Baking Blunders

Do you enjoy freshly baked goodies for breakfast? Have you tried to create them in your own kitchen, only to suffer disappointment and hunger when they didn’t turn out the way you had hoped? Have you fed your loved ones cereal too many times after throwing away ruined muffins, breakfast casseroles, quick breads, biscuits, or coffee cake that you had slaved over?

Those days are gone! You can have breakfast baking success! Find out how to solve your breakfast baking blunders, ways to stop them from happening again, and discover recipes for crafting the baked breakfast goodies you crave.

Fix Your Baking Blunders :

Impossible to get your coffee cake out of the pan : Leave it on a cooling rack for a few minutes and then run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the coffee cake. If your cake still doesn’t come out of the pan, slice it into portions and remove each portion individually, skimming the pan with your serving utensil. To keep this from happening again, be sure to grease and generously flour the pan you are using to bake your coffee cake.

Pound cake or quick bread falls apart when you slice it : Set the pound cake back into the type of pan you baked it in and cut it into chunks. Use these chunks to make a breakfast parfait by layering them with fruit curd or jam, vanilla whipped cream, and/or fresh fruit. Your pound cake or quick bread woes might be caused by premature slicing. Pound cakes and quick breads are at their best when they have set on the counter for about 24 hours, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

Muffins holding onto the pan for dear life : Run a knife around the edge of each muffin and pray that the bottoms are not stuck to the pan too. Then, gently lift out each muffin by sliding a fork or offset spatula underneath. Next time, use paper liners or be sure to grease and generously flour each muffin tin.

Muffins stuck to paper liners : Pop your muffins into the freezer for 10 minutes and then take them out and remove the liners. Reheat the muffins in the microwave or wrap them in foil and reheat them in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

Muffins burn when you don’t make a full batch : Fill your empty muffin cups halfway with water and then bake the muffins according to your recipe.

Muffin, quick bread or biscuit tops too dry : Slather the tops in butter and then allow them to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Try setting your baking pan further down in your oven, away from the heat source, to see if it helps the tops of your baked goodies stay moist.

Coffee cakes and casseroles still raw in the center when the outside is cooked : Cover the cake or casserole with aluminum foil and continue baking until it is fully cooked. Your batter or casserole might have been too cold when you are put it in the oven. If possible, try putting it in at room temperature next time.

Consistent problems with your batters : Whether you are making pancakes, coffee cake, muffins, pound cake, or quick bread, your batter-based goodies need to be allowed to rest for at least 5 minutes before baking or griddling.

Put your batter-based goodies into the oven or onto the griddle at room temperature. Allow cold ingredients to come to room temperature or force them into room temperature. Use the microwave to soften butter or cream cheese and take the chill off of milk or juices. Put eggs in a warm water bath until they are at the proper temperature, about an hour. Add water that is tepid or slightly warm.

Check the freshness date of your leavening agents to be sure they have not gone out of date. Leaveners that are past their prime will cause your batter-based goodies to be flat or fallen in the center.

Yeast Breads Refuse to Rise : Whenever your recipe calls for letting the dough rise, cover your dough pan or bowl with plastic wrap and place it in an oven with a shallow pan of boiling water on the rack beneath it. Close the oven door and turn on the oven light. Your dough probably did not rise because it was not at the right temperature. The warm, moist environment will encourage your dough to rise properly. If your dough still does not rise, your yeast is probably bad. Always check the date to be sure your yeast is still fresh and active before using it and proof it whenever possible.

Recipes for Your At-Home Breakfast Bakery:

Breakfast Casserole :

Awesome Breakfast Casserole for Two

A Texas Breakfast Casserole

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

Jimmy Dean Country Breakfast Casserole

Sunday Morning Wife Saver for Two

Frittata :

Wild Rice and Mushroom Frittata

Master Frittata

Zucchini Frittata

Vegetable Frittata with Cheese