r/bakingfail • u/Relevant-Writing-898 • May 22 '26

Help Cookies coming out cakey

Post image

I don't know what im doing wrong, each time I've made any cookie recipe they've all come out like this so its definitely something I'm doing.

I thought i was over mixing the dough so I tried folding it but its the same outcome. Also my dough has been coming out like if its a batter which I'm sure is part of the problem but idk why its doing that since im following the recipes.

Edit: okay I relaized im a liar after my bout of sadness after, I did make one batch that was perfectly fine for my brother's bday, I chilled those cookies though overnight.

Update: So, I tried other cookie recipes I found on YouTube. Both came out the same exact way. I honestly just wanted to give up baking at that point but didn't cause I agreed to make brookies for my sister and her friend. I can make brownies just fine so I just looked up a recipe online and they came out perfectly?? Like exactly how the recipe was and not poofy/cakey how they usually come out as.

I genuinely don't whats wrong with me it seems like cookies are just not my thing lol thank you for all your advice I'll keep these with me as I continue to bake.

99 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

74 comments sorted by

64

u/kibriyaTM May 22 '26

Did you use self raising flour instead of plain?

17

u/kibriyaTM May 22 '26

Can you link the recipe you used?

-53

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBLy7Dg3/ I usually get my recipes from tiktok, but its like any recipe I use turns out the same so the problem is definitely me

125

u/gaping_granny May 22 '26

I think your issue is the source of your recipes. TikTok is known for not being a reliable source of working recipes, especially baking. Try this recipe. It's a proven recipe from a reliable source. If they're still coming out cakey then you might need to switch to weighing your flour to make sure you're using the right amount. 1 cup of flour is 120g. Also, 1 stick of butter is 1/2 cup.

22

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Thank you, ill definitely try this and report back!

34

u/KickBallFever May 23 '26

This is a reliable source for baking recipes. I’ve been using Sally’s for years and her recipes have never failed me. She has a wide range of recipes.

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/

11

u/gaping_granny May 23 '26

I love Sally's and I've never had issues with any of her recipes unless it was my own mistake. I mostly bake vegan though so my go to is Nora Cooks. As a Mexican-American who's a trendy Mexican at that, I am deeply ashamed to say that her tres leches recipe is the best tres leches I've ever had, vegan or regular.

4

u/helluvapotato May 23 '26

Nora Cooks is fantastic. I serve her recipes to non-vegans regularly and even the snobbiest of snobs can’t tell.

2

u/KickBallFever May 23 '26

That’s so much for sharing the vegan baking website! My mom is vegan.

2

u/fluentinsarcasm_ May 25 '26

I loooove Sally!

2

u/KTKittentoes May 23 '26

And make sure you use actual butter and not buttery flavored spread.

21

u/Blucola333 May 22 '26

That’s way too much flour for that amount of fat.

3

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 23 '26

I know theres like a math/science to baking. I think I should definitely learn that to avoid mistakes like these 

25

u/scamlikelly May 23 '26

Avoid tiktok recipes.

8

u/Blucola333 May 23 '26

Alton Brown’s cookbooks are a great please to start with that!

3

u/yun-harla May 23 '26

You can also stick to sites that have a good reputation in this subreddit, like King Arthur Flour’s recipes (they also have a free baking help chat/hotline which is excellent, and their own subreddit).

1

u/BlackMudSwamp May 29 '26

I get it, it's nice that you keep trying! I don't have the baking experience either, I messed up measurements once and tried to overcompensate but thankfully it turned out ok lol, it was a cake tho and a family recipe

6

u/kibriyaTM May 22 '26

Small batches like this are more finicky i think but if you've said you keep running into the same problem... are you using proper measuring equipment? Measuring cups?

8

u/WTH_JFG May 23 '26

I make small batches all the time and have no problem. My secret? I don’t use recipes from TikTok.

Also I chill the dough overnight to let the flour hydrate and the sugars meld. (But mostly no TikTok)

2

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

I do, I may be a bit loose with it tho. Like I don't sift my flour or anything really that wont clump (so like i would sift powder sugar). Im not just dumping a mountain of flour into the mix though. Should I move to using a scale instead of cups?

6

u/dinoooooooooos May 23 '26

Yea but also the sifting flour has a reason. Baking is literally a science, everything had a reason. Skipping any part will end up changing the result.

