Category Archives: Baking

Sugar-to-Flour Mass Ratios in Cake Recipes

Posted on 14-May-2017 by mathscinotes

I have been working at becoming a better baker. Specifically, I have been trying to understand how recipes are developed. Many baker's begin developing their recipe's based on ratios of ingredients. The classic rule ratio of thumb for cake recipes is to use equal masses of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs – with the ingredient ratios expressed as 1:1:1:1. Continue reading →

Posted in Baking | Comments Off on Sugar-to-Flour Mass Ratios in Cake Recipes

Pepper Math

Posted on 9-January-2015 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer Introduction A friend of mine loves the heat of peppers – I only ate one … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking, General Science | 2 Comments

Chili Math and a Good Use for Decibels

Posted on 26-May-2011 by mathscinotes

You never know what you will see when you walk into a guy's cube. I went to an engineer's cube with a simple question on some electronic parts and I left with an education on chili peppers. My education began when I looked at his bookshelf and noticed that it was filled with various hot sauces, a dead giveaway that I was in the presence of a man who likes his heat. I also noticed the following chart on one of his walls (Figure 1). Continue reading →

Posted in Baking, General Mathematics | 3 Comments

Book Review: Ratio by Michael Ruhlman

Posted on 10-August-2010 by mathscinotes

Introduction I have always thought that there was something magical about baking. I especially like recipes that make things that rise. I think it is almost magical the ways breads and cakes grow into their final form. Because of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Baking | Comments Off on Book Review: Ratio by Michael Ruhlman