Friday, April 15, 2011

How I salvage a burnt top, half baked center cake

My cake got a burnt top and a half baked center. I did everything right so what happen? I am guessing that there is something wrong with my oven. This sounds like a bad carpenter blaming his tools. Short of pulling my hair, I was frustrated with the outcome. My first thought was to throw away the cake but I could not bring myself to do it because I was raised not to waste food. I thought of a way to salvage it.  I cut off the burn top and the half baked center and retained the baked part. I cut them into big slices and served them with vanilla ice cream.  Having packed with spices, this cake is buttery, fluffy and crunchy at the same time. No one complains about the odd shape slices that were served. They did not care, they ate them all and went for a second helping. The taste of this cake has definitely compensated for its look and that saves my bacon!

Cinnamon Pear Cake


Ingredients:

250gm butter
220gm  castor sugar
4 eggs
150gm  self raising flour
35gm plain flour
120gm  sour cream
1 Large Chinese pear – peeled, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch of ground clove
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:


Arrange sliced pear in the cake pan. Beat butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg one at a time. Fold in shifted flour and sour cream. Pour mixture over pear in the cake pan.  Bake at 180 degrees C or 375 degrees F for about 60 mins.

33 comments:

  1. Ohhh that sounds delicious, pears and cinnamon ...yummy!!Great Photos too!

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  2. Pear cake! everyone loves ice cream with cake.. It definitely doesn't look like it was salvaged from a burnt top & half baked center :P

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  3. OH yummy, this sounds wonderful...and you are so clever, I would have thrown it out and cried...smart girl :)

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  4. waw !! good idea...
    you can use the alum. foil to cover at the top to avoid the cake burnt.

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  5. Darling, I haven't laughed so hard in I cannot remember how long. Your foodie blog was elevated substantially with this post.
    P.S. Is there any left?

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  6. Thumbs up! Really creative and fast thinking

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  7. It is SO frustrating when the oven wrecks your cake. I have no problem blaming my tools, hehe! The cake does look delicious, though, especially since the pears are so moist.

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  8. looks good enough for me! maybe the other half-baked portion can be returned to the oven for a while longer?

    cinnamon and pear sounds so yummilicious already!

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  9. Swathi, David, Sandra, Swee San: thanks for the encouragement.

    Felvin: Thanks for your advice:D

    Darling: Are you trying to be sacarstic? Oh well, Quaylo like that one lor!!

    Small Kucing: hehehe... I am proud of myself.

    Belle: The taste of this cake is awesome and now with your endorsement, I will blame it on my oven. LOL!

    Alan: Why didn't I think of that? .

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  10. Good save on the cake... your solution sounds delicious.

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  11. Brilliant save!! Looks simply delicious.

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  12. Ooh, I love Chinese pear, perfect crunch, juiciness, and sweetness. Great way to salvage the cake, Veronica. I hate to dump out food so I most likely would've done the same as you. Although I'm sure your salvaged cake would still look a lot better than my fully cooked cake. Haha. Maybe you can put one of those meat thermometers in your oven and test to see if the temperature it's showing on the thermometer is matching your oven temperature. Just a thought.

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  13. Hehe this save sounds like a good idea too! I made my failure into cakepops but anything with ice cream should be great too! :D

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  14. Great save! No waste and every one enjoyed:) My daughter told me in her Uni days that she ate whatever that didn't cook right!!yay!

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  15. I agree with your policy to not waste. If the burnt part was not too burnt, they would be great cookies!

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  16. You did a lovely job to salvage the cake. I won't have thought so... :)

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  17. I love desserts that include pears and spices. I'm glad you were able to salvage the best part of it.

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  18. Love pear cakes and this looks like a keeper!

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  19. hi, you still managed to cut and shoot them so pretty in photos! i do have some bakes which turned out really bad that i dont think anyone would eat that..so that will go to my dog..poor dog!

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  20. read your story about burnt top and underbaked cake but whats shown is a delicious cake to me!
    thks for the great tip! :)

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  21. Great save my friend! I would hazard to guess the oven was perhaps too hot. I've done that as well. You definitely saved the day (and the cake) with your quick thinking! The photos look great!

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  22. I love how you "salvaged" the cake. Pear and cinnamon must be amazing! I would not care about the odd shapes either... ;-)

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  23. Seattle Dee, Belind, hanushi, Maris,Christine, Rebecca: Thanks for your comments. After this experience, throwing away a burnt top or half baked cake will never find its way to the trash can! hehe..

    LeQuan: I did but the temperature showed there is nothing wrong with my oven.

    Janine: That's a good idea make those into cake pops. Perhaps will look much prettier than those odds shape slices.

    Keats: You are right, everyone is happy.

    yummychunklet: Cinnamon and Pear will never go wrong.

    Lena: No poor dog, lucky dog:D

    Alice: Yes, embarrass to show you the burnt top and the half baked center.

    Lo-mo: Thanks, I wonder if another 5 years down the road, I can still think that fast or not..LOL!

    Manu: When I told my family about what happened to the cake, they said the same thing as you.

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  24. Good Save Veronica! It looks delicious. :)

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  25. that's a creative and great way to do it!! Sounds like your top oven is too hot! probably a foil or baking paper on top might help ;)

    but less wastage is good!!! great tip in paring it with ice-cream!

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  26. You know I don't bake, so no good advice from me. However, I am glad portions of the cakes can be salvaged and everyone enjoyed it :)

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  27. Nancy and Vijay: Ya, I hope the next time I bake, this won't happen again.

    daphne: I used a mirowave convec oven. I think I should use my other oven the next time.

    tigerfish: Yes, the best part is when I see everybody enjoys the cake and finish all.

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  28. Hahaha! Veron, the messing up sounds like me but I'm not as talented as u are. I'm a lousy baker! Well done, dear!

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  29. @Shirley
    High five! So happy I am not alone! hehe

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  30. I am sure your cake taste and smell heavenly irregardless of the imperfect baking. Try again. Practice makes perfect. ;)

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