I made Rob a carrot cake Sunday. And this time, I paid closer attention to the directions on the box.
Those directions, and some of you out here, told me that if I'm using dark cake pans, I should lower the temperature of the oven and bake the cake longer.
So I did. And look!
It works! The basic directions said set the oven to 350 and bake for 27 minutes. But the fine print said if you're using dark pans, lower the temperature to 325 and bake a little longer, using the wooden toothpick test to make sure it's done.
It only took me about 40 years to figure this out.
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23 comments:
You know, I've read that for years too, but something comes over me when I go to set the oven, and I use whatever is printed in the biggest, boldest print. Duh. I need to learn this lesson too :)
Great looking cakes, both of them! :)
I bet Rob was a happy camper when you made him this!
cakes looks yummy!
I sincerely hope that is cream cheese frosting! I do love carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.
And I have the VERY best ever from scratch recipe for carrot cake that you will ever taste. FOUR LAYERS I believe. That's a lot of cream cheese frosting!
My baking mantra?
"Directions? We don't need no stinkin' directions"
Hence you will never see a picture of anything baked on my blog.
Ever.
It looks wonderful send me a piece.
Yum! I never read the fine print either... but I bake so rarely my family will eat anything, no matter what it looks like! :-)
Thanks for the tip- I will remember this next time I get the urge for dessert.
Man, dontcha hate it when the directions are right :)
I didn't know that either!!!
It's beautiful!
If that were gingerbread, you may have found me on your doorstep tomorrow...
But it's still a beaut!
Glad i'm not the only slow(er) learner. Either way, the mistakes are tasty. :)
Yummy! Can you send me a piece? :v)
Oh Barb, she's a beaut!
Blessings,
~Toni~
We never quit learning something new everyday... good tip.. and great looking cake. Barb
Yummmmmm! It looks PERFECT!
What kind of icing did you use? It's so pretty!
I'm gonna have to remember this tip! It's a good thing when we're never too old to learn!
My cakes are NEVER flat. That looks great.
that looks DEVINE BARB!!!!
YUMMY! Wish to have a taste in cyberspace:)
Well now that you have me craving carrot cake at 10:30pm, I want to thank you for the tip, because the first cake picture is usually what mine look like LOL
Looks yummy! Here's another tip I learned - After you put the batter in the pans, slam the pans down on the counter a couple of times. This is supposed to make them rise evenly and stay flat on the top.
Recalled your tip after baking with a dark pan at regular temp. I wrote it down so I'll remember next time. Thanks for sharing Barb!
Carrot Cake - yummy! Just send a piece my way. LOL! Looks so good!
I hate when I have a cake not to turn out the way it should. But, every time I bake a pound cake, my husbands hopes it will fall -he says it's better that way. :)
The cakes look turned out well, certainly the second is better than the first but we all live and learn.
For future reference, close the oven door and do not open it until it is within no more than 2 to 3 minutes from being done. This will help the cake get the most height and give it the most level top possible. In addition, it is also helpful to slightly moisten the tops with a few mists of water from a misting bottle to set any crumbs preventing them from mixing into the icing.
Use a metal icing spatula to apply icing but on the first layer, dip it into water before applying the first layer of icing to the cake. This will also help prevent crumbs from blending through the icing.
I used to make Wilton Cakes for extra money until I began experiencing a lot of pain in my right arm and then in both hands. It takes a great deal of pressure to twist and press an icing bag when making large cakes like multi-level wedding cakes, baby shower cakes, and especially the 3-D cakes not to mention the 10 to 15 cakes I made each year for approx 5-6 years at a stretch with both children, 10 years apart in age, for the Halloween festival held at the schools.
Each year parents and community members called ahead to find out if I planned to have cakes for the cake walk, cake auction, and the raffle prize. I had anywhere from 15 to 20 Jack o' Lantern cakes baked, decorated, sitting on decorative circular trivets, in beautiful extra-large octagon-shaped boxes delivered to the school an hour or so before the festival began so the PTA, which I was always active in including serving as board member for 2 years in a row until I was unable to drive anymore, so they could figure out where best to have my cakes to benefit the PTA in the fund-raising efforts as well as delighting a child (with parent in tow) over winning one of my cakes on the cake walk. My Jack o' Lanterns were always the first to go.
I baked and decorated cakes for every party and holiday held in the classroom through those years including my own classes when I returned to college. One of the cakes at college made the frontpage of the college newspaper.
The only rule I had was I would make all the cakes they wanted; however, I would never cut one. The teachers were usually so upset at the thoughts of cutting the cake they would con the principal into cutting it for them. (grin)
I never had a professional cake-decorating class. My mother learned from her oldest sister and brother-in-law when they were in the Marines and served as chefs for the brass. I learned from watching them throughout my childhood then picked it up as a late teen/young adult without having had a formal education. I did attempt to take the Wilton class offered at the college in the continuing ed building but the teacher refused to teach me. She said she didn't want me to lose that natural talent I gained by learning in the manner I did. By learning from that method, I was able to decorate practically any cake for any occasion without the need of taking several classes from beginner through professional. I did it all within 2 years after I began making cakes. I did bachelor parties, bacholerette parties, weddings, baby showers, graduation (high school, college undergrad/graduate & one doctorate!
It's a shame the nerve damage in my hands become so bad. It is the result of having SLE (type of lupus). Between joint disease and nerve damage I can't decorate the cakes like I did before. It is simply too painful but at least I was able to pass the gift along to one of my closest friends and my oldest daughter although my oldest daughter doesn't like making them. Perhaps she will think more of it when or if she ever has children, which won't be anytime soon because at the moment, she doesn't want children at all - ever.
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