The Causes of Nastar Cake Cracks When Baked, You Must Understand

The cause of the nastar cake cracking when it is baked. (Image Vecstock - Freepik)

YOGYAKARTA - Nastar cake is one of the typical dishes that are almost always present during celebrations such as Lebaran. Its soft texture with a sweet pineapple jam filling makes this cake loved by many people. However, not a few people experience problems when making it, one of which is the Nastar cake that cracks when baked. This condition certainly reduces the beauty of the Nastar appearance, and can even affect its texture. Therefore, it is important to understand what are the causes of Nastar cake cracking when baking so that the results remain smooth, beautiful, and appetizing.

Main Causes of Nastar Dough Cracks and Solutions

Dilansir dari laman foods, berikut ini beberapa penyebab paling umum adonan Nastar retak saat dipanggang beserta solusi praktis yang bisa langsung, yaitu:

Poor Quality of Materials

Cause: The use of less quality ingredients, such as butter or flour, can also affect the texture of the dough. The wrong ingredients can make Nastar cake not sturdy and easy to break when it is cooked.

Solution: Choose materials with good quality, for example materials with long expiration dates and materials with original brands in trusted stores.

Comparison of Incorrect Materials

Cause: Too much flour makes the Nastar dough dry and easy to break. Reported from Kompas, too dry dough can make the surface of the Nastar cake break when baked because it is less elastic. Meanwhile, too much butter actually makes it spread when baked. An unbalanced dough, for example too much flour or too little fat will make the texture not flexible so it is easy to crack when it expands in the oven.

Solution: Use ideal proportions, for example 3:2:1 for flour, butter, and sugar. Weigh the ingredients accurately using a digital scale.

Butter Not Frozen or Melted

Cause: Melted butter makes the Nastar dough difficult to shape and easy to crack.

Solution: Use butter in the cold state from the refrigerator. Avoid putting it in the room temperature for a long time before using it.

The process of mixing or mixing too long

Cause: Stirring the butter for too long makes the Nastar dough melt because too long kneading can trigger the formation of gluten. Stirring the dough for too long can cause the fat in the dough to melt and the texture to become too soft. As a result, the structure of the cake is unstable and can crack when baked.

Solution: Just shake it for a while, about 3-4 minutes. Knead enough so that the dough can be rolled, no need to knead.

Do not rest the dough

Cause: Nastar dough that is not rested tends to be unstable so it is easy to break when formed.

Solution: Leave the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before starting to form.

Pineapple Juice Too Wet

Cause: The high water content in the jam causes the Nastar dough to crack when baked. Reported from IDN Times, pineapple jam that is still wet or too much can make the dough become moist and spread when baked. This causes the surface of the Nastar cake not to withstand the pressure from the inside so that it eventually cracks.

Solution: Cook the jam until it is dry, firm, and not watery. If necessary, drain it first before filling it.

Oven Temperature Too Hot

Cause: The surface of the Nastar is ripe first, while the inside is not ready to expand. The result is that the Nastar is cracked. The oven temperature is too high, making the outside of the cake dry quickly while the inside is not perfectly ripe. This pressure difference causes the surface of the Nastar cake to break or crack. The oven temperature that goes up and down can make the roasting process uneven. As a result, the Nastar cake can expand imperfectly and the surface becomes cracked.

Solution: Use a temperature of 150-170°C. Avoid using an oven that is too hot or has not been preheated.

Olesan Yellow Eggs Too Early

Cause: Applying egg yolk before the Nastar dough is set can cause the surface to crack. Applying too much egg yolk or applying it at the wrong time can cause the surface of the Nastar cake to crack. The dry coating is not able to follow the changes in the dough shape when it expands.

Solution: First roast until half cooked, then apply egg yolk, then continue to roast until it is perfectly cooked.

The broken Nastar cake when baked is actually a fairly common problem, especially for beginners. The causes are also diverse, ranging from mistakes in making the dough to improper baking techniques. Factors such as dough that is too dry, jam that is too wet, to the oven temperature that is not suitable are the main causes of cracks in nastar.

To get a smooth and beautiful Nastar result, it takes precision in measuring ingredients, patience in processing the dough, and good oven temperature control so that the Nastar cake is delicious and has an attractive appearance.

That's an overview of the causes of broken nastar cakes when baked. Hopefully useful. Visit VOI.id for other interesting information.