Deciding between gas vs electric ovens for baking cakes can be a difficult decision.
A gas oven offers multiple advantages that an electric oven does not, but an electric stove also offers its own set of benefits with less hassle.
This blog post will help you to decide which of the two options is best when it comes to baking cakes.
First, we will discuss some of the advantages of gas ovens’ over electric ovens and then move on to discussing some of the benefits that come along with using an electric stove instead.
Benefits of baking cakes with gas ovens
Gas ovens have a faster preheating time than electric ovens. A gas stove can reach full heat within minutes, while an electric oven would take much longer to get up to the right temperature.
This is especially important when it comes to baking cakes because you want them baked through quickly without having any of their flavors seep out.
Gas ovens also tend to have a wider and more accurate range of temperatures when compared to electric ovens, though many modern electric ovens have better temperatures configurations now.
Gas ovens are also more energy-efficient than electric stoves. They require gas instead of electricity, which can save you a lot on your bills over time.
The disadvantage of using electric stoves on other cooking tasks such as boiling eggs is that they can take longer than gas stovetops in most cases while also requiring lots of energy usage thanks to running off electricity from your power grid.
Benefits of baking with electric ovens:
In a gas oven, the flame is located at the bottom and many people have had issues with their cakes darkening on the bottom and staying pale at the top. This is usually caused by the fact that the top just doesn’t get enough heat.
Electric ovens would help in this regard, as they usually have two coils, one at the top and the other at the bottom, giving a better chance of even heating and browning on your cakes.
Gas ovens do give off the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning given the fact that they operate with an open flame while electric ovens are much safer and probably the better option for people who might not want to deal with open flames.
For beginners, electric ovens are a lot cheaper to set up as they do not require any venting and gas tank installations. This is great for bakers who are starting out and have a big budget to finance their baking activities.
Electric ovens also tend to bake more evenly are generally great for the top browning of cakes.
Gas vs electric oven: which one is cheaper in the long run
Gas ovens are not always cheaper than electric ones. Appliances that run on gas can be much more expensive to purchase and install, but they also save on electricity costs and bills as they only require tank refilling.
Additionally, Gas ovens tend to be an economical way of baking cakes as there’s little need for preheating and the temperature tends to stay consistent throughout the baking process while with an electric one you’ll need lots of preheating times.
If you want something cheaper in the long run, gas ovens are a great option for baking cakes and anything else that you’re cooking up in your kitchen because they use less electricity to get started and can cost less than electric appliances over time.
Also, gas stoves tend to last a bit longer than their electric counterparts with the average gas stove lasting about 15 years compared to the 13 years of the electric stove/oven.
How to use your gas oven for baking cakes
Baking using a gas oven is different from an electric oven since gas ovens heat up quickly and sporadically causing uneven heat distribution. It takes practice to bake properly on a gas oven.
For gas ovens, the main burner is at the bottom of the compartment. Some ovens may have a second burner at the roof of the oven compartment often used for broiling.
Follow these steps when baking cakes with a gas oven:
- Turn on the knob to maximum and light the gas with a lighter or a match stick. To light a gas oven, locate the pilot light that is often located at the bottom of the oven. When a blue light turns on, the oven is now ready to be used.
- If you are baking in more than one tin or tray, make it a point to rotate once or twice during your cooking. Rotate 90 degrees halfway during cooking. This will help eliminate the chances of hot spots on one side of the cake.
- Avoid putting your cake at the bottom rack so that it doesn’t burn. The upper rack is preferred to avoid burning the bottom of your cake.
- Test it with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.
- Remember when using the gas oven, it may take longer for the cake to bake all the way through and not just the bottom and the sides.
- If it is not done through, slightly lower the temperature by about 15 degrees and allow for an extra 10-15 minutes of your baking time.
- When ready, take out the cake, shut the oven door, and shut it off.
- You can choose to use a separate oven thermometer to gauge the temperature and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack. This reduces the heat spikes that might occur with gas ovens.
How to use your electric oven for baking cakes
Electric ovens’ main heating element is at the bottom of the oven compartment, which provides steady heat for even cooking. The coil heats slowly and steadily and that results in fewer spikes and drops of temperature.
Follow these steps when baking cakes using an electric oven:
- Make sure to preheat the oven by turning on the oven to the recommended temperature for a few minutes. You can use a thermometer to accurately set your oven at the right temperature.
- Prepare cake batter according to your cake recipe.
- After you have prepared your cake mixture, pour the cake mixture into a greased pan. You can either chose to use glass, metal, ceramic, or silicone pans for baking. Consider the shape of your pan and set the timer accordingly.
- Place the rack in the middle of your oven to ensure balanced cooking.
- Select the timer to the recommended time for your cake recipe. Cook the cake at 350°F/180°C degrees for 30-35 minutes.
- Check to see if your cake is baking properly through the oven door. Make sure however not to open the whole door and let cold air into the oven. This usually has the effect of dropping the heat and in turn, affects the rising of the cake.
- Finally, the timer will use a beep sound to alert you that the cake is done when the timer comes to a halt, or you either see that the cake is ready, open the door completely and take the cake out.
- Make sure the cake has a golden brown appearance and when you pick it with a toothpick, it comes out clean. Try picking out at different spots.
- Turn off the oven and close the door.
Gas vs Electric oven: which one is best for baking cakes?
When it comes to baking cakes, electric or convection ovens are generally the better option, however, that’s not to say that a gas oven wouldn’t work.
In fact, many bakers will even prefer a gas oven, however, given how these work, the process might be a bit more tedious and the cake might be slightly tender and soft.
If you’re new to baking, and you’ll be baking cakes the most, then an electric or convection oven should be the first on your list.
While the debate of “Gas vs Electric ovens for baking cakes” won’t most certainly end with this post, we hope we’ve helped you make up your mind from a fact-based point of view.