Sugar is a structural gamble, not merely a sweetener. In cake batter, it competes for water, slows the formation of gluten and delays starch gelatinization, the process by which starch granules absorb water and swell as they heat. The result is tenderness. Push the balance too far, however, and a cake can rise before its framework is ready to hold it.A softer crumb has its price. Sugar binds water...More