Flat muffins

[Woods]

A few days ago a coworker told me she had made three different recipes for chocolate muffins; one chocolate cake recipe and two muffin recipes. All baked up flat with no typical muffin doming. She says all the ingredients are fresh and she has an oven thermometer that she uses. I cannot think of a reason for this especially given that she used three different recipes. Does any one have any ideas?

[etalanian]

Did she use baking powder? Did she check the expiry on it? Is the oven thermometer old? (It might no longer be accurate.)

Eileen

[NWKate]

Overmixing perhaps? I was always told to mix only until the dry ingredients were just moistened. Also, were the leavening agents too old?

Kate

[CanadianBakin']

Sarah Phillips made this comment in Rodney's quest for and Orange muffin...

P.S. Sugar and fat in a muffin recipe lessens doming. The more the muffin resembles a cake recipe, the less it will dome. A soft, even crumb and moisture content has a lot to do with sugar content.

[RodneyCk]

Sarah Phillips made this comment in Rodney's quest for and Orange muffin...

P.S. Sugar and fat in a muffin recipe lessens doming. The more the muffin resembles a cake recipe, the less it will dome. A soft, even crumb and moisture content has a lot to do with sugar content.

←

Thanks CanadianBakin', I was just going to post something similar. In other words, it all depends on the recipes, the amount of flour, fat and sugar, and to a lesser degree the leavening used.

From my muffin experimentation, I have found the more fat and sugar in a muffin or cake recipe; the more it will obtain a buttery, moist pound cake type texture, and consequently, lesser doming. It is a fine balance and everyone has a different preference. Texture and taste after all, are very subjective, so there really is no right or wrong answer, only what the taster prefers.

[Sarah Phillips]

and to a lesser degree the leavening used. 

From my muffin experimentation, I have found the more fat and sugar in a muffin or cake recipe; the more it will obtain a buttery, moist pound cake type texture, and consequently, lesser doming. 

The leaveners in a chocolate mufin recipe play a huge role, not a lesser role as you write, as they do in any recipe. The type used, along with Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder along with the type of chocolate, play a huge role in whether or not a chocolate muffin will dome (puff) or not. You have to look at all the ingredients as a whole, not just one by one.

A typical moist pound cake will rise with a nice central dome and crack down the center, so I disagree that a classic pound cake type of recipe has less doming - it has more than a high fat and sugar recipe.

Chocolate cake-type muffin recipes will tend to bake with flat tops, as will similar muffin batters. It also depends on the mixing method used.

You can clearly see the example with brownies. Fudge brownies have a high percent of fat and sugar, with a low amount of flour, and thus no structure. They fall and bake into a puddle of fudge. Usually a leavener is left out. If it's included, they will puff and if there's too much, the batter may spill over the side of the pan before baking is done, so it has a huge influence.

In general, a cakelike brownie has more flour to fat and sugar than a fudge brownie. Flour give it more structure. They included leaveners for puff.

Even cookies. I can control the pH or color and texture and flavor in a sugar cookie recipe or have it puff or spread more with baking powder and/or baking soda. I can make a chocolate chip cookie puff higher with a small amount of flour -even a tablespoon makes a big difference.

I can darken a chocolate cake recipe by adding a teaspoon of baking soda in hot water and let it dissolve before adding it to the batter at the end of the recipe.

So, my point is that every ingredient plays a major role when creating muffin or any recipe. The leaveners also play a major role. A recipe is a formula and each ingredient plays a role. In order to create a muffin with a perfect dome, flavor, color and all of the qualities one desires, all of the ingredients play a central role, not one playing a greater role than the other....That's why recipes are so difficult to create.....The leaveners are one of the trickiest and most important components to a recipe and have a lot to do with puff or spread, color, flavor and texture, besides rise. They are both chemicals and have a great influence over the "chemistry" of the batter.

Woods, you can post your recipes, if desired and I can analyze them for you.

Edited July 18, 2006 by Sarah Phillips (log)

[RodneyCk]

Sorry, did not mean to down play leavening, bad choice in wording.

Good luck with your recipes!!!