High Altitude Baking, Summit County, CO

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High Altitude Baking

Living at an altitude of approximately 8,980 feet above sea level can play havoc with your baking if you are following recipes intended for sea level. Some of the dilemmas that can happen are cakes rising too rapidly and then falling to leave an impression resembling a moon crater, or having the undesirable trait of a tough and dry texture. These problems can be frustrating, but there are ways to combat and prevail so that you have success at high altitude baking.

The reason for the problems associated with high altitude is that it causes an increase in the evaporation of liquids during baking which will cause the structural collapse of a cake, for example. Most of the recipes are made for baking at sea level, but you can adjust for the altitude to produce a moist and fine textured cake. The key is to decrease the leavening agent to the appropriate amount so that the cake does not rise too quickly. Another adjustment are the eggs. Some cooks believe that the addition of an egg to a recipe at high altitude can accommodate for some of the cake-baking problems. The protein in the eggs strengthens the cell structure and makes up for dryness in the air creating the moist and silky cake texture. Make sure that the eggs you use are not over beaten and are at room temperature prior to use. Increase liquid to compensate for the dryness of flour. To add additional moisture, consider using sour cream or buttermilk. The increase in flour goes as follows:

Increase flour 1 tablespoon up to 5,000 ft; Reduce sugar 1 tablespoon
Increase flour 2 tablespoons at 6,500 ft; Reduce sugar 2 tablespoons
Increase flour 3 tablespoons at over 6,500 ft; Reduce sugar 3 tablespoons

The higher the altitude, the more adjustment you need to make in baking temperature by up to 25% at altitudes over 6,500ft. In some cases you may need to increase the temperature, yet in other cases you may want to reduce the heat to allow a gradual rising. If you are using a box cake mix, simply follow the directions on the package for high altitude baking. There are some standard adjustments you can make at close to 7,000ft is for each cup of liquid called for, increase it by 3 to 4 tablespoons. For each teaspoon of baking powder called for, decrease the amount by ¼ teaspoon. For each cup of sugar decrease the amount by 1 to 3 tablespoons.

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High Altitude Baking - Summit County, Colorado

High Altitude Baking, Summit County, Colorado

High Altitude Baking, Summit County, CO

High Altitude Baking

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