A Note About Baking in Peru

Post #2

Things made (food-wise) while in Peru and how they turned out:

Item: yellow cake with chocolate frosting
Result: the cake didn't reallyg rise and the frosting was incredibly sugar-y

Item: banana carrot bread
Result: again, it didn't really rise, but tastes delicious

Item: peanut butter
Result: very good, but a little burnt tasting

In the US, one of my favorite things to make are brownies. When I was studying abroad in Ecuador I tried to make them twice, and both times the turned out terrible (granted I forgot to do the whole high altitude conversions). With the cake and bread attempts here, I think it might have to do with the sugar. The sugar I buy here is the big granule type (kind of like Sugar in the Raw) and a friend told me this may be too heavy for the cake to rise...interesting.

In general, it's just hard to make conversions. Ingredients are different as well as oven-devices. The ovens that do exists here are generally gas powered and cost way to much to use. When I baked the bread and cake, I used an electric portable oven that did not have a temperature setting.

I am going to keep trying to make things until I can figure out some successes. The next thing on the list to make...oatmeal cinnamon raisin pancakes...I can't wait!