Oven bakes about 25 degrees hotter than it should.....but I have not for the life of me figured out how to adjust everything to make my cakes rise properly!! When I tried to adjust the temperature down it didn't really work that well...and when I try to adjust the time my cakes still crack on top and get a really hard/brown crust....can anyone help?

Also, I wonder if I could be overmixing somewhat----should I use the paddle attachment or the whisk attachment to mix stuff?

Thanks in advance for the help!!

Call a repairman
At one time (don't know if they still do or not) the electric and gas companies would come out for free and 'calabrate' you oven.
This is not something ordinary people can do...it takes a special meter and lots of time to do it properly.

Mine heats 25 deg. cooler. Use a paddle.

Mike

Use a paddle.

As for me, my oven is old - at least 12 years, but I don't know for sure since we've only been here for 4... It runs hot. A thermometer in the center reads between 348-365 when I set the oven for 325!

I have learned from playing with the thremometer a few times while preheating the oven that if I set it between 275 and 300 degrees (I have a dial that is in 25 degree increments), I tend to average a 325 temp in there. But it was trial and error. Good luck!

A couple of things you can do or try:
1. Get a oven thermometer and set your oven on the norm, then check the
oven thermo temp.
2. when your mixing, try to only mix for at least a 2 minute mark, with
starting on low to mix gently, then go to "mix" for 2 minutes.
3. only fill your pans 1/2 way, then just before you put in oven, gently
drop the pans on your counter to get some of the air bubbles out
4. Always use fresh products
5. if using a 9x13 pan size and up, put a cake nail (the kind you make roses
on) in the pan, this helps to have it rise so high

If your still having probs with your oven, then I agree with the others, have
the gas or electric dudes come and calabrate? your oven.

One other thing you can do also is drop your oven temp to 325. You just have
to bake a little longer, but it has worked for me too..

Hope this helps.......... good luck.......

I meant on the cake nail thing that the nail helps the cake to NOT rise so high..

sorry bout' that.......

My oven does the same thing, it is 45 degrees hotter than it reads. Since getting a new oven isn't an option , I found a couple of tricks and now my cakes are turning out great! First ,diff do the oven thermometer, second cut up a number of pieces of bread and put them in the oven on a piece of parchment paper (cookie sheet) set your oven to your desired temp, cook the bread and see how hot and in what spots your bread cooks. (this will let you know where your oven hot spots are) Lastly, and for me the most important , place a shallow pan with water in the bottom of the oven, let it heat up for 10 min before putting in your cake (the steam will keep your cake moist). I have had great success with my oven at 325 and the steam trick. Good Luck!