A question for the cooks (or maybe the pilots?)

[steph_goodrum]

Ok, having been baking for more years than I care to disclose, I have coome across something which I have never found before and it's got me a bit flabberghasted and wondering why.

I bought home a couple of Betty Crocker cake mixes with me, as well as a calendar with some recipes and having been home for 4 days and getting withdrawal symptoms, thought I'd make one up.

Instructions all straighforward enough but then underneath the instructions is a separate note:

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) and the instructions are somewhat differen, at least a couple of the recipes in the calendar have the same note - now it's only a "super moist - chocolate fudge cake" and I can't for the life of me see why there is suddenly a need to have "high altitude" instructions ....have people started living higher up mountains (it's not like climbers would be taking their cake mixes up with them) and wondered if someone else knew the obviously technical answer(and probably very simple one) as to why the cake should be prepared and cooked differently.

ps. anyone know how high Rochester in Kent is and should I have followed the other instructions, we are at the top of a hill

[chrizzy100]

The reason foods have these instructions is because the boiling point of water changes with altitude... As you go higher.. the boiling temperature decreases.

[Sally D]

Does this help[msnsmile2]

http://www.bettycrocker.com/baking/b...de_baking.aspx


Handy if you are cake making in Peru, but not sure about Kent[msnwink]

[blott]

As far as I remember, Betty Crocker packets have always had the high altitude instructions. I've always ignored them as I'm unlikely to be half way up Everest and then decide to whip up a quick bake cake!

[carolmc]

Blott,
You never know[msnwink]

[blott]

Oh I do Carol - I'm petrified of heights...

[linda allen]

I actually made a chocolate cake en route from LA in the first class galley. It was a Betty Crocker mix. We had to do something as crew to pass the time whist our first class passengers slept. We all enjoyed it, kept us going through those wee small hours.[msntongue]

[chrizzy100]

I hate hights...even more so after driving up a Mountain in Montana with my dad...nothing to stop you falling off...looking out the window at this long long long drop.......[msnscared][msnscared][msnscared]

[pbensur]

There are some areas in the U.S. which are situated at a high altitude and folks living there find these special instructions helpful! When we were visiting some relatives out West, they warned us about taking it easy for a few days because our bodies had to adjust to the change in altitude. I was amazed at how quickly I got light-headed and worn out from way less exertion than I was used to. Anyway, I'm sure that it's safe for you to ignore that part, Steph.

[Ray&Sarah]

Well you learn something new every day.[msnsmile2]

Linda I will have to remember to keep an eye open for the flight attendants making cakes in future.