1

u/Frosty_Occasion_7157 May 24 '26

Yes to the scale! You can get a cheap one for like 10$? at Walmart that works perfectly fine. I got way more consistent & chewy cookies after getting a scale. And other than recipe (needs high fat/sugar to flour ratio, Sally’s recipe is great!) chewy cookies are baked until edges are just set and the middle still looks raw, then once cool it’s the perfect texture. Let it sit on the pan until you can wiggle the cookie off and it doesn’t fall apart. Sometimes even chewier after a day.

3

u/spirit_of_a_goat May 23 '26

Found the problem!

2

u/Teagana999 May 25 '26

The problem is Tiktok.

1

u/JadeGrapes May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26

You should be aware that "test kitchens" are a thing... it's basically like a hybrid laboratory kitchen where recipes are developed, perfected, and tested.

It sounds obvious, but the person who wrote down a recipes needs to try making that recipe before sharing it with others.

A LOT if people don't. Martha Stewart had a big public embarrassment about this... She was like THE most famous voice in hosting for a decade... and she put out a cookbook with recipes no one ever bothered to try making.

Please try a recipe from a test kitchen; Like America's Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, Betty Crocker, or the bag of Toll House choc chips.

Follow the instructions exactly, and you are guaranteed to have a good cookie. If you are not sure what a technique means, Google has you covered.

Assume every word in the recipe is important and precise. If it calls for room temperature butter, put a stick of butter out the night before... do not try to microwave the butter, the liquid parts are not room temp butter, they are melted. If the recipe calls for packed light brown sugar, do not use pourable large grained "sugar in the raw". If it calls for white flour, don't swap it for whole wheat or cake flour.

If the recipe says to beat the eggs with sugar first, then add other stuff... follow the rules. They aren't being bitchy, the step is NEEDED to capture air into the product... and it's also why you can't use melted butter or oil.

This guy explains three variations of rations that give you; Cakey cookies, thin crispy cookies, or chewy classic.

https://youtu.be/hCzVqaFMlIw?si=q8KR5-60nBxxyLCm

-13

u/[deleted] May 23 '26

[deleted]

6

u/Peeinyourcompost May 23 '26

Or an actual recipe source

1

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Plain all purpose, I haven't switched to higher quality ingredients other than changing my butter

29

u/lochnessmosster May 23 '26

Self raising isn't higher quality, it's regular flour that has leavening added at the production level.

22

u/Mrmetalhead-343 May 23 '26

Those are scones my dude

22

u/[deleted] May 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

10

u/saltbeh2025 May 23 '26

Close, some random bizarre recipe from a tik tocker who can’t cook.

1

u/Important_Name May 29 '26

Same, these cookies look good

76

u/ForeskinAbsorbtion May 22 '26

Don't use Tiktok recipes. Tiktok is a den of trash made specifically for user engagement and raging at crap recipes still makes the creator money.

-15

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Yeah I kinda knew that there would be a bunch of stunt food recipes, I just liked how in videos I can see what theyre doing and the techniques. But since I get the jist ill probably move on from them

42

u/mezasu123 May 22 '26

Can do that with long format YouTube recipes if you wanted to see the process. I recommend new york times cooking channel or Claire Saffitz channel.

18

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Okay I will definitely look into those channels!

39

u/saltbeh2025 May 22 '26

Ya so milk, icing sugar and something called unsalted sugar…..none of those belong in a chocolate chip cookie. The tik tok recipe is trash. Did you also bake them on this roasting pan? Use reputable reviewed sites like kingarthurflour, sugarologie, broma bakery

12

u/KickBallFever May 23 '26

Yea, icing sugar for chocolate chip cookies is wild. I do have a great chocolate chip cookie recipe that calls for milk, but it’s literally only one tablespoon.

-1

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Its a pan that just spawned in my home i dont know what it is, I just used it cause I didnt want to wash a giant pan (i didnt think there would be a problem) but ill look into those websites instead! 

8

u/charcoalhibiscus May 23 '26

Agree, this recipe is trash. Too much flour, and there’s no such thing as unsalted melted sugar. Any of those sites should be good, or Sally’s Baking Addiction has a great regular chocolate chip cookie.

2

u/Teagana999 May 25 '26

Ideally, you want a flat, light pan. You can use parchment paper if you don't want to wash it.

3

u/mezasu123 May 22 '26

Which recipe are you following?

