Do eggs really need to be at room temperature?

We were making muffins recently and noticed that the eggs were supposed to be at room temperature when, of course, we hadn’t taken them out. So this posting from America’s Test Kitchen, “Do Cold Eggs Ruin Baked Goods?” seemed especially timely.

The answer, with a few exceptions, is not really, especially when it comes to taste. The exceptions were pound, angel food, and chiffon cakes, since these “rely on air incorporated into the beaten eggs as a primary means of leavening.” Otherwise tasters couldn’t tell the difference.  However, he kitchen did note that using cold eggs can add a few minutes to normal baking time, so baked goods should be tested for doneness rather than just timed.

And as long as we’re on pound cakes, we thought this Coconut Pound Cake looked like a recipe it would be worthwhile to remember bringing eggs up to temp for.

Photo from Dramatic Pancake.