I need help with a problem I have when baking cakes where I need to add the egg whites at the end. I have done the cakes in the Cake Bible, Martha Stewarts recipes and now I tried Sylvia Weinstock Moist Yellow Cake and the attached picture shows my results. Granted, it is moist and delicious, but the crusting around the edge and shrinking from the pan, I can't figure what I'm doing wrong. It happens all the time when I add the egg whites at the end.

Any solutions?

Thanks,

Jeannie

What temp are you baking at? If it's 350, try 325 and for longer. Also, it looks like you might be overfilling a little.

HTH!

I am using 350 degrees. I will try it at 325. As a matter of fact, I think my oven is too hot because they sometimes get a little dry. I fill them halfway...

Thanks for the help I will use your suggestion.

Cheers
Jeannie

I LOVE that recipe! I do not separate my eggs however--I just add them one at at time to the creamed stuff. It bakes like a champion. So consistent--one of my favorite cakes on the planet. Y'know every oven and everything changes everthing in baking but mine bake full to the sides. I parchment the bottom and don't grease the edges.

If you don't have an oven thermometer in there, definitely get one. I had trouble with mine, got a therm, and my oven turns out to be 40 DEGREES too hot, so now 310 = 350.

I use her yellow cake recipe, but I hardly ever have people order yellow cake, so I can't recall if it does that or not. Her white cake recipe sometimes will look like that for me, but I always think it's because I didn't incorporate the white well enough into the batter when folding them in at the end. Maybe try making sure they're really well blended?

But I mean her yellow recipe comes out white enough to be my white cake. I hate diddling with egg whites though.

K8memphis:

I parchment by bottom but I also grease the edges. Next time I will try not greasing the edges - I use shortening to grease my pans. Is that what you use too?

Homecook, I shall invest in a thermometer beceause I am sure my oven is too hot.

Thanks you all!

Jeannie

I parchment the bottom and grease the sides and separate the eggs and I have never had that happen. Could you be whipping the egg whites too much or not enough? Or not mixing them in enough? I am going to try adding the eggs whole like k8memphis said.. that's WAY easier.. good to know if works just as well.

Have you tried experimenting with Bake-Even Strips. I used to scoff them but I do use them now for some of the cakes I bake. I do not use them if the cake is super moist (I have an Orange cake recipe that if I did use them the cake would be to crumbly). But in general (esp for your straight yellow cake) it will produce a nice and even surface.
Here is a site (posts are a few years old) that give some good tips on "sinking cakes":
http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=80884

also another tip (got it somewhere here on CC) use an upside down flower nail poking from underneath middle of parchment paper (cleaner that way) for any cake 10 inches and larger. It provides even baking.

Cool. I think it's pretty darn white even with the 4 whole eggs. Most people prefer it to your basic white cake. I have made cakes with it that have been chilled and never had a complaint about it. Maybe though because I separate the eggs and it's lighter?? No clue.. now I am going to have to do some experimenting.. thanks a lot woman!! LOL.

And now I am going to have to get me some sodium alginate and try that iced tea caviar too.. I tell you.. you are making more work for me!!!

k8memphis, have you tried swapping out the butter for a buttery-tasting margarine? Now, although I prefer butter everything (as my hips & thighs will testify to!), I find marg makes for a much moister & lighter cake, even when it's been chilled in the fridge and brought back to room temp. The flavour of the cake isn't any different either!

Help me, what is a "microzap"?

K8memphis wrote:

I have baking strip, but used them once, I may need to start using the stuff on the shelves...

Thanks,

Jeannie

So sorry, microzap is K8speak for 'put it in the microwave'. In this case for like 10 seconds.