Need help- is it my oven or me?
#117702 - 11/01/04 09:47 AM
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Sheri01
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 1731
Loc: New Jersey
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I have started baking in my oven for the first time recently. Coincedentally, everything that I bake is gushy in the middle, but cooks on the outside! Except for muffins, it seems. I made the Nothin' to it Muffins, and they were perfect. I also made ADBs ( I tried again after the whole maple syrup incident) and Sharonmellow's Pumpkin Cake with Normal Ingredients. It is so disheartening cause I try so hard to follow directions to a 'T', than it does not come out. Leaving the cakes in longer doesn't help, either, I just overcook the outside.
I do realize that in my teeny apt my oven may be a piece of junk, but is it right to blame it? Or is there something I could be doing wrong?
I may try one more time at my parent's house this weekend, but if that doesn't work I am giving up for good! 
Any one have a similiar problem ever?
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-Sheri
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Hi Shari!
One thing to consider is that your oven might be a little on the warm side, meaning that it says one thing, but may be a couple of degrees warmer. This isn't uncommon. My suggestion, is to lower the temp about 5 degrees, and test your cake or what ever with a toothpick in the center before taking it out. That way, your cake won't be too cooked or burnt on the sides. Also, are you using stainless steel or dark pans? The dark ones tend to cook things a little quicker because they absorb the heat quicker.
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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!
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It's probably your oven... and if not, it's your bakeware. Both can be kind of quirky, but especially ovens. In addition to Rachel's suggestion, something you can do is cover the baked goods loosely with a piece of foil after they've browned well. This allows you to keep baking them, but they won't get too dark or burnt on top.
Just so you know you're not alone... ya know Heather's brown sugar banana bread recipe? It says in the recipe to bake 50-60 minutes? Hah! I had to bake mine almost 2 HOURS before it was actually done. The first batch I ended up throwing out - I didn't stick the tester in deep enough, and it was raw in the middle after 1 1/2 hours. I still don't know why this happens, but I figure it's my oven, and I just plan on baking things a LOT longer than the recipe calls for.
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Casey and Rachel have excellent advice.  Foil, oven temp and really check the pans. Since some things turn out it might be the pans you are baking in. The Airbake or whatever they are called are awesome but anything light is better than dark. I know my sister-in-law rented a house with a real crummy oven and couldn't bake anything (then again she is no Martha Stewart) but it really was the oven so that might be it. Perhaps baking things thinner, like put only half as much in the pan might work, maybe thicker things just can't get done in the middle in your oven. Does angel food cake work?
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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Yep, I'd recommend getting an oven thermometer and checking your oven temp. My parents' oven runs about 25 degrees hotter than it says so I always had to set it at 325 instead of 350, etc. That can make a HUGE difference. I'm sure it's not just you!
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Oven temp - best purchase in any new kitchen- oven thermometer.. even in a brand new oven!
Also- pans make a huge difference, my favorites are my stoneware, but everything takes an extra 15-20 minutes...
if that doesn't work.. lower the temp by 25 degrees (using that thermometer) and check every 10-15 minutes for up to double the baking time once the allotted time is up.. by cooking cooler you also prevent that dark overcooking of the outside edges...
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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Lots of suggestions to go over, but I think I may still try it again at my parent's house first, so as to have one victory before I start playing around with my crummy oven. And I guess I should invest in an oven thermometer and a cake tester. (Right now I use a fork  )
It takes alot of time accumulating kitchen gadgets! Everytime I think I have everything I need, there is something else. 
Again, thanks for all of the advice 
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-Sheri
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I use a knife for testing baked goods, actually. Toothpicks are ideal, though. Nothing expensive to buy there.
But you're right... there's always something to buy for the kitchen. LOL
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cake tested- BAAH! I use a toothpic and when I need longer I grab one of the metal skewers I use to put kabobs on the grill!
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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I use toothpicks too or wood skewers broken in half. I had thought everyone did that; I didn't know there were other things to try. 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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