I've started leasing space recently in a commercial bakery and getting used to the convection oven has been a challenge!! Does anyone have any tips for baking cupcakes without getting those crazy crooked tops? There's no option to turn off the fan (I use the low setting) and it still seems to be blowing the tops all over the place. 
Has anyone else experienced this and hopefully found a solution? TIA
Cheryl
I've started leasing space recently in a commercial bakery and getting used to the convection oven has been a challenge!! Does anyone have any tips for baking cupcakes without getting those crazy crooked tops? There's no option to turn off the fan (I use the low setting) and it still seems to be blowing the tops all over the place.
Besides the temperature gauge showing ON the oven - have you placed one inside the oven to make sure that the temperature is correct?
It always pays to double check exactely what your temperature is, besides what the dial is reading.
For a permanant fan forced oven you should lower the temp by 20C when baking cakes - if not lower for certain other types of cakes
ie: Mud/fruit cakes
Has anyone else experienced this and hopefully found a solution? TIA
No, but then i always keep a gauge in my oven - just to double check that my temps are correct.
I am thinking that your oven is getting to hot - the cupcakes are rising quickly and thus exploding
OR
might there be too much batter in each case/cake pan hole - and thus the exploding is happening..again because the oven is running too hot.
Sometimes it can be something as simple as double checking the temps -
Perhaps the people who own the commercial kitchen are used to the oven and haven't thought to tell you to adjust accordingly.........maybe???
Is this happening to a *certain* cupcake batter - or - every type?
Bluehue/
Cheryl
Thanks Bluehue. 
I should doublecheck the temperature of the oven...that's a good idea.
I've been lowering the temp quite a bit to bake cakes and that seems to be working. The cupcakes rise nicely and I rotate the pans partway through, but when they're finished baking, the tops look like waves....they've been blown over to one side. I was wondering if the force of the air might be causing it? I noticed that when I used a regular muffin tin, the air was actually rocking the pan. Switching to a larger industrial sized pan stopped the rocking.
I'll have to experiment a little more with temperature. So far, both thin and thicker batters produced the same results. 
sorry, full sheet PAN is what I meant to say
Thanks. I'll try that. Can you tell me how it affects the air flow? I know the air is coming from the back of the oven. Does it slow down the force of the air? Looking forward to giving this a try!
By doing that, it will interupt the direct flow of air - thus there won't be a full force of air blowing straight across the top of your cupcakes - but directing it around the sides.
Just a thought - (and question) where is your rack postioned in the actual oven Jaeger?
Bluehue
By doing that, it will interupt the direct flow of air - thus there won't be a full force of air blowing straight across the top of your cupcakes - but directing it around the sides.
Just a thought - (and question) where is your rack postioned in the actual oven Jaeger?
Bluehue
I have the cupcakes in the bottom third of the oven - the 4th or 5th slot from the bottom. I was told that the oven is very hot near the top so I've been trying to avoid that area.
Goodo 
- but i still think it would be wise to pop an oven therm in just to gauge what temp the oven is actually sitting at.
Then you will know for sure and can adjust your dials to suit.
Hope this thread has helped you somewhat.
ps - great array of cakes in your photos by the way
Bluehue
When I was in culinary arts school the chef would have us turn the pan half way through the baking cycle to assure even baking because the oven would do all kinds of crazy things...HTH
I have to turn both my cakes and my cupcakes because you can't turn the fan off on the oven I use.
I know this is REALLY old but did you find a solution to your problem? I mean did the sheet pan thing work? I always thought the fan is on the backside of the oven. Didnt think it would be on top?
My commercial oven at my shop. I bake cupcakes at 270 degree for 22 minutes on the second to the bottom rack. It took a few good trial and errors. but my cupcakes come out nice.
I also have a commercial oven in my basement at home for emergencies.Yes its in my home. I purchased it before my floors in my shop were ready. Its to heavy to move again. My hubby said keep it here for emergencies.
It is a different brand. I have to bake at 290 degree for about 24 minutes.
every oven varies. you just need to take time to adjust to what you have.
250 so thats about 132 degrees? (my oven is in Celsius). Today I tried 120 something and it took almost 30minutes!!! and they STILL looked shiny on top and kinda heavy! when I baked the same batter at home they turned out amazing 
I just read this post and I have no idea.. I never use convection ovens. BUT...I just saw on TLC some show called DC Cupcakes. A test batch of low calorie cupcakes with crazy crooked tops had just come out of the oven.
Their theory was that the batter was too light...not heavy with eggs and such...so the fan blew the batter ??
This happens to me with my thinner batters. You just have to rotate the pans fully halfway through the bake time.Hope this helps you.
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