# Several problems with pastries and cakes



## simbebe60 (Oct 15, 2006)

Lately i've been baking genoise and for sum reason the bottom turned out flat and rather dense and its the first time i've encountered this up to this point all of my genoise have been coming out fine and I'm not too sure wuts wrong whether I've been overbeating eggs or too much flour.
I've also been making eclairs lately and I like the choux paste that I make but the problem is I don't feel that it dissolves quickly enough in my mouth, when I eat one of my own eclairs the pastry cream and chocolate is gone while the eclair pastry itself lingers in my mouth in almost pieces and I think this is a slight turnoff when eating an eclair I was wondering if there is any way to make the pastry even more tender, I'm scared to lower the water and increase butter since it might make it too weak to hold up after baking.


----------



## lie (Oct 17, 2006)

Ok, let see for your eclair 
what can I say just, mmmm well every recipe have their own unique texture, taste, 
well not wrong if you want to change little bit your recipe now. that's a good choice, remaid that you already like your choux paste, but if that's not work here I give you my choux recipe that so far never dissapointed me. I hope it can help you chef...

200 gr Butter 
2 gr salt
280 gr water
200 gr medium protein flour/cake flour
340 gr Eggs

if you feel not enough salt you can add more.
I believe you know how to make then baked at 210C +/- 30 mnt
don't use convection oven yaw!


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

20 - 50% milk will give a more tender product to the eclairs. This will also change flavor.
Genoise, check you eggs for freshness, they should not be loose. Also make sure your eggs are coming up all the way in a very clean bowl.


----------



## simbebe60 (Oct 15, 2006)

Thank you Panini and Lie for the tips and the recipe I'll try them out tomorrow.


----------



## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

How are you products coming along?
pan


----------



## villagecakelady (May 28, 2005)

Have you checked your oven temp lately?


----------



## simbebe60 (Oct 15, 2006)

I always bake at 350


----------



## villagecakelady (May 28, 2005)

My question was not what you bake at but more have you watced your temperature guage.
As an ex-HRAC technician it is well know that ovens of the gas type have a 15 degree swing in calibration or 350 + or - 15 degrees when your oven is set at 350. 
So if your oven runs at 365 or 335 this could make a difference.

I was having a similar problem with my oven and had to turn it down.
I also bought new temperature gauges.

Just curious if this was something you had checked.


----------



## simbebe60 (Oct 15, 2006)

Actually i don't think I've ever checked it before... for the last 10 years??


----------



## villagecakelady (May 28, 2005)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...DG1OM55M61.DTL


----------

