Manual

BAKING
14
SELECTING
BAKEWARE
BAKING
HINTS
To ensure good baking results, use the proper baking pan.
Cakes, meats loaves, quick breads, pies or yeast breads bake
best in medium-weight aluminum or glass pans. When using
glass pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25 °F.
Cookies, biscuits or cream puffs bake best on medium-weight
aluminum sheets with no sides or very low sides. Baking
sheets should be small enough to allow two inches for air
circulation on all sides.
Darkened pans are not suitable. Tin-coated, stainless steel and
warped or dented pans do not heat evenly and cause uneven
baking.
Be sure to use the pan size recommended in the recipe. A batter
baked in a pan larger than the recipe recommends will usually
be crispier than it should be--if baked in a pan smaller than
recommended, it may overflow. When using pans of unusual
shape, fill to the top with water, measure the water and use ½
that amount of batter.
1. Always follow recipe or package instructions. Use the
recommended pan size. Cooking times may vary in high-
altitude areas.
2. Baking results will be better if pans are centered as much as
possible. Be sure pans do not touch each other, the door,
sides or back of the oven. Allow about two inches of space
around each pan for air circulation.
3. When two cakes or pies are baked at the same time, place
both pans on the same rack, using the second rack posi-
tion from the bottom. When four cakes or pies are baked
at the same time, place two pans on each rack, using the
second and fourth rack positions from the bottom. Stagger
the pans in the center of the oven so one is not directly
under or over the other.
4. Bake for the shortest time recommended in the recipe.
Check food. If it is not done, allow more time.
5. Do not open the door while baking since the oven tempera-
ture drops whenever the door is opened. This could cause
poor results and lengthen baking times. Check on foods by
glancing through the window in the oven door and turning
on the oven light.
6. A cake is done when the surface springs back after a light
finger tap or when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
There should be little, if any, shrinkage from the edge of
the pan.
7. After removing from the oven, allow the cake to cool on a
rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the
pan. This cooling helps to prevent cracking or tearing. A
cake should not be frosted (unless otherwise stated in the
recipe) until it has cooled.