Ok, so we just moved form California to Colorado, and I am having problems adjusting my recipes for the higher altitudes. I have followed various rules and my cakes are coming out with a "sink hole" in the middle, or they are so fragile that when I go to frost them it's a disaster!!! They fall apart, and the frosting looks horrible...can anyone give me any general recomendations on how to adjust my ingredients? Thanks so much for your help!
Luv,
Jenn
j-
I live in Colorado, too, and am just getting serious about improving my cake baking. I have the same sink hole problem, or I end up overbaking them and end up with a texture that I don't find appealing. So I would appreciate tips from others, and will post what little I know. Maybe together we can all make some better cakes! 
The science is that at higher altitudes, the cake rises faster and can then fall before it "sets". So remedies include using less baking powder, or using less fat and sugar to help strengthen the cell structure (keep the cells from breaking and making your cake flat). More eggs can help, or a little extra flour.
Here's what I usually do:
reduce my fat/sugar and add a little extra flour (I usually add about a Tablespoon or so extra for every cup). For cakes, lately I've been adding cornstarch instead of the extra flour (works like pudding mix to make the cake's texture better).
The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Office has a great book that explains it all and shows different adjustments you can make to your favorite recipes, and it gives different adjustments for different altitude ranges. --It also includes recipes. (I'm going to try them one of these days! will let you know what the results are if I do)
Another good book is called "Pie in the Sky".
--have you tried the flower nail trick yet? I haven't but maybe I should.
I'm also wondering about reducing the oven temperature and baking longer.
any other suggestions or recipes from someone who has perfected cake baking in the Denver area?
I'm also in CO, although I have been here all my life, so I guess I am already used to the baking difficulties here, lol. I swear by the cake extender, and use it for all my boxed recipes, I normally bake everything at 325, rather than 350, and use a flower nail in anything over a 10" or 11 x 15 sheet cake pan, which reduces the sink hole in the middle. Other than that, I don't add anything extra to any of my recipes for high altitude cooking. I also notice a more uniform cake by using the cake release rather than Pam or Crisco with flour. Hope that helps!
This might help, it's a high altitude adjuster for cakes:
http://tinyurl.com/3d6p5s
and an article on high altitude baking:
http://tinyurl.com/328mhs
HTH
thanks ribbitfroggie!
I'm going to start baking at a lower temp and using the flower nail.
I just recently found out about the homemade cake release and want to try it with butter instead of shortening because I avoid hydrogenated oils like the plague. I assume the results won't be quite as good as with Crisco, but hopefully better than just butter/flour. Any thoughts or experience with using butter instead of shortening for this?
so do you use the cake extender with scratch recipes? other than make more batter, what does it do for you?
thanks again, your experience is appreciated!
deeenise-Definetly try the flower nail, and the baking at a lower temp-they both have helped me immensely.
About not using the crisco in the cake release-I really don't have any clue, but I have a feeling it wouldnt work near as well. You could always try it and see how it works, but I have a feeling you would need the crisco in there, for it to work properly. I swear by it now though, even with the hydorgenated oils in it! My cakes popped out everytime with the Pam with flour, but I always had crusty edges and hated it. Now that I used the cake release my cakes pop right out and are perfect everytime!
I am a box and scratch mix baker, but I normally just use the cake extender for my box mixes. Not only does it give you more batter, but it gives you a fluffy, moist cake, that tastes out of this world! I have only used the cake extender with one of my scratch recipes, because I needed more batter, and it simply gave it less of a dense, homemade taste, which a lot of my customers really like.
I hope this all helps and please let me know if you have any other questions!
I've never noticed it...i guess my altitude isnt as high as i thought it was...but good luck on your cakes...i wish you the best...and enjoy the moutains they are beautiful...
wow i must be special. 
I live in CO and have been here all my life. When I was learning to bake as a teenager my mother taught me the high alt. thing and I always had problems with it. I now do not adjust for high alt. and my cakes and baked goods come out perfectly. I started doing this about 10 yrs ago and will never go back to adjusting for high alt. Maybe because I cook with a gas oven, I don't have a problem? Not sure why.
Thanks so much for all of the advice and pointers, I just have a few questions...What is a cake extender? And what do you do with the flower nail? Thanks again for all of your help! 
Luv,
Jenn
You use the flower nail as a heating core. Grease it and put it upside down in the center of your pan before adding the cake batter. It does help with the sinking on larger cakes.
I'm in Utah at 4500 ft about sea level. Baking great cakes can be difficult sometimes, especially if you like to use high-fat recipes like I do (with sour cream, extra butter etc.).
The suggestions that others have given are good.
As far as oven temp goes, I now start my baking at a higher temp to allow the cake to rise and set quickly, then lower the temp after about 15 or 20 minutes (depends on the size of the cake).
If you're making a cake mix, definitely follow the high altitude directions on the box.
ribbitfroggie - can I ask which extender you use? I've seen more than one recipe and would sure like to use one that not only extends the quantity of batter but also improves the texture.
Holly - I've heard that starting at a higher temp and then reducing works, but haven't tried it (except for making pumpkin pie). I have also heard just the opposite, to start baking in a cold oven to keep it from rising too fast. I have one recipe that used this technique and it turned out good.
cocakedecorator - I'm sure you are special no matter what your cakes are like and I agree, if it ain't broke, leave it be.
we recently got a new oven and I believe it is "hotter" than our old one, so I feel like I'm kind of starting all over with my experiments.
it's so fun to hear how different things work for different people!
You guys might ask Dez at the "M"akery in Denver. She bakes all her cakes on premesis. So here's the site addy to the colorado chapter of ICES so you can contact her. She is really sweet and I think would be happy to answer any of your questions.
www.coices.org
I'm sure that they can answer any of your questions about high altitude baking.
