What Temperature Do I Bake? A Clear Guide for Perfect Results Every Time

Baking temperature really depends on what you’re making, but most baked goods turn out well somewhere between 325°F and 400°F. For cakes, cookies, and most desserts, 350°F tends to work best—it gives you even cooking without burning anything.

That range helps you hit a good texture and flavor by balancing heat and time. If you go lower, like 325°F, your food will cook slower and might stay moist longer.

Cranking the oven up toward 400°F works better for roasting or crisping foods fast. Adjusting the temp inside that range lets you steer how your dish ends up.

Knowing the right oven temperature can spare you from dry or undercooked disasters. If you want a deeper dive, here’s a handy oven temperature guide.

Baking Temperatures for Common Foods

Different foods need different heat to come out right. If you want bread, cakes, cookies, or pastries to actually taste good, you need the right oven temp.

Ideal Oven Temperatures for Bread

Most lean-dough breads finish baking at an internal temp of 190–210°F (88–99°C). To get there, set your oven between 350°F and 450°F (175°C to 232°C), depending on what bread you’re making.

Crusty, rustic loaves like it hot—around 425°F to 450°F. Softer breads do better closer to 350°F.

Grab a thermometer and check if your bread’s center hits the safe zone (ThermoWorks). No one wants a doughy middle.

Baking Cakes at the Right Heat

Cakes usually bake best at 325°F to 350°F (163°C to 177°C). That range helps everything cook through without burning the edges or leaving the center raw.

If you go too hot, your cake might crack or dry out. Too cool, and you could end up with a dense, sad lump.

Try for an internal temp near 200°F (93°C) if you want to check doneness, but always peek at your recipe.

Cookies and Pastries: Temperature Guidelines

Most cookies and pastries like it between 325°F and 375°F (163°C to 190°C). This window gives you that golden outside and soft inside.

For things like scones or biscuits, 375°F usually gives you a nice, flaky bite. Cookies are a little trickier—crisp ones want a hotter oven for less time, chewy ones prefer it a bit cooler and slower.

Always check your recipe for specifics (ThermoWorks baked goods temps).

Tips for Achieving Consistent Baking Results

Getting consistent results comes down to controlling oven temp and knowing your kitchen. Every oven has its quirks, so learning how yours behaves will save you a lot of headaches.

How to Calibrate Your Oven

Don’t just trust your oven’s dial. Stick an oven thermometer in the center and preheat to your target temp.

If the thermometer says something different than your dial, adjust your setting next time. Say you want 350°F but it reads 330°F—bump it up a bit.

Check this every few months, since ovens tend to drift over time. Calibrating makes sure your bakes aren’t underdone or burnt.

Convection vs. Conventional Oven Settings

Convection ovens have a fan that moves hot air around, so food cooks faster and usually at a lower temp.

If you’re using convection, drop your recipe’s temp by 25°F. For example, if your cake recipe says 350°F, set it to 325°F instead.

Conventional ovens don’t have the fan, so just use the recipe’s temp. With convection, keep an eye on things—baked goods brown faster, so check for doneness a little early.

Adjusting for High Altitude Baking

When you bake above 3,000 feet, the lower air pressure messes with how heat moves and how leavening agents react.

Try bumping the oven temperature up by 15 to 25°F. This usually helps your baked goods set up faster and keeps them from puffing up too much.

Cut back a bit on baking powder or soda—just a touch less than usual. If things seem dry, add a little extra liquid to your recipe.

With these tweaks, you’ll get a better texture and avoid dry, sunken cakes up in the mountains.