High-altitude baking adjustments
Above about 3,500 feet, cakes rise too fast and fall. Enter your altitude and your recipe's amounts to get the adjustments Colorado State and New Mexico State University extension services publish, ready to print.
Table column: 3,500–6,500 ft
Adjusted for 5,000 ft
| Ingredient | Your recipe | Try first | If it still falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking powder | 2 tsp | 1¾ tsp | 1¾ tsp |
| Sugar | 1½ cups | no change | 1½ Tbsp less |
| Liquid | 1 cup | + 1 Tbsp | + 2 Tbsp |
| Flour | as written | + 2 Tbsp | |
| Oven | 350 °F | 365–375 °F | |
| Baking time | 30 min | 22–25 min, check early | |
- Change one thing at a time, smallest adjustment first, and note what works.
- Rich cakes may also need 1 to 2 tablespoons less fat; an extra egg, or a larger one, strengthens the batter.
Where the numbers come from
The leavening, sugar and liquid changes are Colorado State University Extension's cake table, with three columns: 3,500–6,500 ft, 6,500–8,500 ft and 8,500–10,000 ft. For each teaspoon of baking powder or soda, use ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon less; for each cup of sugar, 0 to 3 tablespoons less; for each cup of liquid, 1 to 4 tablespoons more. CSU advises trying the smaller change first, since it may be all you need, and raising the oven 15 to 25 °F so the batter sets before the bubbles grow too big.
The flour and time rows come from New Mexico State University's guide (via King Arthur Flour): 1 tablespoon more flour at 3,500 ft plus 1 more for each further 1,500 ft, and 5 to 8 minutes less per 30 minutes of baking. NMSU suggests the smaller oven increase for chocolate or delicate cakes and none in glass pans.
Grams and yeast
In grams and millilitres we apply the same changes as percentages: ⅛ teaspoon per teaspoon is 12.5% less leavening, a tablespoon per cup is 6.25%. For yeast breads, CSU's bread-machine advice is ¼ to ½ teaspoon less yeast per package and 1 to 2 tablespoons more liquid per cup of flour; let dough rise only until doubled.
Sources
- Colorado State University Extension. High altitude food preparation (Table 3, cake-recipe adjustment; yeast breads). Developed by Patricia Kendall, revised 2013.
- New Mexico State University. High-altitude cooking, Guide E-215 (Tables 2 and 3). Revised 2015.
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. High altitude cooking (eggs in baking).
Questions
Do I need to change every recipe?
Not always. New Mexico State notes that some recipes, especially commercial cake mixes, need little if any change up to 5,000 ft, and Colorado State suggests baking a recipe once as written before adjusting it.
Why does sugar go down and liquid go up?
Water evaporates faster up high, which concentrates the sugar and weakens the cake's structure. Less sugar and more liquid restore the balance.
What about cookies?
Cookies usually need only slight changes: a little hotter oven, a little less leavening, fat or sugar, and a little more liquid and flour. Start with the first-try column.