Help my cakes won't rise in my new fan forced oven. Why?

Question

The same cakes rose very successfully in my old conventional oven, but when made the same they sit as flat as a pancake. I use the same ingredients and adjust the temperature 10 degrees lower for this oven however they cook ok but never rise.  I made a Xmas cake last year the same one I've been making for thr last 20 years but it was very depressing to see that it hadn't risen above the level that it originally was uncooked. Am I doinfg something wrong or could it be the oven. By the way, I can't turn the fan off to cook conventionally.

? · Accepted Answer

I have a fan oven, and find that the only difference is that the heat is evenly spread around the oven - you don't have to bother about which item goes on which shelf. I use the temperatures recommended in recipes, without reducing by 10 degrees as specified by the oven manufacturer, and everything turns out fine.

You might try a cake without reducing the temperature, and see what happens - but watch it!

Nana Lamb · Answer

When I have baked in convection oven, I left the temperature as instructed on the recipe but the timing was half as long!! And my cakes came out perfectly. I baked these cakes for an event we were sponsoring and used the school cafeteria kitchens!

ckngbbbls · Answer

I don't think the problem is the oven.
I used those ovens for 25 years in restaurant setting and at home and outside of baking at a lower temp and even heat all around, there was NO difference. I baked anything from a couple hundred portions of baked chicken to biscuits to sheet cakes that serve 96 people.  no problems...

kswck2 · Answer

I was always taught that a convection oven (forced air) cooks at about 50 degrees higher than a conventional oven. Try turning the temperature down 50 degrees. And get a good oven thermometer. Even new ovens are do not have perfect calibration.

Help my cakes won't rise in my new fan forced oven. Why?

4 Answers