Bake a Chemistry Cake

Next time you bake a cake, consider this. The cake dough is not really a cake, but when it's heated in the oven, a chemical reaction occurs and new bonds are formed. How does heat change things? When it comes to heat changing a chemical reaction, there are two types. One is “exothermic,” a reaction that produces heat, and the other is “endothermic,” a reaction that takes heat in. When you make a cake, you a producing an endothermic chemical reaction which changes batter to baked!

A few things can happen when you bake a cake. Some chemical reactions to keep in mind while doing this tasty experiment are:

1. Heat helps baking powder produce tiny bubbles of gas, which makes the cake light and fluffy.
2. Heat causes protein from the egg to change and make the cake firm.
3. Oil keeps the heat from drying out the cake.

What You Need:

• small bowl
• several sheets of aluminum foil
• pie pan
• cooking oil
• measuring spoons
• cup or mug
• index card
• pencil
• science journal (optional)

Ingredients for one cake:

You'll need to measure and mix this set of ingredients four times to complete all four experiments—with the exceptions that are given below.

• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 or 3 pinches of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• butter knife|
• 1/3 of an egg (Break egg into a cup; beat until mixed, then use approx. 1/3 of it. Save the rest for 2 of the other cakes.)

What You Do: