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Should I use only the bottom element for heating when baking cakes and brownies??

Kanika
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    As a note, if you're using American recipes, *most* American ovens don't allow for both the upper and lower elements to run simultaneously... you chose either "bake" (lower elements) or "broil" (grill in the UK, upper elements). – Catija Mar 30 '17 at 16:20
  • My oven has a "Roast" setting which turns on both top and bottom. "Bake" is only the bottom. – talon8 Mar 30 '17 at 17:37
  • I tried it again with only the bottom element. Wonderful chewy perfect brownies. Thank You. – Kanika Apr 01 '17 at 05:12
  • @Catija Strange, I always put all of my cakes on top and bottom at the same time. If I forget it and turn on only one, the cake fails. And I have been baking many American recipes in recent years. – rumtscho Apr 01 '17 at 09:59
  • @rumtscho Is it possible that the strength of your upper element is different/more variable? Upper elements here tend to be pretty direct heat. It's also possible the OP was doing something else like using the upper rack? – Catija Apr 01 '17 at 15:07

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Yes, I would suggest you only use the bottom element when baking the actual cake. Using both elements is generally used for pre-heating the oven, or to brown the top of a dish. Maybe use the top element to bring the oven up to temperature, then turn it off when you put the cake/brownies in the oven.

CMB92
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It depends on your oven and how bad the result is.

I suggest making different tries:

  1. use only the bottom element
  2. use both element and cover your cake with foil when you have the desired color on top to prevent over-cooking
  3. use a pizza stone to keep an even temperature in your oven

I had the same problem and tried all those solutions. They all have pros and cons and depends on the result you want to achieve.

A.D.
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