I live on the eastern plains so the high altitude thing is optional here. I haven't had any probs baking here but I do hope that the ices link will be able to help you guys.
I'm in Utah and have to deal with the high altitude also. I'm still trying to figure it out. I was however having the sinking problem with my cakes until I realized that I was over mixing them. So now I mix them just under the two minutes that is recommended and they seem to turn out just fine.
OMG we just got rid of the last bit of snow fromthat holiday blizzard. Sheesh, well at least the farmers will be happy if not anyone else.
Just curious, what parts of colorado ya'll from, I'm in the northeast corner (the armpit as it were) of the state. In the glorious metropolis of Brush (90 miles east of denver)
OMG we just got rid of the last bit of snow fromthat holiday blizzard. Sheesh, well at least the farmers will be happy if not anyone else.
Just curious, what parts of colorado ya'll from, I'm in the northeast corner (the armpit as it were) of the state. In the glorious metropolis of Brush (90 miles east of denver)
I know! We've been so spoiled the last several years (I'll have been here 9 years this summer - my how time flies). I almost feel like I'm back in the northwest where the snow stays until spring! (ok, it's not that bad here yet)
I'm the Denver metro area... I'd not heard of Brush before - just googled it. I wouldn't be surprised if I made it out there when I first moved to CO. Went to pick someone up at the airport, made a wrong turn and ended up driving out 76 for ages at 85 mph before exiting at a gas station and asking why I hadn't reached the airport yet! HAHAHAHA .. ended up driving to DIA on dirt roads! (made me feel like I was home as that's what I was used to driving on *smile*)
i live in midway colorado. 30 miles south of colorado springs and 30 miles north of Pueblo, hence the name Midway. I grew up in Colorado Springs.
ribbitfroggie - can I ask which extender you use? I've seen more than one recipe and would sure like to use one that not only extends the quantity of batter but also improves the texture.
After I made the WASC cake listed on the site for the first time, I was in heaven....so I checked out the cake extender:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1977-Cake-Mix-extender.html
and it adds in basically the same ingredients that the WASC does, and has made my cakes 100% better, HTH!
cocakedecorator-I think when you live your whole life here, you don't realize that there are issues baking in high altitude since it is all we know, lol!
I live in Brighton right now, a subarb N. of Denver but I have lived all over-went to school in Sterling, than Ft. Collins, and then headed back to Brighton. I didn't realize there was this many of us here in CO...and I am right there with you all, I am sick of the snow! I always tell everyone how wonderful it is here since one day it snows, and the next day is is beautiful and all the snow melts, not this year huh?
I am so happy that this thread got started. I moved to Colorado a year ago and have had AWFUL luck with my cakes. I'm going to try some of the tips on here and hope they help!
I live in Littleton, just south of Denver. I am tired of the snow as well! One of the reasons we moved here was because the "winters are so mild," but this has been very much like a winter from Michigan, where I am originally fun. I'm ready for the "mild" to kick in!
Thanks again for all the tips!
Angelgirl, I am originally from Ohio (GO BUCKS!) and am always bragging back home about how beautiful the weather is here in CO and how it does snow but then the sun is always out so it's no big deal. I look a little silly now, huh?
thanks, Jen, for starting the thread. and thanks to everyone for keeping it going. it's fun
btw, thought I'd share a success story of mine. I've been trying out recipes to find something I like to use for my daughter's upcoming 1st birthday. I recently used Wilton's yellow cake recipe and made a couple adjustments: added about 1/4 c. cornstarch, and used 1/4 oil instead of 1/4 c of the milk. It turned out so good! The texture was the best I've made so far. The first scratch cake I've made that was as good as from a mix.
on the other hand, I used the chocolate cake mix from the High Altitude Baking book I mentioned and it was not so good. texture was dense and dry.
Off the topic of high alt. I was thinking tonight it would be neat if some of us Coloradans could meet. I don't know anyone that decorates cakes and think it would be neat to have some cake friends that I could meet with and share. What do you all think?
I was thinking of the same thing, although it seems like all of us are pretty spread out, but if we picked a place in the middle for everybody? I would definetly be interested!
Hi All - another Colorado-ian here
I too bake everything at 325, use a flower nail on everyone other 11x15 or 10" and make cake mix according to high altitude directions.
I haven't tried a cake extender, but would like to..... is there a better cake mix extender recipe that works will in Colorado? 
I'm in Brighton (about 25 mile north of Denver). 
OMG-what a small world, look at my avatar-I am actually from Brighton too! I use the cake extender listed here on the website and love the results I am getting with it! It simply makes the cakes moister, fluffier absolutely wonderful. If you haven't give it a shot, I say definetly try it, I have had no problems with it and have been getting rave reviews ever since!
I would be interested in meeting somewhere, too. We should pick a day and place that would be as centrally located as we can. I don't know anyone who bakes cakes either and since I'm pretty new to it would love some cake friends I can share ideas with! 
O man that is totally way kewl!! Sounds like maybe Greeley or Brighton or even East side of Denver would be good to start. Or even out by the airport would be good.
This is way kewl.
Ya'll can pm me or use my yahoo mail and let's get this all figured out. This is too kewl (I know I keep sayin that). LOL
meeting up sounds like a great idea, but I am way out of my league here and wouldn't consider myself a "cake decorator". Years ago I took a Wilton class and used to decorate cakes for my family JUST FOR FUN. Now I am just starting to dabble again for my daughters' birthdays. And with my two daughters being so young (11 months old and 5) my husband would kill me if I added another commitment into our schedule (I'm already gone 3 nights a week). 
hope you all don't mind if I continue to "listen in" to your posts, though. would love to hear updates.
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