You can use a bread machine to make cake. Most bread machines have a menu setting for making quick breads that contain baking soda or baking powder instead of yeast. You may use the Quick Bread setting for making a cake in a bread machine if you follow a bread maker cake recipe or use a prepackaged cake mix. You might even use the Dough setting to first mix the batter and then select the Bake function to bake the cake.
Bread Machine Cake Ingredients
You will need all-purpose flour for making the cake. This is a refined wheat flour that is suitable for cakes and other quick breads. Avoid using self-raising flour when using a bread machine because it might contain extra leavening agents that could cause uncertain results.
Baking soda is bicarbonate of soda (sodium bicarbonate). It is an alkaline substance that requires the presence of an acid to act as a leavening agent. Thus, a cake recipe that uses baking soda will also contain acidic ingredients such as lemon juice, brown sugar or milk.
Baking powder is a leavening agent based on a chemical reaction that starts immediately upon contact with liquid, thus it does not need a rising cycle. It is the combination of baking soda, acid salts and corn starch.
Eggs are added to a cake recipe to give the cake a rich and smooth texture. Large eggs that are at room temperature are used for recipes.
Making Cake In Bread Machine
Most people use bread making machines for making bread loaves. Nevertheless, you can use the Quick Bread setting of any bread machine for mixing and baking cakes. You can also use the Bake Only function to bake a cake if you use a wooden spoon or a stand mixer to do the mixing yourself.
Quick bread, or batter bread, is similar to a cake because the recipe uses baking powder or baking soda instead of active dry yeast. Therefore, you can use the Quick Bread menu setting for making a cake in a bread machine.
The basic process starts with you buying a cake mix and then adding the ingredients into the bread pan according to instructions. Then, put the pan into the bread maker and plug it in. Choose the Quick Bread setting and choose a light crust color. Press the start button so that the bread machine can start mixing the ingredients. Check if the ingredients have mixed well and use a spatula to scrape off any unmixed batter.
The finished cake should be gently removed from the baking pan and placed on a cooling rack to cool off.
If you decide to use the Bake function of your bread machine, then mix the ingredients by hand or electrical mixer into a cake batter and add it into the bread pan. If your bread maker has a Pizza Dough or Pasta Dough setting, then you can use that instead. You can consult the bread maker’s instruction manual if you need more information on using the Bake Only function.
Cake Mix In Bread Machine
You may use a prepackaged cake mix. You normally use the Quick Bread program for making cake. However, the Breville BBM800XL bread maker calls its quick bread setting by a more descriptive name: Yeast Free.
Another way to use a cake mix is to use the bread maker’s Dough setting to mix the ingredients. After it has mixed into a smooth batter, cancel the Dough program before it goes into the rising cycle and open the lid. Then, remove the paddle from the mixture and close the lid again. Select the Bake Only setting and program it to bake according to the instructions on the box. Remember to use a cake tester or other thin utensil to test if the cake is done or if it needs another 10 minutes of baking.
I recently noticed that the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus bread maker has a Cake setting for making cake (course number 13).
The West Bend 47413 also has a Cake setting. The menu option number 10 is made for mixing and baking boxed cake mixes. Please note that some cakes might require additional baking with the Bake function.
Chocolate Cake In Bread Machine
A chocolate cake requires the combination of milk, melted butter, large eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder white sugar and all-purpose flour. Add these ingredients into the baking pan, put it into the baking chamber and close the lid. Choose the Quick Bread setting and press start. The bread machine will do the mixing and baking.
Afterward, remove the baking pan and let it cool for a few minutes before shaking out the cake on a cooling rack. I am not a fan of icing on a cake, but some fresh whipped cream or even custard will do nicely.
Bread Machine Pound Cake
I have never heard of pound cake before, although I might have eaten it without knowing its name. The name is derived from the fact that it requires a pound each of butter, eggs, sugar and flour. Of course, the recipe has to be adjusted for a bread maker or else it will not fit into the bread pan of a bread machine. The finished pound cake might be topped with either icing, a glaze or powdered sugar.
For example, to make a pound cake in the Zojirushi BB-PDC20 bread machine you would first gather the ingredients for a bread machine pound cake: large eggs, milk, butter, vanilla extract, sugar, all-purpose flour and baking flour. Then, follow the instruction manual to add the ingredients to the baking pan and plug in the bread machine. Now, use the course button to select the Cake course (number 13) and press the start button.
When you hear the add beep signal, open the lid and scrape off any unmixed flour from the sides with a rubber spatula. Close the lid and press the start button so that the mixing can continue.
Put on your oven mitts and take out the bread pan after the baking cycle is done. Shake out the cake, but do not use too much force because it might break apart. Let the pound cake cool on a rack before removing the kneading blades from the bottom.
Carrot Cake In Bread Machine
I like carrot cake, so if it can be made in a bread machine, it gets my vote. Use your favorite carrot cake recipe and add the ingredients in the right order and amounts to the bread pan. You grate the carrots by hand with a grater or shred it with a food processor. Some recipes even call for carrot juice. Insert the bread pan into the bread maker, close the lid and choose the Quick Bread or Cake setting. Press the start button and allow the bread machine to complete the mixing and baking process.
Coffee Cake In Bread Machine
It seems like making a coffee cake in a bread machine is not recommended due to the traditional shape of a coffee cake. Nevertheless, you can still use the bread maker to mix the dough. Then you remove the dough from the bread machine, transfer it to a greased baking pan and bake it in the oven.
I did see a bread maker coffee cake recipe on a West Bend blog post. Thus, if you own a West Bend 47413 Hi-Rise bread maker, then you can try making a coffee cake with that recipe. The West Bend 47413 bread maker has both a Cake menu setting and a Bake setting. The Cake setting is designed for mixing and baking boxed cake mixes and batter breads.
Conclusion
It is definitely possible to make a variety of cakes with a bread machine. You should take a look at the instruction manual that came with your bread maker to see what it says about making a cake. The user manual might include a basic cake recipe, but you can try out other bread machine recipes or use a boxed cake mix.
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