SECRETS TO BETTER BAKING
BISCUITS ARE DARK ON BOTTOM, LIGHT ON TOP
Pan dark or heavy (use shiny cooky sheet)
Pan too deep or too large
BISCUITS ARE PALE
Temperature too low
Too much flour
Pan too deep (invert pan or use cooky sheet)
BREAD BURNING ON BOTTOM
Oven too full; shuts off proper circulation of heat
Wrong type of pans used. Granite or heavy black pans will cause this.
Pans placed too close to oven bottom
BREAD BURNING ON EDGES
Pans placed too close together
Too much dough in pan
CAKE IS UNDERSIZED
Too little leavening
Batter overbeaten
Pan too large
Temperature too high
Ingredients not at room temperature
CAKE IS HIGH IN MIDDLE
Too much flour
Temperature too high
CAKE HAS SOGGY OR RUBBERY LAYER
Batter undermixed
Too little leavening
Too much liquid
Temperature too low
Egg yolks underbeaten
CAKE FALLS
Too much shortening, liquid or sugar
Too much leavening
Insufficient or too slow baking
Pan too small
CAKE HAS TUNNELS
Not enough shortening
Overmixing after adding flour
All-purpose flour used
CAKE IS UNEVEN
Pans not staggered in oven
Batter uneven in pan
Warped pans
Range not level
Pans touching sides of oven or each other
SPONGE CAKE FALLS OUT OF PAN
Pan greased
Too much sugar
Insufficient baking
CAKE BURNS ON SIDES
Oven too full
Oven too hot
Pans too close to sides of oven
CAKE CRACKS ON TOP
Oven too hot
Too thick batter (If cake flour not used, decrease quantity about ¼ to ½ C. or increase liquid ¼ C.)
COOKIES AND BISCUITS TOO BROWN ON TOP
Cookie sheet set too high in oven
Uneven heat distribution in oven. See that vent is unobstructed
COOKIES TOO DARK ON BOTTOM
Cookie sheet set on too low a rack in oven
Cookie sheet too wide or too long for oven
Uneven distribution of heat in oven
MUFFINS HAVE TUNNELS AND SHARP PEAKS
Overmixing
PIE SHELL SHRINKS
Pastry stretched in pan
Too much water
Pastry not pricked enough
PIE HAS SOAKED CRUST
Temperature too low at start of baking
Filling too juicy
A glass pan or old dull or dark pan will give a browner, crisper undercrust
Avoid shiny tin or glossy aluminum pans for pies
Do not reduce temperature 25 degrees for pie when using oven glass, as you do when baking a cake
Chill unbaked crust before adding filling for custard or pumpkin pies
PIE BURNS AROUND EDGE OF CRUST
Temperature too high
Pans touching each other or oven wall
Edge of crust too thin
Granite or black metal pan may cause scorching
PIE HAS PALE TOP
Oven not hot enough
Oven too full cutting off circulation of air
Brush top with milk or cream
PIE NOT BROWN ENOUGH ON BOTTOM
Shiny tin or aluminum pan may cause this problem
Filling too thin—soaking bottom pastry
Temperature too low