PROBLEM,
CAUSE
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
Incorrect
rack position.
Oven door not closed properly:
Door gasket n0t sealing
don't brown evenly,
properly: • Incorrect use of aluminum foil. • Oven not preheated. •Pans darkened, dented
or warpe&
Cakes, cookies, biscuits
• Oven not preheated. • Pans touching each other or oven walls. • Incorrect rack position.
too brown on bottom.
• 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
• Incorrect rack Position. • Temperature set too low. • Overmixing. • TOOmuch liquid, • Pan
size to0 large ortoo 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.
I
Uneven texture.
"Too much liquid. • Undermixing, • Temperature set to0 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
I
• Temperature set tOOhighl-
Pan tOOsmall.•
Baking time too short.
m! ddle
I
If additional ingredients were added t0 mixor recipe, expect cooking time to increase:
Pie crust edges too
• Temperature set too high. • Pans touching each other or oven walls. • Edges of crust too
brown,
thin; shield with foil.
Pies
I
• Usedsh ny metal pans .Temperature
settoo
ncorrect rack p0Siton
f
bottom.
Pies have soaked crust.
• Temperature too low at start of baking. • Filling too juicy. • Used shiny metal pans.