Baking a cake is a delicate process that requires precision and skill to achieve the best results. I’d be lying if I said I’ve had more cake successes than fails. I’ve come to learn that it’s not just about mixing ingredients and throwing the cake mix into the oven. Every step while baking cake matters. Here are common mistakes people make while baking a cake.
- Reading The Recipe Halfway
You should always read the recipe all the way through before starting to bake. This gives you an overview of what you’re supposed to do and also makes sure that you have all the necessary ingredients. Take note that every cut, chop, or sifting instruction listed after an ingredient is to be done after the ingredient is measured. Such a mistake could result in over or under-measuring the ingredients.
- Failing To Pre-heat The Oven
Pre-heating the oven is absolutely important. The temperature has to be right BEFORE the cake goes in. If you put your cake while the oven is still cold, it won’t rise and brown properly. You’d hate to have gone through all that cake-making process only for you to have an uneven cake because of one little error. Preheat the oven for a minute or two to ensure it’s hot enough.
- Using The Wrong Tin Size
It’s tempting to use any tin that closely resembles the one in the recipe. However, when you decide to start baking a cake, make sure you have the correct equipment. The most crucial being your baking tins. You should not substitute tins as this may cause your cake to under-bake or over-bake. Additionally, if your tin is too small, your cake might overflow causing a huge, unnecessary mess. Always use the recommended pan in the recipe.
- Ingredients Aren’t At Room Temperature
Remove any ingredients that might be in the fridge and keep them at room temperature before preparing. Cold butter won’t cream properly and eggs straight from the fridge will make your mixture curdle. This may not be a fatal mistake but it could cost you precious time. You can solve the problem by adding warm water to your mixture or warming it in the microwave.
- Opening The Oven Door Too Often
Opening the oven door too much causes the oven to lose heat which might make your cake not bake all the way through. In extreme cases, your cake might collapse due to this. Most modern ovens have a light feature so use it to check on your cake. If not, set the timer and trust the process. Let your cake sit in the oven undisturbed until the timer goes off. If you really need to check on it, do it once or twice as fast as possible.
These mistakes might result in embarrassing cake fails. Therefore, make sure you follow instructions carefully and prepare adequately when baking a cake. It’s an enjoyable process but can be highly discouraging if you’re not keen.
Check out this Twitter video on other mistakes you could be making when baking a chocolate cake.
We tested every mistake you can make when baking the perfect chocolate cake pic.twitter.com/ItH6JaZshi
— Insider Food (@insiderfood) July 13, 2023
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