why do my cakes always burn on the outside even though i do as the recipe tells

1. 51

   clarkieannposted 14 years ago

   why do my cakes always burn on the outside even though i do as the recipe tells me

   replyreport
2. 60

   Joe Clevelandposted 14 years ago

   Two possibilities:  First, your oven may be hotter than it should be.  Home ovens can vary in temperature by as much as fifty degrees Fahrenheit, which will cause baked goods to burn.  You can check this by purchasing a low-priced oven thermometer in a department store or kitchen center.  Put it in your oven, turn it on to whatever temperature you want to use, and check back in ten minutes to see what your oven temperature really is.  Repeat for different temperatures and move your thermometer around to different places in the oven.  You'll learn a great deal about your oven in a very short time.
   
   The other possibility is that you are using a cakepan that is too thin.  Try switching to a heavier, sturdier pan that is not black in color.  Heavier, light-colored or glass pans heat up more slowly, and allow your cake to bake more evenly.

   replyreport
3. 0

   DCLposted 14 years ago

   do you have the rack in the middle of the oven?

   replyreport
4. 37

   leandrofloristposted 14 years ago

   Maybe your oven is hotter than it. Try switching to a heavier. Here's a link to lots and lots of good information http://sanleandroflowers.weebly.com/florist-94579.html

   replyreport
5. 61

   Catherine Rposted 14 years ago

   It sounds as though your oven is too hot.  My recommendation is that you test the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer - as Joe Cleveland says below - you can get one quite cheaply.  He is right that you should test the temperature in different places inside your oven as some ovens can be quite uneven in the way they distribute heat.  If the cake is burning more quickly on one side then this will be an indication that the heat distribution is uneven.
   
   Another thing I have noticed is that a lot of recipes tell you to cook the cake at a temperature that is too high in my opinion.  I will quite often put it in for ten minutes at the suggested temperature and then turn down the oven by 10 to 20 degrees C.
   
   As others have suggested - you may also wish to check your cake pans although it sounds as though it is a problem with temperature.
   
   Hope this helps!

   replyreport