{"id":393126,"date":"2018-06-28T18:23:30","date_gmt":"2018-06-28T18:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=393126"},"modified":"2018-08-14T18:16:33","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T10:05:27","slug":"how-to-overcome-the-challenges-of-high-altitude-baking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-overcome-the-challenges-of-high-altitude-baking\/","title":{"rendered":"Why High Elevation Makes Cakes Fall (and How to Fix It)"},"content":{"rendered":"If you've ever moved to Denver, Santa Fe or another city with a high altitude, the first cake you made<\/a> in your new home probably didn't turn out so well. But take heart: Most likely, it was not your fault. You can blame it on the high elevation. But don't worry\u2014there's a solution! We'll explain what's happening in the first place and how you can overcome the challenges of high elevation baking.\r\n

Why your cakes fall flat <\/strong><\/h3>\r\nBaking at a higher elevation\u2014at least 3,000 ft. above sea level\u2014causes different chemical reactions than baking at sea level, resulting in cakes that wind up pancake-flat. While you may not think of bakers as scientists, there is actually a lot of science behind the art of baking. The ingredients react a certain way under certain conditions, and if conditions or something else change, the reactions change, and you end up with a different result.\r\n\r\nIn this case, atmospheric pressure is the wild card. There's less of it at higher elevations because the air is thinner. This causes water to boil at a lower temperature and evaporation to occur faster. The gases from leavening agents that cause dough to rise (baking powder, baking soda and.yeast, to name a few) end up expanding too quickly, making cakes rise too early and then fall, like the one below did.\r\n\r\nPsst:<\/em> Ever wonder the difference between baking powder and baking soda? Here it is.<\/a>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n\"Two\r\n

How to avoid it<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nIt's absolutely possible to bake the best-ever chocolate cake<\/a> in Colorado Springs, Flagstaff or Reno. All you have to do is make a few adjustments in oven temperature, baking time and ingredient amounts. But here's the key: Every city, home and kitchen is different, so what works for your neighbor may not work for you.\r\n\r\nFirst, make the recipe as written to see which specific issues you run into. Then, make the recipe again using the smaller adjustment when given a range, because that's all it might take to keep your cakes from falling flat. Keep baking until you get it right, making sure to take notes along the way so you remember how to do it right the next time.\r\n

Adjustment #1: Oven temperature<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nYou'll likely need to increase the oven temperature when baking at a higher elevation. This helps to set the structure of the cake before the cells expand too quickly. An increase of 15-25 degrees should do the trick. Don't forget to preheat your oven fully, and use the middle rack to ensure even heating. And for added measure, use an auxiliary thermometer to double-check the actual temperature of your oven.\r\n

Adjustment #2: Baking time<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nIf you increase the oven temperature, then you'll also need to decrease the baking time. This one is self-explanatory. Since the temperature is higher, the cake doesn't need to bake as long. Decreasing the bake time by 5 minutes is a good place to start.\r\n

Adjustment #3: Ingredients<\/strong><\/h4>\r\nEach ingredient plays an important role in the baking process, so small adjustments are needed to ensure a perfect, made-from-scratch cake<\/a> in the mountains.\r\n