Advertisement
USING YOUR OVEN
COMMON
BAKING
PROBLEMS
AND WHY THEY HAPPEN
PROBLEM
POSSIBLE CAUSES
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.
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 or properly attached to door. • Incorrect use of aluminum foil. • Oven not
preheated. • Pans darkened, dented or warped.
For optimum results, bake on one rack. If baking cakes on two racks, place pans toward
the front of the oven on the upper rack and toward the back of the oven on the lower
rack.
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 may require lowering the oven temperature by
25oF.
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.
Cakes have tunnels.
Cake not done in
middle.
Pie crust edges too
brown.
Pies don't brown on
• Used shiny metal pans. • Temperature set too low., Incorrect rack position.
bottom.
• Some frozen pies should be placed on a cookie sheet, check package directions.
Pies have soaked crust.
• Temperature too low at start of baking. • Filling too juicy. • Used shiny metat pans.
• Too much liquid. • Undermixing. • Temperature set too low. • Baking time too short.
• Not enough shortening. • Too much baking powder. • Overmixing or at too high a
speed. • Temperature set too high.
• 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.
• Temperature set too high. • Pans touching each other or oven walls. • Edges of crust
too thin; shield with foil.
Advertisement
