s very important to use the right size eggs.
You used baking powder instead of baking soda
This is a pretty easy mistake to make. Many people don’t know the difference between the two and often think of them as the same, but this seemingly small mistake can have a big impact on the bottom line.
You see, these two leavening agents react in different ways and give different results.
Most cookie recipes call for baking soda (baking soda) to help the cookies break down during baking. If you use baking powder instead, the cookies will rise without spreading too much, creating a cakey texture.
So always remember that baking soda spreads the cookies while baking powder puffs them up.