USING THE OVEN
10
COMMON BAKING PROBLEMS AND WHY THEY HAPPEN
PROBLEM
Cakes are uneven.
·
Pans too close or touching each other or oven walls.
·
Batter uneven in pans.
·
Temperature set too low or baking time too short.
·
Oven not level.
·
Undermixing.
·
Too much liquid.
CAUSE
Cake high in middle.
·
Temperature set too high.
·
Baking time too long.
·
Overmixing.
·
Too much flour.
·
Pans
touching each other or oven walls.
·
Incorrect rack position.
Cake falls.
·
Too much shortening or sugar.
·
Too much or too little liquid.
·
Temperature set too low.
·
Old or too little baking powder.
·
Pan too small.
·
Oven door opened frequently.
·
Added
incorrect type of oil to cake mix.
·
Added additional ingredients to cake mix or recipe.
Cakes, cookies, biscuits
don’t brown evenly.
·
Incorrect rack position.
·
Oven door not closed properly.
·
Door gasket not sealing
properly.
·
Incorrect use of aluminum foil.
·
Oven not preheated.
·
Pans darkened, dented
or warped.
Cakes, cookies, biscuits
too brown on bottom.
·
Oven not preheated.
·
Pans touching each other or oven walls.
·
Incorrect rack position.
·
Incorrect use of aluminum foil.
·
Placed 2 cookie sheets on one rack.
·
Used glass, dark,
stained warped or dull finish metal pans. (Use a shiny cookie sheet.)
Follow cookware manufacturer’s instructions for oven temperature. Glassware and dark
cookware such as Ecko’s Baker’s Secret require lowering the oven temperature by 25
°
F.
Cakes don’t brown on
top.
·
Incorrect rack position.
·
Temperature set too low.
·
Overmixing.
·
Too much liquid.
·
Pan
size too large or too little batter in pan.
·
Oven door opened too often.
Excessive shrinkage.
·
Too little leavening.
·
Overmixing.
·
Pan too large.
·
Temperature set too high.
·
Baking
time too long.
·
Pans too close to each other or oven walls.
Uneven texture.
·
Too much liquid.
·
Undermixing.
·
Temperature set too low.
·
Baking time too short.
Cakes have tunnels.
·
Not enough shortening.
·
Too much baking powder.
·
Overmixing or at too high a speed.
·
Temperature set too high.
Cake not done in
middle.
·
Temperature set too high.
·
Pan too small.
·
Baking time too short.
If additional ingredients were added to mix or recipe, expect cooking time to increase.
Pie crust edges too
brown.
·
Temperature set too high.
·
Pans touching each other or oven walls.
·
Edges of crust too
thin; shield with foil.
Pies don’t brown on
bottom.
·
Used shiny metal pans.
·
Temperature set too low.
·
Incorrect rack position.
Pies have soaked crust.
·
Temperature too low at start of baking.
·
Filling too juicy.
·
Used shiny metal pans.
