ABSTRACTSucrose fatty acid esters of various hydrophilic‐lipophilic balance (HLB) values were found to improve cake volume and softness as HLB increased. When present in high concentrations (1.0‐2.0% total flour wt basis), however, the sucrose ester emulsifiers caused drastic changes in surface appearance and in cake symmetry. Visual observations, amylograph data, and microscopic studies indicated that the sucrose esters delayed the pasting and gelatinization of the starch granules. There did not appear to be any synergistic effects of the sucrose esters when blended with a commercial alpha‐mono/diglyceride emulsifier.