Cakes- Trouble-Shooting

Baking Tips/ Trouble-Shooting:

If cake has coarse texture, the following problems may have occurred:
*too much baking powder used.
*not liquid used.
*butter and sugar not have been beaten together long enough. Creaming method, beat butter and sugar til light & fluffy for 3 to 4mins.
*oven temp. too low.

If cake is too dry,
*too much flour/ leavening (baking powder) used.
*not enough shortening or sugar used.
*over-baked- oven temp. too high &/ baking time too long.

If center of cake sink,
*under-baked- oven temp. too low &/ baking time too short.
*liquid over/ under-measured.
pan too small- batter too deep.
*cake was moved/ jarred before sufficiently baked.
*old/expired baking powder used.
*a wooden pick/ cake tester was inserted before it was sufficiently set.

If the cake has low volume/ too flat,
*liquid over/ under measured.
*batter under-mixed/ extreremely over-mixed.
*pan used too large.
*oven temp. too low/ too high.

If the cake shrink excessively around edges,
*baking pans greased too heavily.
*baking pans were placed too close together in oven.
*too little batter in baking pan.
*batter extremely over-mixed.
*too little liquid in batter.
*over-baked- either time too long baked/ temp. too high.

If the cake has a peaked center,
*over-mixed batter.
*oven temp. too hot.

If the cake is soggy,
*cake was moved/ jarred before it was sufficiently set.
*under-baked- oven temp. too low &/ too short baking time.

If the cake has a spotted crust,
*the batter was under-mixed.

If the cake has a sticky top coat,
*cake was stored while it's still warm.
*liquid was over-measured.
*under-baked- oven temp. too low &/ baking time too short.
*air humidity too high.

If the cake has tunnels throughout the layer,
*oven temp. too high.
*batter under-mixed/ extremely over-mixed.

If the cake has uneven browning,
*uneven heat circulation in oven.
*baking pans were placed too close together in oven.

If the cake has uneven layers,
*oven rack was not level.
*cake pans were warped/ bent.

DREAMY CUPCAKE
Leonice Choo
website: http://www.cupcake-dreamy.net
email: dreamy_cupcake@yahoo.com.sg