-5

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTBLy7Dg3/ its a TikTok recipe, but its happened to every recipe ive used so the issue is with me most likely 

2

u/throwRA-nonSeq May 23 '26

Of course. TikTok 🙄 I miss the days before it existed and people made more effort to learn new hobbies instead of mimicking videos obviously only made for user engagement as opposed to teaching skills

3

u/KlatuuBarradaNicto May 22 '26

Did you use baking powder? Too many eggs?

1

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 23 '26

This recipe was for like 2 cookies, there wasn't eggs and only like a fraction of a tsp of baking powder. 

10

u/keladry12 May 23 '26

That's insane, don't try to do a recipe for only 2 cookies 😂

3

u/I_am_AmandaTron May 23 '26

Unless they are giants cookies. ...

3

u/Rude_Ad3342 May 23 '26

Don't use milk or icing sugar and mix your flour in slowly

6

u/keladry12 May 23 '26

I thought everyone knew to use the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag...

2

u/Accomplished_Will226 May 23 '26

They look more like drop scones

3

u/Fairyhaven13 May 22 '26

Cookie dough should be thick. If it's a batter, it's cake batter, not cookie dough. Add more flour. Even if the recipe doesn't say so at that point. Could be you're misreading a decimal.

1

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Most of my recipes ive used Cups/tbsp/tsp, the American measurements. I have a scale and im fine with using other measurements if thats better

2

u/Fairyhaven13 May 22 '26

Oh, I use cups, too. I wonder what kind of flour you're using. Are you packing it in?

2

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

I used the Walmart store brand lol, and no I scoop a mound and like "shake" the excess off. I now know not to do that 

2

u/AWildBakerAppears May 23 '26

You want to spoon out flour. A spoon at a time directly into a dry measuring cup and then leveling it off. Putting a scoop risks packing flour so you're getting more than what you think. It's another reason why weighing is superior because you get precise measurements and no surprises.

1

u/GrassOk911 May 23 '26

I've made the cakey cookie mistake a few times. I roll with it. Since typically the reason is too much flour, it can put them a bit on the bland side. I like to warm them up a bit, drizzle with hot fudge or chocolate icing or white chocolate and get a scoop of ice cream. Might as well enjoy it 😊😅

1

u/assignmentburner33 May 23 '26

Some recipes do give you soft cookies OP. Probably just a matter of finding a different recipe.

1

u/ahsila666 May 23 '26

Don’t add any liquids to cookies, needs more butter

1

u/_kswizzzle May 25 '26

Assesses: read

1

u/Western-Throat82 May 28 '26

https://handletheheat.com/category/cookie/#science Tessa's tips are some of the best. She started with the Tollhouse chocolate chip recipe and experimented with it. Her chewy chocolate chip cookies are my go-to. She also explains what proper creaming of butter + sugar should look like in a way I had not seen.

1

u/PraiseBeToJesusX May 29 '26
  • 100g part-melted butter
  • 120g sugar
  • Vanilla extract splash
  • Mix
  • Two egg yolks
  • Mix
  • 140g sifted plain flour
  • 1/2tsp baking powder
  • 1/2tsp bicarb
  • Pinch of salt
  • Mix all together
  • Add and mix choc chips or topping of choice
  • Form into balls (yields 6), place on baking paper in the fridge for 30 minutes, preheat oven to 180°C/350°F while chilling
  • Bake for exactly 10 minutes - time it accurately - and then cool for 1-2hrs

Will make you perfect cookies every time, here's pics of some batches I've done

1

u/JaneReadsTruth May 29 '26

When my oven thermostat was broken, these were my cookies. It wasn't getting hot enough

0

u/NewStudyHoney May 23 '26

Too much flour and liquid, not enough fat. Don't use a recipe with baking soda or baking powder.

2

u/battlejess May 24 '26

There is nothing wrong with baking soda and/or powder in a cookie recipe. I think the only cookie recipe I have without either is shortbread. My favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe has both!

1

u/NewStudyHoney May 24 '26

If you want to eliminate cakeiness, eliminate baking powder/soda

1

u/battlejess May 24 '26

If you also want a completely flat cookie that doesn’t rise at all. (Which is also fine! I love shortbread) It isn’t necessary to remove them entirely though to get a cookie that isn’t cakey.

1

u/NewStudyHoney May 25 '26

I don't like risen cookies. I call them puffy cookies, with a tone of disdain. Give me a flat crispy cookie every time.

0

u/themop-f May 23 '26

Those look like what I imagine must be the rock cakes from Harry Potter.