White cakes that brown too much on edges while baking

Scratch or box?

It could very well be your pan. What kind are you using? If it's a dark pan it will absorb more heat than a lighter pan. I use Fat Daddio's and Magic Line pans and don't have that big of a problem with the too-brown edges and I use Betty Crocker for my french vanilla cake.

Maybe some bake even strips? I don't use the ones you buy, I cut up a couple of old towels into strips, wet them and put them around the cake pan.

I had this happen with my scratch white cakes. It turns out I was using my shortening, oil, flour mixture to keep them from sticking and this was causing them to brown and crust. Once I began to simply use parchament paper and nonstick spray they turned out perfect. Might be worth a try!

I don't bake with mixes, but I think you have 2 issues:

Extreme browning comes from a the high sugar content in your batter. Box mixes already have a high sugar content, but if you are using an extended mix you are adding even more sugar, which crystallizes and make a very crusty crust. Think creme brulee.

In scratch cakes, we deal with baker's percentages in our recipes (even if you don't know what that is, the recipe you are using follows it). I get a very light crust on my white cakes because the weight of my sugar does not exceed the weight of my flour so it is in perfect balance.


I am not sure if this is possible to get using a box mix, but here's my advice...

The second issue I think you have is it does not sound like you have introduced any moisture in your oven. Your top crust is cooking, crystallizing and setting before your cake comes close to being done. The longer it cooks, the more brown it gets. 2 things to combat this. Use bake even strips. Leave them dripping wet. But also try putting a 1/2 sheet pan 1/2 filled with water on the bottom rack of your oven and let it preheat and leave it in there while your cakes cook (and you will probably have to adjust your temperature up to 350 because of how much is on your oven). It will release steam introducing water to keep the surface of your cake moist. It should help it rise better, keep the dome minimal and it will slow how quickly it browns (if it domes at all it should fall when you take it out of the oven making the cake nice and flat). You need to re-adjust what you think "looks" done though, don't trust your sight or even touch since the top of the cake will me more moist then you are used to.

Good luck

This is also true, I use a canola based non-stick spray. But it sounds like OP's problems are a little more extreme.

I also use the old bath towel (wilton bake strip) wet it, pin it around your pan. This will keep the edges of your pan from heating up and cooking the edge of your cake while the middle is still not cooked. Also on the bigger cakes, I use a metal wilton flower nail, stick it upside down in the center of your pan and it works like a heating core without leaving a big hole in middle of your cake.

What about purchasing an oven thermometer. Your oven may be old and turning off and on infrequently might result in crispy edges. Also after removing it from the oven, flip the cake over to cool (still in the pan). Moisture will be caught in the pan and won't escape into your kitchen.