Good day to Mrs Brown, My Matric Buddy and class.

I have used chocolate pocky sticks to show the

For my edible science project, I have chosen to
demonstrate the science behind baking a cake.
I have titled my project Molecule cupcakes. I have
chosen 3 key ingredients that go into cake baking
which are salt (Sodium Chloride which has the
formular NaCl), water (which we all know has the
formular H2O) and bicarbonate of soda (which has
the chemical formular NaHCO3). 1 rearranges them (with the help of heat – the oven) to
chemical bond between the molecule which in
chemistry it believed that’s how these molecules are
joined.
These key ingredients together with all other
ingredients all serve to make a chemical change in the
substances. Baking a cake is a chemical
change because it takes a batch of ingredients and
form a new substance (the cake). The new substance
cannot be reserved for its original form or with icing
decoration like I have. 2

Baking is the most common household activity and Ingredients

also a very common business is baking and selling  250g unsalted butter, softened
cakes. Most people think that bakers are just people  250g caster sugar
who put together some ingredients and throw them  250g self-raising flour
in the oven. But the truth is bakers are educated  4 medium eggs
scientists. Bakers must know how much of each  2 tablespoons milk
ingredient to use, how long to stir, how long to bake,  2 tablespoons water
what temperature the oven should be at, etc.  Pinch of salt
To bake these cupcakes, I have used ingredients and  Bicarbonate of Soda (bicarb) 4
equipment as follows: 3

Equipment Baking a cake is scientific. There is a chemistry in

 Ice-cream scoop (optional)
 2 x 12-hole muffin tins, lined with paper
cases
The method for baking is as follows:
 Heat needed in cake baking: Preheat the
oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
 Line two muffin trays with 12 cupcake cases
or bake in batches of 12 using one muffin
tray.
 Start by creaming butter and sugar together
in a bowl using a wooden spoon or electric
whisk. Beat until soft and fluffy. Then add the
flour, salt, bicarb eggs, milk, and salt and
whisk until the mixture is smooth.
every stage of baking as follows:
 Creaming and Mixing: Creaming and Mixing
can be hard work. Notice how after creaming,
the mixture is lighter, softer than the butter on
its own.
 The ingredients of Salt and bicarb is another
vital ingredient as it acts both as a taste
enhancer and to strengthen the gluten
network of flour.
 Chemical leavening agents such as those in
self-raising flour. The chemical leavening agent
is essentially a substance used in doughs to
make it ferment and rise.
6

 Use a traditional-style ice-cream scoop, or

spoon, to divide the mixture between all the
paper cases making sure to get an even
amount of mixture in each.

 Place both muffin tins in the oven and bake

for 15 minutes until cupcakes are a light
golden colour.
  Remove the tins from the oven. Leave the
cupcakes to cool in the tins for a few
minutes. Once completely cooled, the
cupcakes can be decorated
5

 Examples include baking powder: a blend of  As the batter temperature rises, the gases in
a dried acid (for example cream of tartar and the air cells expand the stretchy gluten from
sodium aluminium sulphate) and an alkali the flour, then the chemical leavening agents
(sodium bicarbonate known commonly as release carbon dioxide. As the batter reaches
baking soda). 60C, water vapour begins to form and expand
 Adding water (and heat) to this mixture the air cells even further. Carbon dioxide and
allows the acid to react with the alkali to water vapour account for approximately 90%
produce carbon dioxide gas. This is trapped of the subsequent expansion of the batter, the
in the tiny air pockets of the batter that were remaining 10% being due to thermal
made when you creamed the fat and sugar. expansion. 8
 Flour takes the role of structure-builder
within the cake. The starch in the flour is a
reinforcing agent that stiffens and helps
strengthen the egg foam. Some of the
proteins in the flour join to create an
extensive network of coiled proteins, known
as gluten. It is this gluten that holds the cake
together. 7

Overall, baking is a science just as much as it is an art.

I trust this changes the way we think about baking,
and we will use the chemistry and science of baking
to improve our baking techniques. Please feel free to
taste my molecule cupcakes scientifically baked by
me. I would like to give credits to the pin interest
Mad Scientist party ideas that helped with the ide of
Molecule cupcakes.

Thank you. 9