Ok, so I love to decorate cakes, but after the last two cakes that I made completely fell apart (including my daughter's 5th b-day cake...and the whole family was there) I just don't know if I can do this anymore! My problem? I moved. I used to live in San Diego, and we moved to Fort Collins Colorado. It is dry here. VERY dry. And we are at aprox. 5500 feet up. My cakes always come out of the oven wrong, even when I make the adjustments for the higher altitude. And all of my fondant and gumpaste rips and falls apart. Everything from the fondant I use to cover the cake to any flowers or figures I try to make. No matter how moist I try to keep it. Am I doomed because of where I live? I need some serious suggestions!! Please!!!

Oh you poor thing, I feel your pain!

You know, I don't live in that high altitude, but I'm sure they are not bake free living zone. Someone has got to have made a cake. I'd join a couple of social groups, especially a blue hair basement lady church group who were born and raised in your town and ask them their tips!!!!!! Trust me here, seniors love, to share and nobody ever asks them for advice!

I don't really have any suggestions, but I sympathize.

Practice and experimentation will probably be your best friends for a while, and I'll bet you'll come up with something great.

When I was considering a move west, one of the things I looked for was a reference source for baking at higher altitudes.

Here is what I found - you may want to invest in it -

http://www.highaltitudebaking.com/

And please, if you buy it and it works successfully for you, let me know. I am still considering moving west.

Theresa

My sister just moved from Texas to Colorado and is having some problems baking too. She found a high altitude flour. If you haven't tried it, maybe it will help. And I think the advice to ask some "seasoned" locals is a great idea.

I lived in Frisco, CO (9,800 ft) for about nine months and was concerned about high altitude baking as well.

My scratch cakes were really dry, but my doctored mix cakes turned out fine when I followed the regular baking instructions.

It's hard to find that happy medium, and I would also recommend talking to a local who's lived in your area for a long period of time.

Good luck!