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Common Mistakes with Cakes, Biscuits and Pastries - How to Fix Them

Many people have recurring problems when baking cakes, biscuits and pastries.
Don't despair as this article provides the answers to many common problems.

For some great tips on baking see: Tips for Baking - Tricks for Cakes, Muffins, Cupcakes, Cookies, Scones

Cake, Biscuit and Other Sweet Baked Items

Biscuits Burned on the Bottom
The usual reason for this is that your oven temperature is incorrect. Invest in an oven thermometer and run some tests over a range of temperatures. You can make up a chart showing dial temperature and actual temperature and use this chart to make adjustments to the temperature settings. Another common reason is a failure to read whether the recipe specifies fan temperatures or not. Fan-assisted ovens are generally about 10% hotter than conventional ovens. Therefore, fan-assisted ovens always cook things faster. It is equivalent to setting the temperature 10% higher when the fan is running. Also, try turning your oven, or reducing the temperature half-way the baking time, to ensure an even bake.

Biscuits Rock Hard
The solution to this is to remove the biscuits from the oven when they are still soft in the middle. This avoids overcooking the biscuits. The cooking process continues as they cool down and they will firm up when cool.

Biscuits Spread Out Excessively
Make sure you don't skip the chilling-in-the-fridge before baking step that is specified in most recipes. This ensures the cookies keep their shape and don’t spread out excessively as they bake.

Cake Rises Too High in the Middle and Cracks
This generally occurs when you use a cake tin that has a different size to the one in the recipe. If the tin is too small, the sides cook first and solidify around the edge. The partially cooked batter in the center has nowhere to go but up. Make sure you always use the cake tin size and shape specified in the recipe. Also, ensure that the batter goes no more than three-quarters of the way up the side of the tin. In the future, try baking at a lower temperature to get a more even bake.

Cake Sinks in the Middle
There are several reasons why this may occur.

• Try avoiding opening the oven before the cake has cooked. A sudden fall in temperature may cause the sinking
• It may be caused by using incorrect quantities. People often round-off the amounts or do not level the spoonfuls when measuring the amount of baking powder or other raising agent.
• Try reducing your fat and sugar content by 10%.
• Try adding an extra egg to the mixture, particularly if your eggs are small.

Cake Taste is Tainted by Baking Powder or Bicarbonate of Soda
Generally this occurs because you have used too much of it.

• Make sure you use proper measuring spoons.
• Don’t heap in the spoon unless it is specified in the recipe. If the recipe calls for a level-teaspoon, then make sure you level the teaspoon.
• Don’t swap baking powder and bicarbonate interchangeably. Follow your recipe. They are different.

Cake is Not Cooked in the Middle
The obvious solution is to test with a skewer or cake tester before finishing the baking. Place some foil on top of the cake to stop it getting too dark.
If you notice this just after removing the cake from the oven it can be saved. Wrap the cake in tin foil, and return it to the oven, bringing it back up to temperature, gradually. Bake for several extra minutes. The foil will stop the outside from browning excessively. Then take off the foil, raise the temperature a little and bake for an extra 10 minutes until cooked through.

Cake is Dense, Heavy, Cloying or Doughy
There are several possible reasons for this:

• The recipe probably needs and extra egg or more raising agent.
• If the is fine recipe and you have measured the ingredients properly, but the crumb is too dense, the probable cause is over-mixing. Remember to lightly fold the flour into the creamed butter and sugar, until it is just combined. Try not using and electric mixer when you add the flour. Fold through by hand with a spatula.

Cake Dark Brown on Top but Uncooked in the Middle

• The easiest way to avoid your cake becoming too dark or burning on top, is to cover the tin with a foil for the initial half of the baking period.
• Check your oven temperatures using an oven thermometer and adjust your dial settings accordingly.
• Learn the location of the hot spots in your oven. Placing the tin on a high shelf is much hotter than a lower shelf especially with gas ovens at the start of the baking period.

Cake Cracked on Top

• Generally this occurs because the tin is too small, too full, or the wrong shape.
• Make sure your oven is hot before your cake goes in.
• Place the tin on a lower shelf.

Icing Not Creamy and Full of Crumbs

• Usually this occurs when the cake is iced when hot or warm. Don't apply icing a warm or hot cake. Let it cool down completely. Better still wrap the cooled cake in some plastic film and chill it in the fridge before icing.
• Crumbs in icing can occur even when you are too gentle when applying it. Work it a little harder
• Apply a thin first coat initially - the so-called crumb coat. Let it set for a while and then add the final coat - the crumb-less and creamy outer layer.

Icing Too Soft or Runny

• If the icing is too runny, add more sugar and this will thicken it.
• Another cause is that the icing is too warm. Just put the icing in the fridge for a while before applying it.
• You may have over-mixed the butter and cream, or the butter was too warm to begin with.

