Reduce sugar by 2 TBSP. Sugar turns to a liquid when heated and then evaporates.. That means dry baked goods And! And reduce the baking SODA by about 1/4 tsp. Add 2 TBSP. Flour (to strengthen the batter.) Reduce baking powder by 1/8 tsp. ( bang powder is what gives the cakey texture.) Make sure your oven is actually at the required temp.
My sister, who also lives in Denver, said, "Here at a mile above sea level, we add an extra egg, cut the leavening in half and up the flour by a Tablespoon or 2." Hope this helps!
I'm just up the road in Longmont (Boulder County). Of course, following what Amanda's sister does to make this cake work is the way to go.
I just spent a few minutes (before seeing Amanda's response), consulting Susan Purdy's great resource on high altitude baking called "Pie in the Sky" (which covers all kinds of baked goods, not just pies). I took some notes that ended up being pretty close to what Amanda's sister recommended. The one point I found interesting when researching this (I've only been at this altitude for 3 years, so I still have a lot to learn) is that you often need one or more extra egg to give the baking batter more structure - what I've found to be the greatest challenge in converting cake recipes at 5,000 ft and above.
I highly recommend Purdy's book, by the way. Every recipe was thoroughly tested at sea level, and 3,000, 5,000, 7,000 and 10,000 feet. Purdy provides a lot of detail not just in what adjustments to make, but why.
If Amanda had not chimed in, I would have advised you to find another recipe that was developed for and well tested at 5,000 feet. Especially with cakes, there is just too much trial and (mostly) error, at least for me, to struggle with converting a recipe where one tested for our altitude can be used instead. ;o)
By the way, what makes Purdy's book so helpful is that she tells you not only what to do, but why. I took a quick look at the King Arthur Flour baking-at-altitude-adjustments page and saw that they recommend using an egg to add liquid to cake recipes, but they don't say why.
"Pie in the Sky" is by far the best resource i've found since moving here. About 10 of the recipes have already become "keeper" favorites in my kitchen. ;o)
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Make sure your oven is actually at the required temp.
I just spent a few minutes (before seeing Amanda's response), consulting Susan Purdy's great resource on high altitude baking called "Pie in the Sky" (which covers all kinds of baked goods, not just pies). I took some notes that ended up being pretty close to what Amanda's sister recommended. The one point I found interesting when researching this (I've only been at this altitude for 3 years, so I still have a lot to learn) is that you often need one or more extra egg to give the baking batter more structure - what I've found to be the greatest challenge in converting cake recipes at 5,000 ft and above.
I highly recommend Purdy's book, by the way. Every recipe was thoroughly tested at sea level, and 3,000, 5,000, 7,000 and 10,000 feet. Purdy provides a lot of detail not just in what adjustments to make, but why.
If Amanda had not chimed in, I would have advised you to find another recipe that was developed for and well tested at 5,000 feet. Especially with cakes, there is just too much trial and (mostly) error, at least for me, to struggle with converting a recipe where one tested for our altitude can be used instead. ;o)
By the way, what makes Purdy's book so helpful is that she tells you not only what to do, but why. I took a quick look at the King Arthur Flour baking-at-altitude-adjustments page and saw that they recommend using an egg to add liquid to cake recipes, but they don't say why.
"Pie in the Sky" is by far the best resource i've found since moving here. About 10 of the recipes have already become "keeper" favorites in my kitchen. ;o)