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Need Help...Pound cake

17 years ago

I remember reading somewhere about a topic on pound cakes, and the problems with the cooking problems...

here is my problem...

My pound cakes do not get completely done - It test done and then when I take it out it has a spot that looks like it is not done and after cool it sinks in. I have tried cooking longer than the recipe says and it still happens - why?

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Comments (2)

Daisyduckworth
17 years ago
COLLAPSED IN CENTRE:
Too much sugar, or too little flour, or too much shortening, or too little baking powder, or too little cooking. Cut out the centre and use for desserts, fill with cream and fruit.

Use a sunken sponge to make Baked Alaska: Fill the middle with canned or fresh fruit, top with ice cream and bake at 230Â°C for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.

CAKE SINKS:
Not enough heat in oven, too much liquid or sugar.

STICKY TOP:
Oven not pre-heated, or not hot enough, or too much sugar, or another cake was cooked immediately above it. Cook a few minutes at higher temperature.

I suggest checking your oven temperature - the thermostat may be faulty.
grainlady_ks
17 years ago
I agree, check your oven temperature. There are some other things that come to mind you may want to check.

- Are you using the correct size pan? It's not uncommon for people to think a 9x5-inch (8-cups batter) and an 8-1/2x4-1/2-inch (6-cups batter) loaf pans are interchangeable. You can get different results based on your pan color, as well.

- Insufficient creaming... Start with room temperature butter, not overly-soft or overly-hard butter. "Room temperature" butter is 65Â°F (18Â°C), and you can check it with an instant read thermometer. The butter temperature is important for maximum incorporation of air. "The Simple Art of Perfect Baking", recommends creaming for 4-5 minutes, and other "experts" recommend 6-10 minutes. Hand beaters take longer to cream well than a heavy-duty mixer - scrape down the sides several times for complete creaming. The point being, don't rush this portion of preparation.

- Try checking for doneness by using an instant read thermometer. Pound cakes are done at 210Â°F.

-Grainlady
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