[Avodah] taking off chalah from cake dough

[Arie Folger]

RTK wrote:
> How big a cake would that have to be?  Put  it in terms I can understand:  
> how many Duncan Hines cake mixes?

Ckae batter is made of flour, fat and sugar in roughly equal proportions, held 
together by an emusifier (eggs). Thus, I would not be far off if I'd guess 
you need to take challah when baking 3.6 kg of mix. (though Dunkin Hines 
might use E470/1/2 as an emulsifier (sorry I don't know the American trade 
names) instead of eggs, and lots more sugar. Definitely don't make a berakhah 
on less than 10 pounds.

Even better, contact the OU (or whomever certifies it) and have one of their 
rabbis tell you how much % flour there is in the mix. However, you'd still 
have to keep in mind that flour is less dense than sugar, and the percentage 
given by the kashrut agency will likely be by weight.

> And  would they all have to be in one 
> big pan or would you combine (mentally) several  different cakes to make
> one big one that needs challah taken?

You can combine them. Read the article linked to by RAM in Avodah 4:6

> Would they  then all have to be in 
> the oven at the same time or would you be required to  take challah if you
> baked the cakes serially and left them all on the table at  the same time
> to cool? 

Good question. I am not sure here. RGD?

> When would you take the challah?  While the  dough was still 
> liquid or after the cake was baked?  I assume the  latter.

'Hallah is only taken from cakes (from "belilah rakah") after baking.

Arie Folger