Baking Magic Tips: Beating Egg White Part 14 of 16
May 19, 2010 | From the kitchen of Rose
Perhaps of everything I've ever contributed to baking, I am most proud of this technique. By the addition of the correct amount of cream of tarter it becomes impossible ever to overbeat and dry out the egg whites. If you only watch one of my Youtube videos this should be it!
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Polly
10/08/2010 01:00 PM
hallo Rose
I have made a load of frosting and read 14 tsp of cream of tartar not 1/4 tsp. Shall I dump it and start again? Can I make it into something else?
Please advise, Thanks Polly
PS I made my wedding cake and loads of others from your cake bible. Thanks again
REPLY
Rose in reply to comment from Janina
05/26/2010 10:20 PM
i just reweighed cream of tartar using the pourfect measuring spoons and yes--3 grams! using too much, especially when stabilizing egg whites results in less stable egg whites! so glad you realized it was the measuring spoons so everyone can look out for this!
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Janina
05/26/2010 12:44 PM
I decided to weigh one teaspoon of cream of tartar and found that it weighed 4 grams- using my spoons. Based on the Angel food cake recipe in the Cake Bible I believe 1 tsp should weigh 3 grams so I think that I am getting a sour taste because of too much cream of tartar. I will weigh it from now on.
Thanks,
Janina
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Janina in reply to comment from Rose Levy Beranbaum
05/26/2010 12:28 PM
Thanks for your reply Rose. It was actually my daughter that asked why the cake was sour. I then tasted it and noticed a slight sour finish. I also noted it in the chocolate flecked angel food cake as well. I wondered if the amount of cream of tartar required varies with the freshness of the egg white? I also wondered if my Williams Sonoma measuring spoons might be inaccurate and that is why I am getting the sour taste? I will try the cake again and weigh the cream of tartar. I haven't used the copper bowl yet, so thanks for the information on the toxicity copper when mixed with cream of tartar.
Take care,
Janina
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Rose in reply to comment from Janina
05/25/2010 04:24 PM
first, there is no substitute that will work as well as cream of tarter. a copper bowl helps to stabilize but would not, for ex., prevent over beating. never use both at the same time as the cream of tarter will react with the copper which could make you sick.
the only time i detect acidity from cream of tarter is when the egg whites are not cooked or baked as in a mousse.
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dee
05/24/2010 08:28 AM
hi,
i'd like to ask 1 question.
is there any substitute for cream of tarter for use when beating egg white?
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Janina
05/19/2010 10:58 AM
Hi,
I find that when I make angel food cake the cream of tartar makes the cake taste slightly sour. Is there a way to counteract this? If I beat the egg whites in a copper bowl is cream of tartar still necessary?
Thanks,
Janina
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