Dumb baking question

[Clouck]

Very sorry, posting for traffic.

Mumsnet is the font of all knowledge as far as I’m concerned.

I baked a cake for the first time in donkey years today. I really enjoyed it but it had that crust on the very top of the sponge which has a perfectly nice flavour. It just occurred to me you never seem to get that crust taste or texture in professional baking. Do bakers trim of the outer “skin” of sponges?

My cupcakes definitely weren’t overbaked. They were soft and moist. Just curious why that crust only appears in home baking

I run a cake business 👋🏻👋🏻

Deonding in what type of cake it is and the look the customer is going for, I have a tool which trims off all the crispy edges in a perfect circle - I usually use that for stacked cakes that are going to be completely covered in some kind of icing.
For the semi-naked or un-iced types, I tend to bake at a much lower temperature and for longer and put a tray of water in the bottom of the oven - the steam helps prevent a crust from forming. The outer edges of the cake retain their structural integrity without needed the icing scaffolding but are soft not crispy.

I was going to say the same - put a tray of water in the bottom of the oven to steam bake cakes for a soft crust. Works with bread too.

Thank you!

I tried explaining this to my mum and she had no idea what I was even getting at! Will try the steam technique. Much appreciated

@CaminoPlanner @WhatIsTheCharge

Crusty cakes can mean you used too much sugar.