Cake baker's percentage: yellow butter cake
A tender yellow butter cake written as a balanced cake formula. Enter the number of pans and the batter per pan, and get grams for cake flour, sugar, butter, eggs and milk — plus the ratios bakers use to check a cake formula.
Formula baker's % of total flour
Batch size
Preferment
Water temperature
Use water at 90°F
78 × 3 − (70 + 72 + 2) = 90
This dough has no added water, so use the temperature for the liquids you add (milk, eggs).
Your recipe
| Ingredient | Baker's % | Total formula | Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cake flour | 100% | 425 g | 425 g |
| Water | 0% | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
| Salt | 1.5% | 6.4 g | 6.4 g |
| Sugar | 110% | 468 g | 468 g |
| Butter | 50% | 213 g | 213 g |
| Eggs (whole) | 60% | 255 g | 255 g |
| Whole milk | 60% | 255 g | 255 g |
| Baking powder | 4.5% | 19 g | 19 g |
| Vanilla extract | 2% | 8.5 g | 8.5 g |
| Total | 388% | 1,650 g | 1,650 g |
Butter cake formula at a glance
Yield 2 × 9 in layers · 1,650 g dough or batter · 105.2% effective hydration from eggs, milk and butter · about 2 hours start to finish.
| Ingredient | Baker's % |
|---|---|
| Cake flour | 100% |
| Water | 0% |
| Salt | 1.5% |
| Sugar | 110% |
| Butter | 50% |
| Eggs (whole) | 60% |
| Whole milk | 60% |
| Baking powder | 4.5% |
| Vanilla extract | 2% |
Batter weight by pan size
Assumption: about 13 g of batter per square inch (2 g/cm²) fills a 2 inch deep pan about halfway. Flour, sugar and eggs are for that batter weight.
| Pan | Batter | Flour | Sugar | Eggs | Bake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 in round 28 in² | 368 g | 95 g | 104 g | 57 g (1.1 eggs) | 22–26 min |
| 8 in round 50 in² | 653 g | 168 g | 185 g | 101 g (2 eggs) | 25–30 min |
| 9 in round 64 in² | 827 g | 213 g | 234 g | 128 g (2.6 eggs) | 25–30 min |
| 8 × 8 in square 64 in² | 832 g | 214 g | 236 g | 129 g (2.6 eggs) | 28–33 min |
| 9 × 13 in 117 in² | 1,521 g | 392 g | 431 g | 235 g (4.7 eggs) | 30–35 min |
| 12 × 17 in half sheet (½ in deep layer) 204 in² | 1,326 g | 342 g | 376 g | 205 g (4.1 eggs) | 18–22 min |
Eggs are counted at 50 g each without the shell (a US large egg).
Is the formula balanced?
| Rule | This formula | Balanced? |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar 100–140% of flour (over 100% needs reverse creaming or emulsified shortening) | 110% | Yes |
| Eggs at least equal to the fat | 60% eggs vs 50% butter | Yes |
| Liquids (eggs + milk) at least equal to the sugar | 120% vs 110% | Yes |
Why these percentages
Cake formulas are "balanced" with three classic rules, all expressed in baker's percentages. First, sugar against flour: a regular creamed cake carries sugar up to about 100% of the flour, while a high-ratio cake carries 110–140% — possible because the flour is coated in fat before the liquid goes in (the reverse-creaming method used here, or emulsified shortening in bakeries). Second, eggs should weigh at least as much as the fat, because eggs are structure and fat is tenderness. Third, the total liquid — eggs plus milk — should be at least the weight of the sugar, so the sugar can dissolve.
This formula sits comfortably inside all three: sugar 110%, eggs 60% against 50% butter, and 120% liquid against 110% sugar. If you change one ingredient, check the ratios table: raising butter to 70% without raising eggs makes a cake that sinks, and raising sugar without raising liquid makes a coarse, sugary crust.
Hydration in the calculator is 0% because there is no plain water, but the effective hydration counts the milk, eggs and butter — about 105% here. That is why cake batter pours while bread dough holds its shape.
Method
- Prepare. Bring the butter, eggs and milk to room temperature (65–70°F, 18–21°C). Grease and line the pans and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Sand the fat into the flour. Mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, then beat in the soft butter until the mixture looks like damp sand. Coating the flour in fat first is what lets a cake carry this much sugar and liquid.
- Add half the liquid. Add about half the milk and beat on medium for 1 minute to build structure.
- Finish the batter. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and remaining milk, and add in three additions, scraping the bowl each time, until smooth.
- Fill the pans. Weigh the batter into the pans — use the pan table below — so the layers bake evenly. Pans should be about half full.
- Bake. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the center springs back: about 25–30 minutes for 9 in layers, 30–35 minutes for a 9 × 13 in sheet.
Tips
- Use cake flour (7–9% protein) for the finest crumb
- Eggs ≥ fat, liquids ≥ sugar
- Fill pans about half full
- Weigh batter into each pan for even layers
Baker's percentages work for any bake with flour. See baker's percentages explained, or compare all the sweet and pan bakes.
FAQ
What is the baker's percentage of a cake?
A typical butter cake is flour 100%, sugar 100–125%, butter 40–60%, eggs 50–70%, milk 50–75%, baking powder 4–5% and salt 1–2%. High-ratio cakes push sugar to 110–140% of the flour.
What are the rules for balancing a cake formula?
Sugar up to about 100% of the flour for creamed cakes and 110–140% for high-ratio cakes; eggs at least equal to the fat; and eggs plus milk at least equal to the sugar.
How much batter for a 9 inch round pan?
About 800–850 g for a 2 inch deep 9 inch round, roughly half full. An 8 inch round takes about 650 g and a 9 × 13 in pan about 1,500 g.