Add Baby Food To Cake Batter For An Unexpectedly Pleasant Twist
If you want a cake that has a subtle, unexpected hint of flavor and a tender, moist texture, you need to add one simple ingredient — baby food. Before you think that using baby food in cake batter sounds too unusual, consider the fact that applesauce is often added to cake batter in order to help keep the cooked cake moist and add a subtle culinary depth to it. Applesauce is often used as baby food, too, so if it can be added to cake batter, then why can't baby food?
Baby food purées are precooked and pre-mashed, so they are an easy and convenient way to change up your cake batter without having to cook and purée the ingredients yourself. They come in a variety of flavors, so you can experiment with different combinations to create a cake that suits your tastes. They can even be a healthier option than some other common cake batter ingredients.
Baby food makes a healthier cake
Baby food is made by puréeing or mashing fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats into a smooth and easily digestible consistency for infants. They are typically free from lots of added salt and sugar, which can make them a healthier alternative to other ingredients, such as canned fruit or sweetened applesauce. These purées typically contain vitamins and minerals, too, which can supplement cakes and other baked goods, as well. For example, adding puréed carrots to your cake batter can boost the vitamin A content, while adding puréed spinach can increase the iron content.
Additionally, if you need to make a cake without eggs, you can completely cut them from the mix by using 2 tablespoons of baby food for each egg the recipe calls for. You can also cut out butter or oil by swapping baby food in for them. If the recipe calls for ½ cup of butter, then use ½ cup of baby food.
Making a cake with baby food
If you plan to add baby food to your cake batter, you'll want to make sure that the flavors of the baby food complement the other ingredients in the recipe. For example, if you're making a carrot cake, you could add some puréed carrots from a jar of baby food to the batter. If you're making a banana cake, you could add some puréed bananas. Or you could mix and match flavors. For example, you can make banana cake with blueberry baby food, or make a peach cake with apple-cherry baby food.
To do this, just add tablespoons of the baby food to the boxed mix or incorporate them into your recipe, making the flavor as heavy or as subtle as you like. Keep in mind that baby food purées can vary in consistency, so you may need to adjust the amount of liquid in your cake batter to achieve the desired texture. This is especially true if you are using baby food to get a uniquely flavored and moist cake, not as a substitution for ingredients like eggs or butter.