When Things Go Wrong

Curdling. You are making a cake and doing everything right. The butter and sugar mixture is fluffy and the first egg is beaten in. Then, as you put in the next egg, the batter starts to separate and deflate, looking slightly curdled. What to do? Set the mixing bowl in hot water and stir gently and continuously. Soon the curdled look will disappear. Then take the bowl from the hot water and beat the batter about 2 minutes until it regains airiness. If separation continues, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the flour you’ve already measured out. Now you can proceed where you left off.

Burning on Top. Especially in cakes containing Quark (soft cheese), the top of the cake may be thoroughly browned before the center is done. Cover the top loosely with a sheet of aluminium foil and allow it to finish baking.

Unmolding the Cake. If the cake sticks to the bottom of the pan, reverse the pan on a cake rack and put a cold, wet cloth over the bottom for a few minutes. This should loosen the cake – if not, repeat the procedure.