{"id":6726,"date":"2023-08-19T19:30:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-19T23:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bakingnook.com\/?p=6726"},"modified":"2023-10-11T20:09:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T00:09:40","slug":"why-did-my-macarons-crack-on-top","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bakingnook.com\/why-did-my-macarons-crack-on-top\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Did My Macarons Crack on Top? Fixing & Preventing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
This post contains affiliate links.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Macarons are delicate and delicious desserts that can be quite tricky to make for anyone in the kitchen. One of the most common problems with macarons is that they crack on top! <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a whole, macarons crack on top when there’s too much air in the batter. Overbeating macaron batter adds excess air pockets into the mixture making them crack as they bake. The excess air causes the macarons to rise too quickly while baking which then makes them crack on top.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ve experienced many cracked macaron tops over the years, it almost felt impossible to get right! After much experimentation, I have figured out the best ways to fix and prevent them from happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Macarons are one of the most difficult desserts to master because of all the things that could go wrong. One of the most common problems is a cracked top which is always a nuisance!<\/p>\n\n\n Here are some of the major reasons for macarons cracking on top:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though there are many factors that could affect the famous smooth tops<\/strong> of macarons, there are simple ways to prevent them from ever happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you overbeat the egg whites, it adds too much air to the batter. This causes the macarons to rise too quickly and then crack. So make sure to NOT<\/strong> overbeat the egg whites while mixing the batter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of whipped egg whites is to provide stability and structure to baked goods like macarons.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you overbeat them, the foam becomes too dry and stiff to work with which is why cracks occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *By the way,<\/strong> I wouldn’t be able to fix my runny buttercream frosting if I didn’t have the right type of mixer. <\/strong>For this situation, I used a 5-Speed Electric Hand Mixer<\/a><\/strong> which can get the job done! You can check out the Hand Mixer I use on Amazon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what happens when you don\u2019t pay attention to the baking time. <\/strong>If you under-bake or overbake your macaron mixture, it will crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Underbaking will cause the macarons to be gooey on the inside and overbaking will make them tough.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Underbaking means that the macarons retain a lot of their moisture which causes them to expand too quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The quick expansion causes cracks!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Overbaking, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. Too much moisture is evaporated which causes the cookies to be dried out. This results in cracked tops!<\/p>\n\n\n\n *By the way,<\/strong>\u00a0I recently wrote an article explaining\u00a0Why Your Macarons Could Turn Out Crunchy When Done.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0In this article, I break down all the different ways\u00a0to fix and prevent overly crunchy macarons<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in every scenario. You can check out this article here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there is too much moisture in the batter, it will cause the macarons to crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is because the moisture turns into steam when it hits the hot oven and causes the macarons to rise too quickly and then crack.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n I always had the old-fashioned parchment paper roll in my kitchen but I recently came across a Box of Heavy Duty Flat Parchment Paper Sheets<\/a><\/strong> that work great without trying to rip the perfect sheet which never seems to work out. These sheets come in different sizes to fit your pans!<\/strong> You can check out these parchment sheets on Amazon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like overbeating the egg whites, overmixing the batter will add too much air to it as well.<\/strong> This will cause the macarons to rise too quickly and then crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While these two methods might sound the same, they are really not. The words overmixing and overbeating are used differently depending on the tool <\/strong>that you are using for the mixing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *By the way,<\/strong> I recently wrote an article about All The Different Mixing Methods in Baking.<\/a><\/strong> This article talks about the 10 different mixing ways you can use<\/strong> when making your baked goods. You can check out this article here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a common mistake<\/em><\/strong> I see people make while baking macarons. They make the batter and then immediately bake the macarons without letting the batter sit first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The batter needs to rest for at least 30 minutes<\/strong> so that the air bubbles can escape.<\/em> Otherwise, the macarons will rise too quickly and then crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *By the way,<\/strong>\u00a0I recently wrote an article explaining\u00a0How To Prevent Your Macarons From Sticking To The Baking Paper.<\/a><\/strong> In this article, I break down all the different ways\u00a0to prevent having sticky macarons\u00a0and what to do to avoid it every time.<\/em><\/strong> You can check out this article here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the oven is too hot, it will cause the macarons to rise too quickly and then crack. Overheating the macaron batter will cause most of its moisture to escape.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This will make your macarons dry and potentially crack in the heat!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The ideal temperature for baking macarons is around 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n *By the way, <\/strong>if you’re looking for some new cookie sheets\/baking pans<\/strong> to replace for your kitchen, I recently came across the Perfect Nonstick Cookie Sheets \/ Baking Sheets Set<\/a><\/strong> that I got for myself and they work great! You can check out these Nonstick Cookie Sheet Set on Amazon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Generally speaking, the ideal temperature for baking macarons ranges between 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit. Getting the right temperature is important because macarons are sensitive to high temperatures which tends to brown the macarons and make them unevenly baked.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is a chart I made that demonstrates the corresponding temperatures and baking times:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best way to find out the right temperature to bake with your oven is to test a few batches of macarons <\/strong><\/em>and choose the best settings based on your oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is a video I found that experiments with baking macarons in different temperatures and placements in the oven:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Did My Macarons Crack On Top?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
The Egg Whites Were Overbeaten<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Macarons Were Underbaked or Overbaked<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Excess Moisture In The Macaron Batter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Macaron Batter Was Overmixed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You Didn’t Give The Batter Enough Time To Rest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Oven Was Too Hot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What Temperature Should I Bake Macarons?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Temperature<\/th> Baking Time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead> 285 Degrees Fahrenheit<\/td> 12-15 Minutes<\/td><\/tr> 300 Degrees Fahrenheit<\/td> 10-13 Minutes<\/td><\/tr> 325 Degrees Fahrenheit<\/td> 8-12 Minutes<\/td><\/tr> 340 Degrees Fahrenheit<\/td> 7-10 Minutes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n