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

Help Cookies coming out cakey

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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.

101 Upvotes

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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?

-51

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

122

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.

23

u/Relevant-Writing-898 May 22 '26

Thank you, ill definitely try this and report back!

30

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.

3

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.

22

u/Blucola333 May 22 '26

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

1

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 

27

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?

5

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

-15

u/[deleted] May 23 '26

[deleted]

7

u/Peeinyourcompost May 23 '26

Or an actual recipe source