Baking with protein

Protein powder in a cake is a structural problem before it is a flavour one. Whey holds water, then gives it all up at temperature, which is why a high-isolate powder turns a muffin into a sponge you could sand a floor with.

These posts cover what to reach for and what to do with it — the powders that stay tender through an oven, the ratio that stops things drying out, and the recipes we have tested enough times to publish.