How can I get my layer cake to cook more evenly/not burned?
I usually make a two layer cake, and I have a family favourite cake recipe which is fool-proof. I now want to start making one layer (thicker) cakes and i am using catering grade tins. I just finished baking my first one.
Because this cake was thicker, I lowered the temp from 180° C, to 170° C. The cake rose well, but the center was liquid till the very end; it also burned on top and I had to leave the cake in for much longer than I usually do (45 minutes instead of 35).
The length of time I baked it for isn't a problem, the cake rose very well too, but what should I change to stop the cake from burning at the top?
Best Answer
In a conventional oven, the majority of the heat is at the top.
You don't mention lowering the oven rack to compensate for the change in height. I'm fairly certain that would solve your problem.
Center rack is normally recommended - if you used a higher rack then that's definitely the reason it burned. But even if you used the center rack, you might need to lower it for a particularly tall cake. You might also need to extend the cooking time slightly to compensate for the lower effective temperature.
Note that this doesn't apply to convection ovens, which have a relatively constant temperature throughout.
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What Can You do to Achieve a More Even Bake?? The solution to this problem is to cool and insulate the outside of the pan a bit with some water. You can do this by applying wet strips of cloth called cake strips to the vertical edge of the pans. You just soak them in water, wring them out a bit and slide onto the pans.Why do my cake not cook evenly?
If the flour doesn't blend evenly it will make the cake bake uneven. Double check your oven temperature too. If your oven is too hot, this can have an impact or if your oven is not working properly, this can be a tell-tale sign as the heat is not spreading evenly around your machine.How do you bake cake layers evenly?
However, if you can't lower your rack, there is another simple way to prevent those cake and cupcake tops from browning too fast or even burning before it's baked through. The trick? Use a piece of foil. The most simple way to use it is to just insert a layer of foil between the cake and the heating element on top.How do you keep a cake from burning before cooking?
Our answer. If you find that your cakes are brown on the outside but are still raw on the inside then it is likely that the oven is too hot. Most cakes are baked at around 180c/350F/Gas Mark 4 on the middle shelf of the oven.How to Get Flat Cake Layers
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Answer 2
The main reason why the top is being burnt while the middle is still uncooked is uneven temperature in your oven. Usually caterers/bakeries have higher grade, convection ovens which can accomadate the bigger cake tins because it can output an even temperature throughout the oven.
What you can do is:
- Lower the temperature even more and bake for a longer period of time,
- or order a pizza stone to even out the temperature of your oven.
- Bake the cake at lowest rack (remove the upper racks if need be) and maybe even making a tin foil tent over the top to take from direct heat.
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