Enter your elevation to fix cakes, breads and cookies that sink or dry out.
Why baking changes up high: lower air pressure lets gases expand faster and
water boil at a lower temperature, so leavened goods rise too quickly then collapse,
and moisture evaporates faster. Adjustments get stronger the higher you go. Start with
the smallest change, and adjust the next bake from there.
How to adjust baking for altitude
Below about 3,000 ft (900 m) most recipes need no change. Above that, the
higher you are the more you: raise the oven temperature slightly (sets the structure
before it over-rises), cut back leavening and sugar (which both weaken structure),
and add liquid (to offset faster evaporation). Very high elevations may also need a
little extra flour for strength.
These are starting guidelines — yeast breads are far more forgiving than delicate
cakes, which need the adjustments most.