Do Liquid Batters (e.g. Cake Batter) Require Hafrashas Challah?

Do liquid batters such as cake batters require hafrashas challah?

Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 329:2) writes that liquid batters also require hafrashas challah, provided that they contain the amount of flour for which one takes challah. However, according to Rabbeinu Tam, challah can only be taken after the batter has been baked. Therefore, one should first bake the cake and then cut off a small piece for hafrashas challah. Alternatively, one can pour off a small amount of batter into a cupcake tin, and bake it alongside the cake. After the cakes are removed from the oven, one should take the cupcake out of the tin and place it on top of the pan of cake and cover them with a towel. Then one should declare the cupcake challah. However, some will not make a bracha on hafrashas challah on cake in deference to the opinion of Aruch Hashulchan (329:15).


The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt”l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.