Is there science to making cakes and bread?

Question: Is there science to making cakes and bread?
- Keywords:
  bake,
  bread,
  cake,
  cook,
  cooking,
  diet,
  food,
  nutrition
Asked by kirstyrose to Audra, Fiona, Gavin, Justin, Steve on 20 Mar 2012.
- Gavin Devereux answered on 20 Mar 2012:
  
  Hello.
  
  Yes, there definitely is. When you bake, you are relying on reactions to take place (just like in a scientific experiment), to give you the end product (the cake/bread). The mix of ingredients is very important to ensure you get a nice thing to eat. Yum yum 😀
  
  Different baked goods require different amount of precision (and so are more like a precise scientific experiment). You have to be quite precise with ingredient measurement for breads, and even more so with certain types of pastry, otherwise you might end up with dense heavy bread or chewy tough pastry.

Question: Is there science to making cakes and bread?