The Great Solar Oven Pound Cake Disaster

[i_am2bz]

But you sound like a wonderful friend, and that's more important than an ole' pound cake!

 

[k0xxx]

On a side note--- I am loving the look of your solar oven. Did you build or purchase it? My husband is planning to build me one ( can't wait). Yours looks so tidy and beautiful-- tell me you built it and have plans available!

Hi, the oven was purchased. Here is a link to my review of the oven . It's from a company called Sylvan and it has a few minor issues, but overall the oven works fine.

 

[animalfarm]

I am a bit confused about the solar oven. If it is getting up to temp. say 350 for a cake, why does it take so much longer to bake something then a regular oven? A cake usually takes aprox. 40-50 minutes to bake and yet you have an underdone cake after many hours. What part of the picture am I missing? I read about the long baking times all of the time, but it doesn't make sense to me with the temperatures given.

 

[k0xxx]

I am a bit confused about the solar oven. If it is getting up to temp. say 350 for a cake, why does it take so much longer to bake something then a regular oven? A cake usually takes aprox. 40-50 minutes to bake and yet you have an underdone cake after many hours. What part of the picture am I missing? I read about the long baking times all of the time, but it doesn't make sense to me with the temperatures given.

The main reason is a constant temperature. Whereas a normal oven has a regulated temperature, a solar oven must be constantly aligned with the sun as it travels across the sky to maintain a constant high temp. Most people don't want to have to do this, so they usually only adjust it in wide intervals or not at all. The average temperature for mine is something closer to the 250 - 275 range with me adjusting it only about every hour. Also clouds and haze will decrease temperature, as will wind by cooling the glass cover. You can maintain a high temperature, but it takes more effort.

Hope that helps.

 

[animalfarm]

Thanks, it does help. I think you are giving the real life scenario instead of the sales pitch. Actually, I am kind of impressed that your cake turned out so well with the temperature of the oven being so low and you off galavanting around having fun most of the day and not attending to business.

Sounds like some adjustments to the design to boost temp. and placing the oven along one of my chore paths will get things cooking. I hope you keep posting about your efforts at cooking/baking with the oven as it is interesting and your reviews are informative. I am going to have to keep wind in mind big time, when I get my oven.

 

[GOOGLE NIKOLA TESLA]

Looks delicous to me! Aww wifezilla the strawberry idea sounds soo good turn the cake into a masterpiece!! Lol

 

[JRmom]

That cake looks just fine to me! Yum!

Years ago, my stepson had a school project... build a solar oven and cook something in it. He used a cardboard box lined with foil and my husband had a piece of plexiglass cut to fit. If I remember right, he cooked a cake in it and it turned out wonderful... of course we're in Florida.

 

[Denim Deb]

I wonder how hard it would be to build a solar oven. I've been wanting brownies, or the chocolate mayo cake, but don't want to heat up the kitchen.

 

[k0xxx]

I wonder how hard it would be to build a solar oven. I've been wanting brownies, or the chocolate mayo cake, but don't want to heat up the kitchen.

There are some extremely simple designs out. As simple as using a reflective car windshield reflector , or a pizza box with foil and plastic wrap .

They may take a little longer, but I'm told that they do work.

 

[Denim Deb]

When I get some free time, I'll have to try them. Thanks!