Amana ARR6420 Cooking contd, Common Baking Problems, Test your cakes for doneness, Cake stuck?

Cooking (cont'd)

Common Baking Problems

If you begin to notice consistent problems refer to the chart below for possible solutions. If results are still poor, contact Amana Consumer Affairs at (800) 843-0304.

Problem	Cause
Lopsided cakes	Pans touching each other or oven walls.
(bake unevenly)	Batter spread unevenly in pan.
	Uneven heat distribution in oven.
	Oven is not level.
Cakes, cookies, biscuits	Oven not preheated.
too brown on bottom or top	Pans touching each other or oven walls.
	Using glass, darkened, warped or dull
	finish metal pans.
	Rack position too high or low.
	Incorrect use of aluminum foil.
	Oven temperature too high.
Pies don’t brown	Incorrect rack position.
	Using shiny metal pans.
	Temperature set too low.
Cakes not done in center	Temperature too high.
	Pan too small.
	Baking time too short.
	Pan not centered in oven.
Cakes fall	Too much shortening or sugar.
	Too much or too little liquid.
	Temperature too low.
	Old or too little baking powder.
	Pan too small.
	Oven door opened frequently (peeking).
	Insufficient baking.
Excessive shrinkage	Too little leavening.
	Mixing batter too long.
	Pan too large.
	Oven temperature too high.
	Baking time too long.
Cakes high in middle	Temperature set too high.
or cracked	Overmixing.
	Too much flour.
	Pans touching each other or oven walls.

Test your cakes for doneness

While they are still in the oven. Because of variances across individual ovens, it is best to test for the proper consistency rather than solely relying on time and visual appearance as an indicator.

It may not be the oven

Cake problems may be in the mixing of the batter. Overbeating can cause cake structure to break down and excessive shrinkage of the cake. Underbeating can result in lumpy cakes that may not be cooked thoroughly. All ingredients should be at room temperature—not

out of the refrigerator. Make sure to follow the recipes directions for how long the batter should be mixed.

Cake stuck?

Allow cake to cool in cake pan on a rack for 10 minutes before removing. Larger cakes (over 14 inches in diameter) may take 15 minutes. If the cake has cooled too long, reheat in the oven at 250°F for a few minutes.

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