14Cooking Tips and Helpful HintsTo save energy:❑ Preheat only if recommended by therecipe.❑ Dark baking tins have a higher degree ofheat absorption.❑ Residual heat: In the case of longerbaking times, you can switch off theoven 5–10 minutes before the full bakingtime has elapsed.When cooking with Circotherm:❑ Cakes baked in a tin get too dark at theback.❑ Cakes remain doughy and collapsewhen removed from the oven.❑ Uneven browning of small cakes orbiscuits.❑ With very moist foods steam developsand condenses on the oven door anddrips onto the floor.When cooking conventionally:❑ The bottom of a cake baked on abaking tray stays too light.❑ The cake gets too dry.❑ The inside of the cake remains spongyor doughy, or meat stays raw in thecentre.Avoid blocking the air vents at the rear wallof the oven with the cake tins.Reduce the temperature for deep cakes.Bake for a longer period of time. Test witha skewer before removing.Avoid placing trays too close to the backwall. Space food on the tray.Several brief periods of opening the ovendoor during baking (1 or 2 times, morefrequently with longer roasting times) willaid in venting the steam in the oven andreduce condensation.Ensure that no other pans or trays are inthe oven. Lower shelf position.Place tin on wire shelf.Select a slightly higher oven temperature.Cook for shorter period of time.Use a slightly lower temperature and cookfor a longer time. Reduce the liquid in thecake mixture.