any major bakers out there...a few questions

this morning I made the Hershey's chocolate cake, but I substituted 3/4 cup whole wheat flour for the regular flour.

the texture was a "sturdier" for lack of a better term, but that could also be b/c I used my mixer and I usually mix by hand.

but one of the cakes also broke off on the side. I HATE when that happens...so I am trying to figure out if it was from using the whole wheat OR since it was the thinner of the two layers, b/c it overcooked slightly.

the package of ww flour says you can substitute measure for measure, but maybe that's not true???? or, is cracking also caused by dryness?

it broke on the side...not in the middle. on the thinnest side.

any tips with substituting ww flour? I've been very successful so far with chocolate chip cookies. so not sure what to think/change.

tia.

Re: any major bakers out there...a few questions

I've never had a problem substituting WW flour for white flour. I use the same measurement. I noticed a slight difference....but not all that much.

I'm guessing it broke because it was on the thin side...that happens sometimes...especially if overcooked.

Re: any major bakers out there...a few questions

I'm no expert baker at all, but in my personal experience I find I can substitute WW for up to 50% of the flour called for in the recipe. If I do a ratio higher than that, I really notice the difference in texture and lightness.

Re: any major bakers out there...a few questions

I bought a bag of "White" Whole Wheat flour from trader joes - I think this might be an easier substitute.

I usually do a 50/50 subsitition.

Whole Wheat is a much sturdier flour which is why it takes longer to digest/is healthier. You may not notice it in the cookie recipe as much.

The other thing could be what you used to rise the cake? If you used baking soda or baking powder - maybe try using a bit more or getting a fresh box. They loose their potency after time and if you are like me, you don't really keep track when you replaced them. This could help the cake rise more and would make it less dense.

Re: any major bakers out there...a few questions

I'm not a major baker, but I bake with WW only. I would try using WW pastry flour. White whole wheat flour works well too. Regular ww flour is denser than white all-purpose flour.

Message edited 4/4/2011 9:43:26 PM.

Re: any major bakers out there...a few questions

hi all.

we had both halves of the cake (I eat one half and freeze one half...we don't do layer/icing for a regular dessert) and it was definitely b/c I underfilled one of the pans and it overcooked a touch b/c of that.

the second half (which did not break) was perfect.

thanks!!!