Eli5 Why does adding whipped egg whites to a batter make a cake rise?
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When you whip egg whites, thousands and thousands of tiny air bubbles are formed, and the proteins of the egg white hold them in, without letting them out. This is why you gently fold egg whites into a batter – mix them too hard, and you’ll pop most of those bubbles. Fold them in, and *some* will pop, but many will stay, protected by that egg protein shell they’ve formed.
Then, in the heat of the oven, the air bubbles will expand – this pushes on the egg whites and batter batter, making it rise as it cooks. By the time it’s heated up enough to solidify, it’s been lifted by that hot air, and it’ll solidify in that shape, light and fluffy.
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