I made this cake today and loved the flavor, but I seem to have trouble with loaf cakes. The cake tested done and was very brown on top. I took it out and it sunk in the middle while cooling. I just had my oven checked so I know the temp. was okay. Do you think that baking this at 325 the whole time and not turning after 15 minutes would help? What about baking at 300 to keep the top from over browning and get the middle completely cooked? I have the same trouble with banana bread so I know it is something I am not doing right. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
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Ricotta pound cake
- Thread starter julia
- Start date
melissa-dallas
Well-known member
Julia-what kind of pans are you using? Heavy, thin? Light finish or dark? If your oven
temp is right my guess is it could be your pans, or maybe your oven rack position. Or possibly your flour or measuring.
temp is right my guess is it could be your pans, or maybe your oven rack position. Or possibly your flour or measuring.
I usually use Baker's Secret - they are a light gray color and
rather thin, but I also use Doughmakers (light color and I'd say a medium weight). I measure my flour by using a scale and for this recipe the cake flour came out to 174 g. for 1 1/2 cups. I used the measurement on the flour box (1/4 cup =29g).
rather thin, but I also use Doughmakers (light color and I'd say a medium weight). I measure my flour by using a scale and for this recipe the cake flour came out to 174 g. for 1 1/2 cups. I used the measurement on the flour box (1/4 cup =29g).
melissa-dallas
Well-known member
I found this. I'm not sure how much help it is:
Some Reasons Why Cakes Sink or Fall In The Middle:
Cakes will sink or fall because:
1). Overbeating – too much air is incorporated into batter.
2). Underbaking - Oven temperature too low and/or too short a baking time.
3). Over or under measurement of liquid or under measurement of flour.
4). Using too small or large of a baking pan.
5). Moving or jarring cake before sufficiently baked or opening the oven door before cake sets.
Note: Only open oven door if absolutely needed, one-half to three-quarter's way through baking.
6). The most common error has to do with the oven temperature. Make sure you have an oven thermometer to test your oven for accuracy.
7). Depending on the recipe if you fold in egg whites, if not beaten fully or folded in too harshly, the cake could fall.
smileys/bigeyes.gif. Even creaming the butter and sugar too much or too little can cause problems.
Some Reasons Why Cakes Sink or Fall In The Middle:
Cakes will sink or fall because:
1). Overbeating – too much air is incorporated into batter.
2). Underbaking - Oven temperature too low and/or too short a baking time.
3). Over or under measurement of liquid or under measurement of flour.
4). Using too small or large of a baking pan.
5). Moving or jarring cake before sufficiently baked or opening the oven door before cake sets.
Note: Only open oven door if absolutely needed, one-half to three-quarter's way through baking.
6). The most common error has to do with the oven temperature. Make sure you have an oven thermometer to test your oven for accuracy.
7). Depending on the recipe if you fold in egg whites, if not beaten fully or folded in too harshly, the cake could fall.
smileys/bigeyes.gif. Even creaming the butter and sugar too much or too little can cause problems.
Shirley Corriher recommends 1 tsp Baking Powder for each Cup of Flour
or 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda (as it's 4 times as strong). Too much rising agent can cause large air bubbles which then burst. This recipe uses 1 1/2 C cake flour (which has even less gluten than regular flour) with 2 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
That exceeds her standard recommendation by a full teaspoon. However, that doesn't explain why this recipe worked for others.
She also said that too low of heat can cause a cake to collapse, so I don't think lowering the temp to 300 is a good idea yet.
I guess the recipe author went with more rising agent because of the heavy ricotta, but you might try reducing it or else baking it in a 8x8 pan instead and see if you get the same reaction.
One other thought might be the moisture content of the ricotta. I've had some that are almost solid...and others that are very watery.
or 1/4 tsp of Baking Soda (as it's 4 times as strong). Too much rising agent can cause large air bubbles which then burst. This recipe uses 1 1/2 C cake flour (which has even less gluten than regular flour) with 2 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
That exceeds her standard recommendation by a full teaspoon. However, that doesn't explain why this recipe worked for others.
She also said that too low of heat can cause a cake to collapse, so I don't think lowering the temp to 300 is a good idea yet.
I guess the recipe author went with more rising agent because of the heavy ricotta, but you might try reducing it or else baking it in a 8x8 pan instead and see if you get the same reaction.
One other thought might be the moisture content of the ricotta. I've had some that are almost solid...and others that are very watery.
shaun-in-to
Well-known member
Seems most of us have to bake this cake longer than it says (twice as long in my case). Mine
looked nicely done when the recipe said--browned on top, nicely risen--but a wooden tester came out sopping wet. Did you use a metal or wooden tester? (Batters may not stick well to metal.) Once the top is dry, you can drape a piece of foil over it to prevent it from getting too brown while the middle finishes cooking.
Another possibility is that your ricotta was too wet. Some commercial brands need to be drained a bit to get rid of excess whey. Imported brands are usually dry enough but I generally dump it in a sieve for 5 or 10 minutes anyway just to be safe.
looked nicely done when the recipe said--browned on top, nicely risen--but a wooden tester came out sopping wet. Did you use a metal or wooden tester? (Batters may not stick well to metal.) Once the top is dry, you can drape a piece of foil over it to prevent it from getting too brown while the middle finishes cooking.
Another possibility is that your ricotta was too wet. Some commercial brands need to be drained a bit to get rid of excess whey. Imported brands are usually dry enough but I generally dump it in a sieve for 5 or 10 minutes anyway just to be safe.
Julia, definitely increase the cooking time until a knife comes out clean
(at least 20 minutes for me.) Also, I didn't turn the temperature down...left it at the original 325 (most quick breads are baked at 350 so I figured that was fine...and it was. I still had to bake it longer even with the temperature adjustment.)
I'll be making this recipe again soon. I'm thinking I should write an adapted recipe that includes a longer cooking time, draining the whey off ricotta, etc. Until I do, those are the adjustments I'd keep in mind.
(at least 20 minutes for me.) Also, I didn't turn the temperature down...left it at the original 325 (most quick breads are baked at 350 so I figured that was fine...and it was. I still had to bake it longer even with the temperature adjustment.)
I'll be making this recipe again soon. I'm thinking I should write an adapted recipe that includes a longer cooking time, draining the whey off ricotta, etc. Until I do, those are the adjustments I'd keep in mind.