Two Tips to Help Prevent Baked Goods From Burning
One of my favorite everyday treats is a simple bread cake, with a cake without frosting being a close second. Both cakes are treasures for everyday snacking, and both tend to over-brown in my rental apartment’s oven. It’s not their fault—deep cakes require longer cooking times—but over-browning can dry out your cake, and I just won’t tolerate that. It’s easy to prevent over-browning by using an extra baking sheet.
Why are my cookies and cakes burning?
You may be doing everything right, but the cake will still be overcooked. There are several reasons why your cookies, cakes or pies may brown too quickly or even burn before the inside is ready. Older or lower quality ovens may have “hot spots” that do not meet your temperature targets; your baking sheets may be made of cheap, thin metal; and it could simply be a flaw in the product you’re baking. For example, it is not uncommon for brownies to sit in the oven for an hour or more. The bottom and sides, which are in direct contact with the baking pan, will cook the fastest and will also brown first before the center begins to bake.
Use additional baking sheets to mitigate direct heat.
If you notice that the bottom of your first cookie sheet is browning, or you remember this same cake recipe has given you problems in the past, place an additional sheet pan underneath the cake. If you don’t usually bake pies and cakes with a baking sheet underneath, start with one and see how it goes before adding a second.
This creates another layer, albeit a thin one, between the cake batter and the hot metal grate on which it sits. It might seem like no big deal, but it actually makes a big difference. (And isn’t that the whole point of a good hack?) If you use a second pan that’s smaller than the one above it, you’ll notice that it does an even better job of insulating the bottom. cake because of the air pocket it creates underneath.
Any baking tray will work, but here are a couple sets I like:
The tray protects the bottom. Working the sides of the pan is a little more difficult, but still easy. Wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the sides. Shiny aluminum foil reflects energy and protects food in the oven. I usually do this as an extra precaution. If my cake is baking and I notice it’s not cooked through in the center yet but the edges are already golden, I’ll loosely wrap the sides in foil. I do the same thing with pies when the crust seems to have turned a lot red before the filling has even cooked.
Always watch your food
Keep in mind that you may need to increase the cooking time slightly as the heat will be less aggressive. Unfortunately, I can’t give you an exact number because it will vary greatly depending on what you’re cooking and your oven’s personal issues. This might look like adding two minutes for cookies or an extra 15 minutes for cake. As always, just keep an eye on it and check for doneness as usual. The more you practice, the better you will be able to appreciate what the extra pan is for and how long to cook it for.