18 Common Baking Mistakes 2

10. Baking Too Many Things at Once 

 

 

The result: pastries cook unevenly This often happens when guests are coming, and you’re in a rush, so you stick a few pans in the oven. A good oven will be able to handle 2-3 baking pans, but if you fill the thing up, you block the air flow and temperature distribution. If you need to do a lot of baking, plan your time wisely. 

 

11. Leaving Cookies in the Oven Too Long 

The result: hard, browned cookies 

You might think that you should only remove the cookies from the oven once they start turning golden-brown, but when it comes to cookie – less is more, because even after you remove them from the oven, they will harden. This does, however, depends on the recipe, but if you keep burning your cookies, try taking them out just as they start turning golden. 

 

12. Turning the Heat Too High 

 

The result: a “domed” cake 

 A cake with a domed top can result from using a cake mold that is too small, or an oven that is too hot. Even if you followed the instructions and preheated the oven to the stated temperature, remember that not all ovens are the same, and yours may be too hot. If this is a reoccurring problem, try reducing the temperature by 20 degrees at a time and see if anything changes. Baking Mistakes

13. Leaving Bread or Muffins to Cool in the Baking Dish 

 

 The result: a soggy bottom  

After you remove bread or muffins from the oven, it takes about five minutes for trapped steam to cool down and become water once again. Once this happens, the bread will start “sweating” that water, causing it to turn the bottom of the pastry soggy. Make sure to remove bread and muffins from the pan within five minutes and let the steam evaporate. 

 

14. Overheating the Butter 

 

The result: cookies lose their shape and cakes are too dense  

 

Unless you’re making crispy dough, which calls for cold butter, or in any recipe that states otherwise – your butter should be at room temperature in order to bond with the other ingredients properly. If you’re in a rush, you may pop it in the microwave, but if the butter is too soft, it will make the cookies too runny when baked, thus losing their shape. With cakes – runny butter means you can whip it with sugar properly, leading to a denser cake. If you want your butter to warm up faster, cut it into smaller chunks. Room temperature butter will still be solid, but will give in under very light pressure. 

 

15. Not Sifting the Flour 

The result: dense or lumpy pastry  

Sifting your flour is imperative if you want the dough to rise well, and give your pastry a fluffy texture. Many people skip this phase, but it’s not complicated nor time-consuming. Furthermore, sifting the flour helps break up any lumps that may have formed in it. 

 

16. Switching Baking Powder for Baking Soda (or Vice Versa) 

 

The result: the pastry doesn’t rise or tastes odd 

It’s easy to confuse baking powder with baking soda, but you can’t replace one with the other. Baking soda needs an acid to bond with while baking powder already has that acid. If you don’t care about the chemistry, just remember not to switch between the two, and stick to the recipe. 

 

17. Cutting the Pastry Before it Cools Down 

The result: the pastry flakes and pieces are uneven 

 

 Even if your guests are hungry, don’t give in – both cakes and pies have to cool down a little in order to solidify and harden since the baking process continues outside the oven. Don’t be tempted to put them in the fridge to save time – the extreme temperature change will make them sticky or even collapse. You can start cutting away once the top layer solidifies. 

 

18. Frosting the Cake When it is Still Warm 

 

The result: uneven and flaky frosting 

Whether you’re in a rush or just hungry, you should let your cake cool down before frosting it. If you apply the frosting while the cake is still hot, bits and crumbs from the upper layer will stick to the spreader and mix with the frosting.

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