My Kitchen IQ is zero...

I just attempted a dump cake. You know, the one where you dump three ingredients in the stinking pan and cook it?

I burnt it.

I only cooked it for 1/2 the time, and I cooked it on the right temperature. I followed the directions EXACTLY.

Why the HECK can I not cook? Seriously. What the farkle. Blah.

heh

I'm sorry...

Though, I was just getting ready to post about dump cake. We made it tonight. Well, Allison did. I had to cook it a little longer than it said (how funny is that!?!), but it was great.

What kind of pan did you use? Is your oven off on the temp?

Man, do I understand! My dh got me a cookbook called "First Cook Book" and it is padded and the pages are cardboard....like baby books. I haven't even made anything out of it because I don't want to ruin whatever I try cooking and I know I will.:o

I'm sorry...

Though, I was just getting ready to post about dump cake. We made it tonight. Well, Allison did. I had to cook it a little longer than it said (how funny is that!?!), but it was great.

What kind of pan did you use? Is your oven off on the temp?

Well, the only thing I can figure is, the instructions didn't say whether to drain the pineapple juice or not, so I drained some of it. And the instructions don't say whether or not to use the entire cake mix. I assume so, so I did.

My pan is a glass pan, and I have no idea about the oven.. we just moved here, so it's a possibility.
It was starting to burn on top when I checked on it, so I just mixed it up a bit. It is looking lots better now.
:)

I made the dump cake last week and it didn't look like Jamie's but it was still yummy. It also took forever but I wonder if it had something to do with the stoneware I baked it in. What type of baking dish did you use?

Welcome to my world :lol I can only cook a few things that don't totally suck. I was thinking about posting a thread about having someone come over to my house and actually teach me. I'm desperate....

"what the farkle" :biglaugh

We used the crushed pineapple and didn't drain, since it doesn't say. We also used the entire box. The only thing that we did differently, was that my pan was a little smaller (8 x 11.5... I need to pick my 9 x 13 from a friend's...), and I didn't use a stick of butter and stick of margarine. We just put pats of Smart Balance (from the tub) and didn't leave much space for anything else. I think that's why it took a little longer... I added too much butter, maybe. LOL

But it was pretty good. Of course, Allison is quite the little chef. Her first meal was a roasted chicken with lemon and herbs, using fresh rosemary and thyme and actually zesting a lemon. She ain't half bad.

BTW - I wish I sucked at cooking... Maybe I'd be thinner. :biglaugh

I bet your oven is off. I think there's a thermometer you can get that will tell you what the temp really is, and you can figure out how to work with it.

I'm not a fan of baking.

Cooking is an art, baking is a science. I am an artist.

Ok, so there is a thermometer inside the oven. I just looked, and it was 425 even though I set it on 350! No wonder!!

DH had just complimented me on the dump cake... and then he crunched on something. I asked him if maybe it was a cherry pit or something... he said he didn't know. He got up to go to the bathroom, and then realized that it was his own tooth he had crunched. Apparently, part of his tooth just fell off...

My cooking really DOES suck. :(

Ok, so there is a thermometer inside the oven. I just looked, and it was 425 even though I set it on 350! No wonder!!

DH had just complimented me on the dump cake... and then he crunched on something. I asked him if maybe it was a cherry pit or something... he said he didn't know. He got up to go to the bathroom, and then realized that it was his own tooth he had crunched. Apparently, part of his tooth just fell off...


My cooking really DOES suck. :(

Surely your cake could not have done that on its own....seriously, don't be too hard on yourself. Sorry about your oven :hug

Oh no, Bree!!!

haha sorry, this *IS* laughable!
you can smack me later.

btw - chad's tooth broke in half a while ago, he's getting all four wisdoms pulled next week. fun!

Aw man, nothing like a blow to the confidence from a bad oven. At least YOU have a good reason for not baking well now. :lol

Bree...put the pan down...walk away from the oven. Microwaves are your friend! :lol

Go ahead...hit me.

It's ok. I have a fair amount of ok-ness with the fact that I should just stay out of the kitchen. :lol

But I will be smacking both Amba and Emily the next time I see you... with a rolling pin. Cuz that's all it's good for in my kitchen. Smacking people.

Your thermostat is probably off. It's not you!!!
You can pick up a little oven thermometer at Wal-mart for under $5 and it will solve all of your dessert baking woes!
When a thermostat breaks in an over you have only one temp: HOT!!!
If you're renting, call your landlord. They are easy to replace.

My dh got me a cookbook called "First Cook Book" and it is padded and the pages are cardboard....like baby books.

sorry - this made me laugh...:lol

OMG this thread has me cracking up. Bree, I'm sorry to laugh, but reading about your DH biting into something hard made me laugh so hard I startled the baby.

I totally suck at cooking, but I am the one who does it 85% of the time for our family. We can barely make it through some of my dinners :lol.

For Bree's sake I have to post that I had 2 whole servings of her dump cake and it was wonderful! I am even sick to my stomach from eating too much. At least I hope that is why I am sick to my stomach!! :lol

Sorry about your oven; I was guessing it was that and/or you used a glass cake pan. Those usually require a lower temperature...about 25 degrees less. But yeah, from what your oven is running, I'm not surprised it was burned, then. :) Totally not your fault!

For Bree's sake I have to post that I had 2 whole servings of her dump cake and it was wonderful! I am even sick to my stomach from eating too much. At least I hope that is why I am sick to my stomach!! :lol

You said you were gonna be nice!! :lol