High Altitude

Altitude usually begins to affect baking at above 3,000 feet due to the decrease in air pressure. This lower air pressure causes water to boil at a lower temperature, resulting in more evaporation during baking for drier cakes, cookies, or other baked goods. When the batter or dough is drier, it does not have the ability to gelatinize the starch fully, which is necessary to set the structure. The structure is compromised further by decreased air pressure: Cakes rise too much too quickly, the structure can’t support the rise, and then the cakes collapse.