XXXris - Posted - 02/05/2011:  07:47:16

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Hi folks:

Ok, we are having a big debate here at my house. I suggested that we solve the matter by going to the experts: the BHO!

Is it true that, when baking a cake, making a loud noise in the house (such as playing the banjo...) can prevent the cake from rising?


Chris

Micki - Posted - 02/05/2011:  07:52:56

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Not unless you drop it, or throw it against the oven door. I think the jarring of oven more then noise, but if you can break glasses with the sound, might be time to tone her down a little. Micki

Sterling grass - Posted - 02/05/2011:  08:35:42

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When I was a kid, I remember my mother telling me not to jump around in the kitchen when she was baking a cake or bread. Something about the jarring effect.

Somebody's just pulling your leg about the banjo noise--probably someone who would rather not hear your banjo at all

Jeanie

figmo59 - Posted - 02/05/2011:  08:38:58

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just tell 'em



your makin a 'jamm' filled cake!

Micki - Posted - 02/05/2011:  09:22:32

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I can hear my grandma now saying'Don't open the oven door, I am baking a cake and you will cause it to fall. But the smell got me every time. Micki

Penel - Posted - 02/05/2011:  09:37:06

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I think its the vibrations of loud noises that might cause the bubbles to wiggle all the way to the surface of a baking cake and not keep the batter infused with fluffyness?

If the mrs complains about your banjo practice ask her if she'd like to take up fiddle.
If she takes you up on it she'll soon learn the importance of practice and you'll learn what its like to be tortured by someone practicing.

Richard Dress - Posted - 02/05/2011:  10:42:29

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Bubbles cast a very dark shadow in a sound field, which means the bubbles like sound waves of the higher frequencies where the wave length is about their size. The bubbles will suck up the sound energy and that must have some effect on the rising of the cake. If a really loud banjo was shown to have the ability to flatten a baking cake, I wouldn't be shocked.

eagleisland - Posted - 02/05/2011:  12:41:33

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quote:

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Originally posted by Sterling grass

When I was a kid, I remember my mother telling me not to jump around in the kitchen when she was baking a cake or bread. Something about the jarring effect.

Jeanie

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I rather suspect that the jarring effect in question was that of children bouncing off the walls. What better way to incent a bit of peace and quiet for Mom than scaring the kids that their own rambunctiousness would lead to the loss of cake?

Believe me, plenty of banging and thumping goes on in commercial kitchens, and yet the cakes still rise.

minstrelmike - Posted - 02/05/2011:  13:42:09

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The answer is no and yes.

No, loud noises will not cause a cake to not rise.

Yes, a loud noise or jar will cause a cake that has risen unevenly to collapse which some folks refer to as not rising. This happens more often with cakes that require lots of air such as angel food and happened more often in the past when the substances combined were less than ideal and the stoves heat was not uniform. That's why it rarely happens at home anymore and rarely happened in professional bakeries even long ago but still occurred in private homes often enough,

mander - Posted - 02/05/2011:  14:59:34

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Just how LOUD are you playing?

You shaking the furniture, Dear? Most woman prefer that kind of vibration to be coming from something other than a banjo.

I agree with Mike. It doesn't prevent it, so much as causes it to collapse. Obviously, you can't have your cake and banjo, too.

You can mute a banjo. It is possible. You might want to try it next time there's a cake in the oven.

Enjoy!

JonT - Posted - 02/05/2011:  15:03:24

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Hmm. Don't loud noises also cause souffles to fall? If so, same deal?

El Dobro - Posted - 02/05/2011:  15:08:30

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Loud noises didn't hurt this cake.
youtube.com/watch?v=i41mQr2IJ_...e=related

eagleisland - Posted - 02/05/2011:  16:24:58

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quote:

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Originally posted by JonT

Hmm. Don't loud noises also cause souffles to fall? If so, same deal?

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I've never had a problem with it. Just leave the oven door closed until you think it's done - and don't slam the oven door if it isn't.

A souffle will lose a lot of loft pretty quickly once it's out of the oven.

inniepie - Posted - 02/05/2011:  18:09:34

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quote:

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Originally posted by Micki

I can hear my grandma now saying'Don't open the oven door, I am baking a cake and you will cause it to fall. But the smell got me every time. Micki

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Yup, my mom taught me to never open the oven door....

Sutty70 - Posted - 02/05/2011:  18:32:44

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My opinion is that noise could affect the cake rising for the following reason - cakes rise through the expansion of air in the mixture, sound travels through air, therefore in some way sound could affect the cake rising. Having said that though I would think that it takes a lot more than a banjo to affect the cake. I am thinking it would more like take an open air rock concert type sound level with the oven being directly in front of the speakers before there would be any noticeable effect. Maybe this is one for Mythbusters.