A total disaster at my cousin's wedding in Omaha taught me to always check my oven temperature

I was making the cake for my cousin's wedding last month, a big three tier vanilla thing with buttercream. I'd tested the recipe twice at home and it was perfect. But when I baked the layers at the venue's kitchen, the middle layer came out totally raw in the center after the full bake time... the outside was almost burnt. I was panicking with only a few hours to go. Turns out, their oven ran a solid 25 degrees hotter than the dial said. I had to rush to a grocery store, buy box mix, and bake a whole new layer in a borrowed toaster oven. It was a mess, but the cake got done. Now I bring my own little oven thermometer to every job, no matter what. Has anyone else had a close call because of a bad oven?

3 comments

3 Comments

val_williams21d ago

Oh man, that's rough! My friend had her whole Thanksgiving turkey turn out raw in the middle for the same reason. She trusts nothing now without her own thermometer. Ovens are sneaky like that.

harper_foster20d ago

My old oven back in Austin ran almost 25 degrees cooler than it said. I started using a cheap oven thermometer I got from the grocery store and it changed everything. I just leave it on the rack now so I can see the real temp before I even put food in. It saved so many batches of cookies from being under baked.

the_miles20d ago

My apartment oven runs 30 degrees hot, found out after burning three pizzas. That grocery store thermometer trick is a lifesaver for real. You ever check yours?