All bakers know how difficult it is find a good and reliable oven. It is, however, quite common to find problems with this appliance. The most common problem that I’ve come across is when an oven’s heating temperature is uneven. I’ve used an oven that required me to turn the baking tray every few minutes to prevent the cupcakes on one side from burning. Not fun, I tell ya, especially when you’re trying to multi-task. When baking, temperature is key, so make sure that your oven heats up evenly and that it is properly calibrated. It also helps to get an oven thermometer.
The first time I saw my boyfriend’s oven (which, to his defense, came with the apartment), I knew right away that my cupcake-baking days were to remain on hold. The fact that it didn’t have a proper temperature gauge was all that I needed to know. Months later, I remembered that I could use an oven thermometer! So, here we are, with my first tray of muffins made in an old and unattractive, but apparently reliable oven.
So the moral of the story is, don’t judge an oven by it’s looks. Test it first with a relatively easy and inexpensive recipe. Examine your baked goods and do a spot check by eating one from both sides of the tray (yay!). If they’ve cooked evenly and correctly, then you’re good to go. And remember, once you’ve found that perfect oven, treat it right and don’t let it go.
Visit this link for the inspiration of this muffin recipe. 🙂