8 tips to help you be “unstoppable” when baking with an oven

1 Preheat the oven before baking

When baking any type of cake, you need to preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes beforehand, this is also a basic principle in baking.

If you put the cake batter in and then turn on the oven, the heating process will cause the outer surface of the cake to rise while the inside hardly changes, making the cake likely to be undercooked inside.

Especially with types of rolled cakes, pizza or cookies, you need to ensure that the oven always maintains a stable temperature and retains heat well.

In addition, you should check whether the rack for placing the baking tray is in the correct position? Placing the cake mold in the center of the oven will help heat transfer to the cake be more balanced, preventing the top or bottom of the cake from burning.

2 Measure accurately and prepare enough ingredients

Before you start baking, carefully study the recipe and prepare all the necessary ingredients for your cake.

Additionally, you should buy an electronic scale to measure ingredients such as sugar, flour… accurately to achieve a perfect cake. Adding too much of liquid ingredients like water, milk… can immediately affect the quality of the cake.

3 Ingredients must be really fresh

To make a delicious cake, you must choose fresh ingredients, avoid using eggs that are old, and flour that has been stored for more than 6 months. Fresh flour that is not moldy and free from dirt will make the cake tastier.

Fresh chicken eggs will make it easier to separate the whites and yolks, easier to whip, and result in a cake that is much fluffier and more fragrant.

4 The oven must be at the right temperature

In addition to good ingredients, the temperature in the oven also greatly affects the quality of your cake, so you need to preheat the oven to the standard temperature according to the recipe you are using.

If the temperature is too high, the cake will rise quickly, leading to cracks on the surface, burning, or becoming hard. A low temperature will result in an undercooked cake that is sunken, with a floury smell and a fishy smell from the eggs.

Additionally, you should prepare an oven thermometer to monitor the temperature accurately.

5 For small ovens, avoid baking oversized or tall cakes

For certain types of cakes like chiffon or gato cakes that rise very high, if you use an oven that is too small, the cake may easily touch the heating element at the top of the oven, causing the surface of the cake to burn quickly.

Therefore, if you are passionate about baking, you should choose ovens with a large capacity of at least 50 liters to be able to bake various types of cakes.

6 Avoid opening the oven too often

The temperature inside the oven needs to be kept hot throughout the baking process, so you should avoid opening the oven frequently to prevent outside air from coming in, causing the cake to become dense.

Ten minutes before the cake is done, you can open the oven door and rotate the pan to ensure even cooking.

It’s best to get an oven with a clear glass door and a light to easily observe the baking process.

7 Rotate the cake pan

This will ensure the cake is baked evenly on all sides. But wait until the cake has set, which is about 2/3 of the baking time, to avoid deflating the cake. Remove the cake from the oven, rotate the cake pan 180 degrees, and put it back in the oven.

If you are using both racks of your home baking oven, you should also take the opportunity to rotate the cakes and swap their positions.

8 Check the cake before removing it

Before removing the cake, you need to check by lightly pressing on the cake. If the surface of the cake springs back, then the cake is done. If it sinks, then the batter is likely still wet inside, and if it’s hard, it means it has been overbaked.

It’s best to rely on your experience with each baking session rather than strictly adhering to the timing specified in the recipe. Moreover, each oven has different temperature settings, so it may not apply universally to your cake.