Question for high altitude scratch bakers

I live in Colorado where the altitude is just above 5,000 ft. I've done a lot of research on baking in high altitudes and how to adjust certain ingredients so my cakes will bake properly....decreasing sugar, baking powder, fat...increasing liquid, flour, eggs, etc. I'm usually able to adjust a recipe to make it work for me.

Whenever I try a cake recipe with butter, make all the necessary adjustments for high altitude, it turns out dry and crusty on the outside and sinks in the middle. I also use bake even strips and/or flower nail on anything bigger than a 6".

I have a scratch wasc recipe that uses shortening and it turns out great. I have chocolate cake recipe that uses oil and it turns out great. I also found a website with a bunch of high altitude cake recipes and not one uses butter.

Does anyone know of a high altitude vanilla or yellow cake recipe that uses butter and actually turns out good? Or do you know of any adjustments that I can make to an existing recipe using butter? Or do I just forget about using butter all together in my cakes?!

Thanks for your replies. This happens to be one of those posts that I didn't get notification of the replies. I decided to check "my forum posts" and saw your comments.

I've been trying to find some type of explanation and it seems like I've read something in the past but I can't remember the details. Anyway, I found this short article. I'll continue searching and if I find anymore info I'll post here for my fellow high altitude bakers.


http://www.ehow.com/info_8394569_difference-between-butter-shortening-cakes.html

I'm thinking about trying the butter flavor crisco. I've never used it before. I wonder if it will have an artificial flavor to it.

BTW I found two yellow cake recipes that I tried last night. One used shortening and one used oil. The one with the shortening also used cake flour and turned out very soft and fluffy but on the bland side and not very moist. The one with the oil tasted good and seemed moist enough but the crust was way overdone before the cake was fully baked. Maybe I'll try again and lower the oven temp...

Thank you sabre. I just went to that website and looks like there is some good information. I'll definately have to spend some time reading it. I'd like to try some of her recipes as well.




Ladij153, from what I've read, liquid should actually be increased and that seems to work for me usually. Also, if I have an extra rich recipe, I always add an extra egg (the whole egg) and that helps too. The whites work for strengthening, but also can cause the cake to be dry. There's just so much science to it all, it's hard to keep it all straight!




jhill3691, I use a scratch wasc recipe that uses only egg whites that I like. But I also use the whole egg in the same recipe (just use less eggs) when I don't need a true white. I do prefer the whole egg recipe.




Elcee, I don't always do every adjustment in every recipe but this is what I've read about flour and leavening. "Increasing the flour is necessary to disperse the leavening action and slow down the rapid rise of the cake. The extra liquid is to counterbalance the rapid evaporation of liquids at high altitudes and the extra flour added to the cake batter."

I have a white cake recipe that calls for whipping the egg whites and adding at the end, but it doesn't use the yolks at all. I'll try your suggestion and separate the eggs for whole egg recipes. I have read however, not to overbeat the eggs which can cause cells to collapse. Also adding an additional egg to rich cakes will help keep them from falling.

I've been researching and reading information on this for awhile now trying to get a good scratch recipe collection and I've saved a fair amount of information to a Word document.

If you are interested, let me know and I will email it to you.

Also, the website by Susan Purdy - highaltitudebaking.com suggested by sabre looks like it has some great information. I plan to read that thoroughly. Thanks again sabre!

Thanks to all you for your suggestions and input. I do appreciate the help.

ladij153, I see what you're saying and that does make sense. Please let me know your results when you try this.