Why Your Cake Tastes ‘Eggy’ & How to Beat It (2024)

Baking is a science, and perfecting the most elaborate or even the simplest cakes can prove challenging. It takes trial and error to get things right, and even if you follow the recipe to a T, you could still end up with a flop. Sometimes that flop could be the result of having a cake that tastes ‘eggy’. Yes, it’s a thing and surprisingly one of the more common baking mishaps.

Never encountered this? Consider yourself lucky, but if you’re curious, imagine a cake that tastes how boiled eggs smell. Besides leaving a bad taste in your mouth, an eggy-tasting cake is the last thing you want to serve teatime guests. The good news is that your efforts haven’t completely gone to waste and it’s not too late to salvage your cake. Here’s why your cake tastes eggy and how to beat it.

How to Avoid Having an Eggy-Tasting Cake

There are a couple of reasons why your cake could taste eggy…

Not using room-temp eggs is one of the most common mistakes, as some people store their eggs in the fridge. For the tastiest results, bake with room-temperature eggs, as opposed to cold eggs. It not only makes it easier to incorporate into your batter, but you also end up with a smooth and more even texture.

Not whisking the eggs properly before combining your eggs with the rest of the ingredients could make your cake taste eggy. Whisk them in a separate bowl first; beat them just enough but don’t overwork them. This is a fine balance and important distinction in bakes that are predominantly egg-based like pavlova or meringue.

Not using enough flour could also lead to an eggy-tasting cake. You should have enough to bind the eggs in your cake mixture. If you’ve ever tried making flourless cakes that require more eggs than usual, you’ve likely encountered this problem. But even if you are using flour, make sure that you’ve incorporated enough for the egg to mix well into your batter.

Not using large eggs. Small eggs are rich in taste – to avoid imparting that strong flavour in your cake, swap them out for large eggs (although, most recipes will specify large eggs).

Not cooking your cake at the right temp or time; cooking your cake for a longer bake time than needed could make your cake taste eggy. When exposed to consistently high heat for extended periods, the sulphur from the egg whites causes a chemical reaction, resulting in an unpleasant taste. Not ideal!

Hacks to Mask the Eggy Taste in Your Cake

It’s trickier to mask the taste if your cake is already baked, but these hacks should help…

Sprinkle Icing Sugar or Fresh Berries

Icing sugar is one way to sugarcoat things – sprinkling your cake with powdered sugar is one of the simplest hacks. But if you’re worried that your cake is already too sweet, try masking the eggy taste with fresh fruit toppings – berries are always a great addition and also offer a contrasting tart flavour that might distract taste buds.

Infuse with Spices & Vanilla Essence

Tasting your batter is also crucial before you pop it in the oven. If your batter tastes slightly off or a little eggy, then trust your instincts and tweak your recipe. Infuse your cake mix with a dash of coffee mixed with a little water (this will add a nutty flavour and balance the sweetness) or add an extra measure of vanilla essence or extract. Alternatively, you could use lemon/orange zest or even spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to make a fragrant cake.

Tip: Don’t Add Too Much Baking Powder/Soda

Another reason people end up with an eggy-tasting cake or even ‘soapy-tasting’ could be due to adding too much baking powder or bicarbonate of soda. These rising agents create a chemical reaction which causes the cake to rise faster and fall flat, making them dense and eggy-tasting. The same could happen if you don’t add enough baking powder, as the cake might not rise enough, leading to that eggy taste. Baking really is a science!

If you’re testing a recipe for the first time or eyeballing ingredients, as a rule of thumb, you should add no more than 1 teaspoon of baking powder or ½ teaspoon of baking soda for ± every cup of flour. Pancakes require more leavening than cakes and generally require 1-2 teaspoons of baking powder or ½ a teaspoon of baking soda per cup of flour. But if you are using acidic ingredients like buttermilk or yoghurt, you could use less baking powder/soda, as the acidic ingredients react with the leavening agents, which help the mixture aerate and the cake to rise naturally.

It’s also worth noting that some people may be more sensitive to certain tastes – eggs being one of them. For others, the taste might not be as prominent, but if you want to avoid using eggs for whatever reason, try using aquafaba, flaxseed slurry or applesauce as a substitute.

Now that you’ve cracked it, check out these hacks in our baking troubleshooting guide.