Why must we use aluminium to bake a cake?
aadaasdark8072 > 10-12-2018, 07:00 AM
We don’t need to.
Aluminium wasn’t around until the 1800s (late 1800s before it became affordable), but cake was around before that[1] , so they managed to bake cakes without aluminium
We don’t have too but aluminum is the go to for a few reasons.
Unlike glass, aluminum isn’t that heavy and doesn’t break into a billion shards. Metal is also easier to form into the pans we use. I have baked cakes in glass pans before, they can be used but they are bulky and heavy compared to the nice aluminum ones I have.
Metal also distributes heat more evenly. Don’t you love the way a good mac and cheese bubbles in the pan after you make it? That’s great for a baked casserole but I don’t need that kind of carry over cooking for my cake. Aluminum heats and cools pretty quickly if you haven’t noticed. No, it isn’t the best at this but it does have another great selling point…
Thanks to advances in metallurgy, aluminum is also cheap. There is a reason you get aluminum cans and not copper or steel ones. Have I seen steel pans, yes. There are even plenty of recipes that call for being made in a cast iron skillet. No aluminum needed!
Just don’t try to bake any mercury or gallium cakes in your aluminum pans and you’re good to go.