more baking questions....

spaghetti_monster

Hi there!
I posted the other day - am in the middle of an (insane) baking project, making cakes for about 80 people for my wedding reception on Friday and have been trying some of the ideas you guys gave me.

The main problem is that I've got a new oven, and it's a bit fierce. So far I've made a tea loaf and a boiled fruit cake and both have come out slightly burned. Not too much - I would happily eat them myself (maybe scrape a few bits off!), but I'd want them to look a bit nicer for the wedding!
2 weeks ago I made a batch of brownies. It looked like they were on the verge of beginning to burn on the top so I took them out - but actually the insides weren't quite cooked enough.

so - first question is, how do you cope with the individualities of your oven? How much do you take off the temperature, but still bake properly? If you bake at a lower temperature, how much time do you add on?

The second question is that my boiled fruit cake , after scraping off the odd burned bit, is actually pretty tasty. Can anyone suggest a topping to disguise the top??? I'm not so keen on the traditional marzipan/icing thing....

Thanks!!
Alex x

Olliebeak

how about something like the topping for a carrot cake?

Half a tub (100 g) of philly (or other soft cheese equivalent) beaten together with 100 g of icing sugar. You may need to adjust the quantities to suit yourself - give it a taste test.

phizzimum

Hi Alex

my oven runs a bit hot too, so I always cook things at a slightly lower temp than the recipe says (usually 10 degrees C cooler) but keep the timing the same as the recipe.

hope it's going ok - you'll never want to see another cake for the rest of your life!

spaghetti_monster

Thanks guys!
One bonus is that I've pretty much lost the habit of licking the bowl out!

The philidelphia topping sounds very good - was going to make a carrot cake tomorrow so it can do double duty!

Toonie

My oven can be quite temperamental so I tend to keep a close eye on anything I'm baking. As its a fan oven, I take 10C off the cooking temp to begin with and then see how its going. My oven also has a hot spot on the left side, so, halfway through cooking I turn things around to ensure its cooked evenly.

Good luck!

Obukit

Unfortunately working out the peculiarities of an oven is pretty much trial and error. For mine, which is a fan oven, I tend to reduce the temperature by 20C and reduce cooking time by a third.

In the end though, there are only two things you can change, temperature and time. If things are browning/burning on top too quickly reduce the temperature, if they are becoming dry and "shrinking" away from the sides of the tin reduce time.

To test a new oven I always try baking a simple Victoria sandwich (8/8/8/4 - 15 minutes) at the recommended temperature, but taking it out 2/3rds of the way through the recommended cooking time and testing it with a knife - if it comes out clean, it's done, if not, put it back in the oven for another three minutes. When it's ready, work out how much time you've added/taken away from the recipe, and decide if the cake is too brown, not enough or just right and adjust the temperature accordingly. You can then use these same adjustments for just about any food.

carriebradshaw

my oven is hotter than most,it's fairly new too.I lower the heat by 10 degrees and drop the shelf down a level but keep the times the same.My ovens hot spot is at the bottom, anything put there will burn ! Big congrats to you, hope it all goes well and you have a lovely day :beer:

whatatwit

Have you tried protecting the tin.....when doing a Christmas cake, I wrap the outside in brown paper.
Or if a cake is cooking a bit too quick on top, I cover with a piece of greaseproof.

Teria

I usually either take 15 degrees off everything I cook, or else I get the oven up to the right temp, then turn it off a few minutes after I put the cakes etc in. Mine's a particularly fierce fan oven too.

spaghetti_monster

Thanks for all your replies!
I tried a tea loaf with a piece of greaseproof paper on the top and it really worked. Am about to try another boiled fruit cake and will definitely wrap and cover it.
Thanks!
Alex x