# Baking Cakes in a Rational Oven



## stillsmilling (Jun 8, 2015)

Currently we do mostly pies in our rational oven but lately have been experimenting with baking cakes.  We can't seem to find a good setting for baking basic 8" layer cakes...vanilla, chocolate.  Looking for a flat level cake (not domed).  Any advice from Rational bakers who make cakes?


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

The fact that your cakes are doming probably have little or zero to do with the settings on your oven. Even when mixed correctly, a lot of cakes dome up when you bake them......it's not a big deal. Either you slice off the top when they are cool, or once they come out of the oven, flip them over onto a parchment lined sheet pan and that will flatten them out. Of course, a common cause of doming can possibly mean you are baking at too hot a temperature....in any kind of oven. You can try dialing back the temp a bit and see if that helps as well.


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

agree with @chefpeon

Do you have a fan going? If so, turn it off.

The structure of your batter might be too strong.You may want to try using a flour with less protein, or softer. Increase leavening a tad.


----------



## canele (Apr 7, 2015)

stillsmilling said:


> Currently we do mostly pies in our rational oven but lately have been experimenting with baking cakes. We can't seem to find a good setting for baking basic 8" layer cakes...vanilla, chocolate. Looking for a flat level cake (not domed). Any advice from Rational bakers who make cakes?


i am going to go with you are baking to hot.

when they come out of the oven let them cool for a few minutes, put a circle on top and flip them out of the pan. You will now have a flat top.


----------



## stillsmilling (Jun 8, 2015)

I think I need to clarify....I'm not too concerned with the domed top, I realize I can just level it off, but the cakes don't cook evenly, baking to fast around the edges and creating a crazy domed top.  I agree a too hot oven would impact this.  I guess what I'm asking is the exact setting to use for baking layer cakes.


----------



## canele (Apr 7, 2015)

stillsmilling said:


> I think I need to clarify....I'm not too concerned with the domed top, I realize I can just level it off, but the cakes don't cook evenly, baking to fast around the edges and creating a crazy domed top. I agree a too hot oven would impact this. I guess what I'm asking is the exact setting to use for baking layer cakes.


how much do you fill each cake pan? It sounds as if they are not quite full enough. Also... what kind of pan are you using? cheap thin pans...suck!

exact settings are different for each oven... you need to "listen" to your cakes. Smell the air to what they are telling you... i know... dumb..but it works. I would start you at 325.... and see what your cakes say to you : )


----------



## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

I'm not super familiar with Rational ovens, but I know they are combi-ovens designed to do everything. I imagine they act as both a convection and conventional oven?

If so, then I would set it to mimic a conventional oven, fan off of course. Putting an oven thermometer inside the oven to make sure it's baking at the temperature you

set it is also a good idea as your oven may not be calibrated correctly. What you say is happening to your cakes is a definite sign that things are too hot in there.


----------



## stillsmilling (Jun 8, 2015)

Thanks everyone, I dug out the manual and will attempt this again at the bakery with new knowledge I found in there. And I will be sure to 'listen' to my cakes'.




  








20150607_112846.jpg




__
stillsmilling


__
Jun 9, 2015


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

If you can control the ambient temp in the oven and if you think your cake has the proper structure but cannot achieve that crumb all the way through to the middle, cutting the temp

won't solve the issue. The vessel that the cake bakes in is conducting too much heat and setting the outside before the middle. Sometimes repelling the heat from the outside helps.

Moist towels for example. I would definitely try going to silicone. I hate them but I don't have this issue. See if the oven has a vent.

Hope you achieve what you are looking for. The picture looks very nice and tasty.


----------



## rational baking (Jun 26, 2015)

Hi Stillsmiling. I am April Shaw with RATIONAL. You have had some good reptiles to your question. Can you tell me exactly what type of RATIONAL you have?


----------



## michaelfoodie (Aug 26, 2015)

Did you find a solution, stillsmiling? If so, please share it!


----------

