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Cookies -

The first baked creations on this list are cookies! Find out how to prevent tough dough and runny batter.

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Cookie batter is too thick -

Your cookie batter is too thick, and it’s not spreading as it should. Despite your best efforts it’s staying in one big block.

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Solution -

If you have the ability to use butter you should, as it helps dough spread better than margarine. Adding one to two tablespoons of liquid, whether it be milk or water, can also help. Make sure the dough is room temperature.

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Cookie batter is too thin -

Now you’ve gone to lay out your cookie dough, and it’s runny. This makes it so that it spreads way more than it should.

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Solution -

Replace part of the butter in the recipe with shortening. If you’re using margarine instead of butter, you should check if it contains 80% vegetable oil. You can also put it in the fridge for a few minutes until it gains a better consistency.

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Cookies come out tough -

Typically with cookies you want something that can hold its own shape, but that is still gooey and chewy when you bite into it. Tough cookies are definitely a disappointing end to the process.

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Solution -

Many times, tough cookies are a result of how you handled the dough. Overmixing can affect your batter, so you want to make sure you’re only mixing as much as you need to. The problem could also be that you used too much flour.

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Brownies or bars -

Known as one of the simpler baking options, there’s still plenty that can go wrong when making a pan’s worth of brownies or blondies!

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Uneven baking -

Due to the surface area when cooking bars, they have a greater chance of cooking unevenly than cookies do.

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Solution -

Uneven baking typically means either uneven dough or an uneven rack. Check to make sure that your oven rack is flat, and pay attention when you’re spreading the dough in the pan to make sure that it’s completely level.

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Overbaking -

While you may just assume that overbaking comes from too much time in the oven, that is not the only thing that could be causing it!

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Solution -

While it might be that your oven is set too high or that you left them in too long, overbaked brownies can also be a result of using too big a pan. The dough is thinner than the recipe planned for, and therefore it cooks through quicker. Try to use a pan that is as close as possible to the size listed in the recipe.

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Bar is gummy -

While some people like underbaked brownies, there’s definitely a limit. If your bars come out too gummy, this is likely what went wrong.

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Solution -

While this might be the opposite issue of overbaking, the solution is the same. Gummy bars often come from using too small of a pan, making it so the dough doesn’t cook through. Using the right-size pan should prevent this.

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Bars or brownies crumble when they’re cut -

We’ve all been there. You’re looking to cut your brownies into the perfect little squares and they begin crumbling, resulting in what looks like a mound of cooked dough rather than a brownie.

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Solution -

Make sure that the bars have completely cooled before attempting to cut them, and use a sawing motion instead of just pressing down with the knife. It can also help to heat the knife in warm water (and dry it) before each cut.

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Cake -

The star of every childhood birthday party, this is one dessert you don’t want to screw up. Here are some common mistakes made while baking a cake.

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Cake is too dense -

If your cake slices have the same approximate weight as a brick, your cake is probably too dense.

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Solution -

There are several different possibilities for this effect, so you’ll have to use the process of elimination. Make sure your baking powder or baking soda is still working, and ensure you didn’t go overboard on flour. If you’re sure that neither of those could be the issue, you may not have beat your dough long enough!

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Overflowing cake -

An overflowing cake is when you put your cake into the oven, and you only remove part—because the other half is on the bottom of the oven!

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Solution -

You need to remember that your batter will expand and grow, so only fill your cake tin up two-thirds of the way at most. At worst, you just have more layers in your cake!

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Collapsing cake -

Your cake looks perfect when you take it out of the oven, but when you turn back to look at it, it’s completely concave in the middle. Two of the most common reasons for a collapsing cake both have to do with the oven.

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Solution -

Make sure the cake is fully cooked in the middle before taking it out by sticking in a toothpick and pulling it out clean (with no batter). Another reason may be that the oven temperature was fluctuating too much, so avoid opening the oven door while your cake cooks.

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Stuck to the pan -

Chiseling your baked creation out of a cake tin doesn’t exactly leave it looking its best. If you find this happening to your cake frequently, this is what you should do.

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Solution -

Greasing a pan is incredibly important no matter what you’re baking. So make sure you’re applying butter or cooking spray to ensure it doesn’t stick. You can also just use parchment paper in whatever tin you’re using, so your cake will lift right out.

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Crusty edges -

The opposite of a concave cake, how do you avoid having overdone edges on your cake but an appropriately cooked middle?

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Solution -

Remember that greasing you just did so your cake wouldn’t stick? You may have created a new problem. Overgreasing your pan can lead to burned edges, so make sure you put just enough to cover everything.

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Fruit sinks -

Maybe you’ve decided to make your cake that much more seasonal by adding fresh fruit to your batter. However, when you take out your cake you find that all the fruit has fallen to the bottom.

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Solution -

Not all batters are made the same, and only some are capable of holding the fruit throughout the dough. Make sure you choose a thicker batter to keep your fruit in place, and chop it into small pieces if it’s particularly large.

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Cake top cracked -

The rest of your cake looks perfect, but there’s a giant crack running through the top of it. This can make the cake uneven, and difficult to frost.

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Solution -

Turn down your oven! Cake cracks when the outside cooks before the inside, so when the inside finally expands it breaks through the top. Keep an eye on your oven temperature, but if that doesn’t seem to be fixing things, buy a separate thermometer.

See also: Surprising uses for baking soda

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