Monday, November 23, 2009

Catalan Salt Pinch UFO Cake

I ask you, is this any way for a Catalan Salt Pinch Cake to behave? Shimmying out of its parchmant collar in the oven and emerging like some sort of alien spaceship?

The mystery continues. I haven't a clue why all three cakes failed consistently. They ranged in height from 1/2, 3/4 and 1 inch. All three had a beautiful top crust, never mind it was only 1/4 inch thick. Underneath lay a dense, rubbery mass.

I tried eggs at room temperature and straight out of the refrigerator. I even had backup to help verify the recipe was being followed correctly. It seems the eggs did not support the structure. They were organic, free range, if that matters one way or the other. I was extra careful on cakes 2 and 3 to gently fold in the flour. I checked the oven temperature. There must be a logical explanation but I cannot figure out what it is.

Cake #1





Cake #2



Cake #3











Casualties










2 comments:

  1. Did the batter fully fill the pan when first poured in and then sink in the oven or was the volume not full from the beginning?

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  2. Not full from the beginning. I measured the egg whites. It whipped up into the soft peak stage and then thick and glossy.

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