Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A
Oven temperature
The oven I use is fan assisted, which I know to reduce 10-20c for. But I’ve recently read that for dark/metal cake tins such as my springform tin, to reduce the heat by 25c to prevent the sides of the cake going hard. Should I reduce by both amounts, in which case 30-40c?
I’m a little stumped on this. The last cake I made, a caramel mud cake at 160c, went very hard on the top and sides but the center was still undercooked. If I reduced the temp and went low and slow would the center cook? I used a 23cm springform tin.
Hi leanne9471
I also bake in a fan oven and in dark tins. I reduce my temperature by 20%. It is not necessary to reduce further.
Most recipes will ask for some kind of leavening, whether baking powder or baking soda. In self raising flour leavenings are pre added. Leavenings play a very important part in making cakes rise and are activated by the correct baking temperature. If temperature is too low the centre of a cake will not set, the baking time will increase which will cause the sides to burn and the end product will be dense and rubbery with the centre still uncooked.
For your mud cake recipe double line the sides and bottom of the tin with parchment paper making sure the lining paper is at least 2 inches above the rim of the tin. This not only protects the sides of the cake but also shields the middle from over browning. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 140c fan assisted for the given time. If the centre of the cake begins to brown too quickly cover it with some parchment paper. Try not to open the oven door before two thirds of baking time has passed. Before this time the centre of the cake will not have set and any drop in oven temperature will make the cake collapse. Close oven door gently to prevent any sudden draughts. Please bear in mind that all ovens are different, so if your oven is very hot at 140 fan you will need to adjust the temperature using several recipe to establish a suitable heat. This blog may also help http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/baking-the-perfect-cake-why-things-go-wrong. If you scroll through the comments you will see I have put in a link on knowing your oven, it makes for an interesting and informative read. Hope some of this helps.
Thank you for the detailed answer. When you say reduce by 20% would that mean reducing by 30c if the recipe says 160c?
If a recipe says 160c non fan oven, the temperature should be reduced to 140c for fan oven. If you still have the oven manufacturer’s handbook it will give you the recommended reduction for your model oven. Generally fan ovens have to be reduced between 10 – 20 degrees because they bake hotter. However. because all ovens bake very differently it is best to try and get to know your appliance. Investing in an oven thermometer will also help accuracy. I should have mentioned in my last reply that if your cake is still sticky on testing after the given bake time, bake it on checking every 5 minutes until the testing skewer comes out clean. I hope your next bake is more successful.x
Thank you for all your help. I’m feeling much more confident about my next bake attempt. 🙂
