If you’re not new to baking cakes, cookies or casseroles you probably noticed that most recipes call for preheating or setting the oven to 350 F (or 180 C), with the exception of some recipes. Ever wondered why that is? I never thought about it until I encountered the YouTube video below, which will give you a quick illustration.
The “perfect” temperature
It seems that 350 F is the perfect temperature to develop color and flavor, and to control the moisture of your baked goods.
Low heat will dry out cookies at a slower pace. This is why I bake my Maizena (cornstarch) at 225 F, because the goal is to get them dry, but as light as possible.
Medium heat, about 350 F, will give your baked goods the perfect color while being cooked through without drying out. Cookies will be brown and dry on the outside, but soft on the inside.
High heat will burn the outside faster while the inside will not cook well. This may be perfect to cook your steak at 400-450 F, but don’t try it on a cake!
Things to consider
Not all ovens are equal. An electric oven may have a more consistent temperature than a gas oven. Living in a coastal area compared to a location high above the sea level (mountainous) also affects the way i.e. your cake comes out.
My mom recently moved from Suriname, which lies at the North-East of South America. She wanted to treat us to her most popular pound cake, which is softer and moister than any I’ve ever had. After trying her recipe more than 6 times, she’s on the verge of giving up. Her cakes have come out a bit dry and worst of all (to her), they were crumbly! No complaints from us though, because it’s the best tasting pound cake in our eyes. We’ve tried different mixers, quantities of ingredients, types of flour, temperatures, baking pans, but no matter what change we made, still no good.
Then a friend mentioned that it could be related to the fact that Atlanta is 1050 feet (320 m) above the sea level… Well darned, never thought about that! I used to adapt my recipes without giving it a second thought. But see here, I found a couple of articles on the topic and it’s a ‘real’ thing!
- High altitude baking tips (King Arthur flour)
- High altitude baking adjustments (Webrestaurant)
- Adjust a cookie recipe (Wikihow)
Now that we know this, we’ll be baking again soon, using the recommended adaptions.
You never stop experimenting when cooking or baking. Adjusting temperatures or ingredients, even when following a recipe with the recommended temperature, it’s best to keep an eye on your baking and “adapt with the flow.”
A few of my favorite baking items found on Amazon are displayed below.
Baker’s Tools
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