This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
Published on July 20, 2020, Audrey Masitsa shares her expertise on common baking disasters and how to prevent them.
Baking can be a very satisfying and therapeutic process, but it can also be discouraging when things don't go as planned. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out, it's essential to know how to prevent common baking disasters.
Here are nine common baking disasters and how to prevent them:
1. Cake Sunk in the Middle ¶
Opening the oven door while the cake is cooking is the most common reason for this disaster. This introduces cold air into the oven, reducing the temperature and causing the cake not to rise. To prevent this, keep your oven door shut throughout the baking process and use a timer instead.
2. Cake Tastes of Bicarbonate of Soda ¶
Using too much bicarbonate of soda can give your cake a soapy, bitter taste. To prevent this, ensure you use the correct measurements for the recipe and invest in proper measuring spoons and cups.
3. Cookies Burnt at the Bottom ¶
Overheating the oven can cause cookies to burn at the bottom. To prevent this, use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature.
4. Cake Undercooked or Not Brown ¶
Undercooking or not browning your cake, cookies, or pie can be due to an oven that's not at the correct temperature. To prevent this, preheat your oven for the appropriate amount of time before baking.
5. Cake is Lumpy ¶
Most flour-based recipes require sifting dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients. This helps aerate the mixture and prevents lumps. To prevent lumpy cakes, sift your dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients.
6. Cake is Too Dense ¶
A well-baked cake should have light crumbs and not break off into large, heavy lumps. To prevent a dense cake, ensure that your recipe contains adequate amounts of eggs, fat, and sugar. Then, cream your butter and sugar until it's pale in color, and fold in your flour gently until the mixture has just combined.
7. Cake Cracked at the Top ¶
A cake that's cracked at the top could be due to an oven that's too hot or a baking tin that's too small. To prevent this, use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature, and choose a baking tin that's big enough to allow your cake to rise sufficiently.
8. Tough Pie Crust ¶
A tough and chewy pie crust can be due to overmixing the dough. To prevent this, avoid overmixing your dough to ensure that your pie crust remains light and crumbly.
9. Cake Gets Stuck in Baking Tin ¶
Parts of your cake getting stuck in the baking tin can be due to insufficient greasing. To prevent this, ensure that you grease the surface of the baking tin well and dust it with flour. You can also put parchment paper in your baking tin to prevent it from sticking to the sides.
