Size of eggs

Q: What happens if my eggs aren’t the size I need for a recipe?

A: Egg size does matter when you are baking and using larger eggs than required will affect most recipes, depending on what the quantity difference is. For bakes such as cakes or puddings the texture is the main thing that will be changed, and it can become quite ‘rubbery’.

This is because eggs add a lot of protein to a bake and, in turn, give them structure, strength and flexibility. This is a good thing when given in the right quantity but if too much egg is added the flexibility provided by the protein will be excessive, resulting in the rubber-like texture.

If you are lucky enough to have laying hens (or have been gifted eggs form someone who does) and your eggs are larger than the size called for in the recipe, there is an easy way to work out how many of these eggs you will need by simply weighing them without their shells.

Start with the size of the egg called for in the recipe. This is often stated in the front/back of the book, magazine etc. for printed recipes, and usually on a FAQ on a website. If it isn’t stated then it is best to presume that 59g/2oz eggs (from 700g/1½ pound cartons with 12 eggs) have been used as they are the most commonly used egg size in professionally published recipes in Australia (think books, magazines, newspapers) and are the size I use in all my BakeClub recipes. Once you know the egg size then you can work out the weight of egg you will need.

For example, if the recipe asks for 4 x 59g eggs (keeping in mind that the average shell weight of a 59g/2oz egg is about 7g/1⁄4oz) you would need about 208g/71⁄3oz of egg (without the shell) in total. If you only need part of an egg, to make up the weight, remember to whisk the white and yolk together before weighing the portion required.