Page 23 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

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your oven is not baking true, your cakes and see if the measurements are
will not turn out right. If in doubt, buy inscribed on the bottom. If not, measure
an inexpensive oven thermometer at the across the bottom of the pan with a ruler
hardware store, place it in the oven, and or measuring tape. If yours is not the right
set the temperature to 350°F. The oven size, you may want to borrow a pan, buy a
should cycle up and down and reach new one, or decide on another recipe.
350°F in about 15 minutes. If not, you If you decide to purchase pans, buy
should have your oven checked and pos- good ones. Good doesn’t necessarily mean
sibly calibrated by an appliance ex pert. the most expensive. I don’t like the heavy,
Always preheat the oven for 15 minutes dark (and expensive) type of bakeware
before you bake. Most cakes bake at because they overbrown cakes. I prefer
350°F, but you’ll find some recipes, such shiny, heavy-weight, moderately priced
as the cheesecakes, call for a 325°F oven. aluminum pans for layers, sheet cakes,
If you are using pans with a dark finish and roulades. (Stainless steel doesn’t con-
or glass baking pans, reduce the temper- duct heat as well as alumi num.) You can
ature by 25 degrees. Do the same if the find these pans at cooking stores and in
layers are larger than 9 inches in housewares de partments, and if they are
diameter. washed and dried well
• Rack position: Place the oven rack before being stored
in the center position for most cakes, in a cool, dark place,
slightly lower for angel foods. For three- they will last for a
layer cakes, stagger the pans so two are on very long time.
the middle rack, set slightly apart, and • Grease the pan:
one is in the center on the next-higher Prepare cake pans according to the recipe
rack. Take care that there is plenty of air instructions. Layers will release best if the
circulation around the three pans, and be pans are lightly misted with vegetable oil
aware that the top layer will bake more spray and dusted with flour. Tap out the
quickly. excess flour over the sink or trash can. They
will re ease even better if the pans are
l
3. PREPARE THE PAN lightly spread with vegetable shortening and
• Use the right pan: Many cake dis- dusted with flour. Wilton makes a wonder-
asters can be averted right here. Read ful shortcut called Cake Release, a blend of
through the recipe to see if you have the vegetable oil and flour that you can brush
correct pan. To check a pan, turn it over on the pan with a pastry brush. For choco -