Pastry Problems

Pastry is Soggy or Uncooked

• The best way to stop this happening is to 'blind' bake your crust twice. Firstly filled with uncooked beans, and then a second time without the beans for an extra five minutes .
• Another solution is to heat a heavy-bottomed tray in the oven beforehand. Then then place your pie tin on top. This will bake the crust more evenly. Make sure you use good quality baking tins that conduct evenly.
• Try baking on the middle or low shelves in the oven, rather than high up.
• You can save a quiche or pie with soggy pastry by carefully removing it from its tin. Cover it with a dome of foil. Heat a heavy-base tray, Dutch oven, or large heavy iron frying pan in the oven. Then place the quiche or pie back into the oven on the hot tray, and cook for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Pastry is Hard, Tough or Has a Chewy Consistency

• A common cause is that you have not carefully stuck to the recipe and the measurements (heaped versus flat spoon measurements.
• Overworked pastry will get sticky and you will be inclined to add more flour, which will dry it out and make it tough.
• Always work the pastry gently, with light fingertips.
• Don’t wrap the pastry in plastic film when resting it before shaping it or baking it. This makes the pastry sweaty and destroys its consistency. Instead shape the dough into a rough ball. Wrap in breathable greaseproof paper.
• Always use minimum extra flour when rolling it out. The extra flour makes the pastry dry and tough when cooked.
• Try switching your flour to a stronger variety. A weak flour won't rise as well and can lead to hard pastry.

Pastry Burned on the Bottom

• If this happens regularly you may need to check your oven with an oven thermometer. Do some tests. You may need to set the temperature 10 degrees higher or lower on the dial to get the correct temperature.
• Try doubling the baking paper lining in your tin.
• Bake higher or lower in your oven.

Bread and Dough Problems

Dough is Too Sticky to Knead

• If you have carefully followed the recipe, resist the temptation to add anything such as extra flour or oil. Instead let the dough rest under a cloth for about for 20 minutes. After resting do a very light knead with very lightly floured hands or lightly oiled hands.
• Change your kneading method. Try lifting the dough in your hand, stretching it out. Then slap the dough back down folding it into the center several times. This kneads the bread with minimal contact and works with sticky dough.
• If the dough contains butter, cream or eggs, the dough has to be kneaded when cold. Keep it chilled and knead only a small portion at a time. Keep the rest in the fridge.

Dough Does Not Rise Properly

• Check the yeast to ensure it is not out of date.
• Check that your kitchen is not too cold. Cover your bowl and let it rise on top of your hot water system or in another warm place. Another way is to cover your bowl with clingwrap.
• Partially fill your sink with warm water. Float the bowl in the sink and cover the sink with a towel.

Sourdough Dough Has No Structure and Does Not Rise Well
There are many reasons for this apart from a soughdough starter that is in poor condition. Try these solutions:

• Try reducing the water content by 10-20%.
• Try rising with warmer temperature, and allowing more time.
• Try different brands of bread flour. Choose a strong flour with high protein levels. This is crucial for developing the gluten to get structure in the mix. The higher the protein level the stronger the flour.
• If the dough feels too sticky, resist the temptation to add more flour. A dry dough will not rise well. Cover the dough and leave it for an hour or so. The gluten will naturally develop on its own accord.
• Try a two stage rise. Firstly a wet rise with about 3/4 of the flour. Then add the remaining flour, fold through and let rise again

Yeasted Dough Does not Rise Properly

• Firstly, check whether your yeast is passed its use by date.
• Use rain water or bottled water as the chlorine in tap water may inhibit the yeast.
• Check that your kitchen is not too cold (yeast needs warmth to grow). Do the rise in a warm place. The optimal temperature bread yeast is 37 degrees C (100 degrees F).For sourdough, that is natural yeast, the optimal temperature is 24-27 deg C (75-80 degrees F).
• Be patient and allow more time

Baked Bread is Hard as a Rock
This generally occurs through

• inadequate-proving,
• over-kneading,
• too much flour added when kneading,
• careless baking - allowing the bread to bake too long. Remember that the bread will continue to bake as it is cooling down.

Baked Loaf is Too Flat
Possible causes for this are:

• The tin is too large or too shallow. Use a proper bread tin.
• The dough has been over-proved. If the dough is weak, or it has not been kneaded enough, the structure will collapse (bubbles will burst).
• Bread has been baked too quickly or the temperatures are too high. The rise occurs before the bread has solidified to contain the bubbles.

Baked Loaf is Too Soft - It Crumbles or Tears When Cut

• Often the culprit is not the bread, but your bread knife. Indulge yourself with good bread knife designed for the job. Soft bread is a good thing!
• Make sure you let a hot loaf cool to warm before you slice it.

Crust Goes Soft Very Quickly
While many bread recipes call for steam at the beginning of the bake, this should not occur at the end. You can develop steam to make a good crust by spray the oven or put a pan of water at the bottom of the oven. But you need to allow the steam escape at the end. The final 10 minutes of the bake should be steam-free to harden the crust. You can do this by propping the door of the oven open a little with a spoon. This will give you a stronger and better crust.