Can we bake in microwave? How to Bake in Microwave? How to bake a cake in the microwave? Can I bake bread in the microwave? If you are too confused with such questions then this post answers all your queries.

So fasten your seat belts, no, no, no... sit comfortably, grab a cup of coffee and get ready for a flight into the world of microwave baking.

I have also summarised the details in the video below:

I am so happy today that finally, I am sharing about microwave convection baking with you all. It's a topic I had been wanting to write on this topic for a long time but somehow couldn't. Recently, when a lot many people asked about how to bake in the microwave, how to preheat it, what all accessories to keep in it while baking then this post became imperative.

Types of Microwave Ovens

Microwave oven and microwave convection are totally different from each other and you can bake in your microwave only if it's a microwave convection oven. Largely, 3 types of microwave ovens are available:

1. Microwave Solo or Basic Microwave:

• This is the basic microwave and it comes just with a glass turntable. This mode has no temperature, rather it has Power, ranging from High to Medium to low. The factory setting is of High only though you can reduce it if needed.
• This can be used for reheating, cooking, or defrosting food. Heating is done quickly in the microwave, in just a few minutes, depending upon the quantity of food to be reheated.
• In this mode, you can use only glassware or ceramic. Metal can not be used in this mode. It is because of this reason, that the disposable pans lined with aluminum foil can not be used for reheating in this mode. Similarly, ceramic with silver/golden lining cannot be used in it. Plastic can be used, but as it is not safe to use, my suggestion is that please avoid plastic in the microwave, even if it is of high-quality and food grade.
• Baking is a strict no in this mode. But yes, you can make Mug Cake in just one minute and a Microwave Chocolate Cake in 5 minutes, and even Besan Dhokla in 3 minutes in this mode. This is because then these are cooked and not baked.

 

2. Microwave Cum Grill:

• This is the same as the microwave solo but has an additional feature of grilling and thus comes with a steel rack along with the glass turntable.
• Thus, you can use it for grilling vegetables or chicken etc.
• Again, only glassware and ceramic can be used.

 

3. Microwave Convection:

• This is a microwave that has all the 3 features of microwave solo, grill, and baking.
• It comes with a steel turntable, short and tall metal racks, and a baking tray.
• On the control panel, along with other menus, it also shows temperature which can be adjusted as per the recipe. This temperature varies from 40 degrees C to 200 degrees C in my Samsung microwave convection. Others may have the same or maybe a little higher temperature.

What All Can I Bake in Microwave Convection?

Not only cake but anything and everything can be baked in microwave convection. Yes, you can bake bread, cookies, etc also in microwave convection.

To give you an idea of this, sharing some of my recipes which are made in convection mode of the microwave.

• Rasmalai Cake
• Basic Sandwich Bread
• Pizza Muffins
• Chocochip Cookies
• Garlic Roll
• Fruit Cake
• Pancake Lasagna

 

Pros of Baking in Microwave Convection

• Even distribution of heat from all sides.
• No hassle of selecting the element (rod), top or bottom or both.
• No hassle of selecting the rack, top or bottom or middle.
• Preheating is done quickly in approximately 5 minutes, even for the highest temperature.
• Gives a beep when the baking is completed, so if by chance, you get busy somewhere else, then it draws your attention to it.
• Baking is done quickly.

 

Cons of Baking in Microwave Convection

• Space limitation: Only one cake or a maximum of two can be baked at a time.
• Multi-level baking, as done in OTG is not possible in microwave convection.
• Temperature limitation: OTGs can be heated up to 250 degrees C whereas microwave convection reaches a maximum of 200 or 220 degrees C only.

 

Accessories in a Microwave Convection

Microwave convection comes with the following accessories:

1. Turntable: It's there in every microwave oven, irrespective of whether it's convection or not.
2. Rotossiare: Only in the grill and convection mode.
3. Metal rack, 1 or 2: Only in the convection mode.
4. Baking tray: Only in the convection mode.

 

How To Bake A Cake in Microwave Convection?

After going through the above info, you must be getting impatient as to how to bake in microwave convection?

First, I will discuss how to bake in microwave convection and thereafter answer some FAQs related to it.  In fact, these questions are more or less those which I have been asked many times on my blog. So, please go through these FAQ's and if you feel that your question has not been answered then please feel free to ask in the comments section or directly through the mail. I will try to answer your question and also include it here so that others may also be benefitted through them.

So, let's get started...

 How to start using microwave convection?

• First of all, you need to select the ''convection'' mode.

• Then set the temperature. Almost all microwave convections come with a factory setting of 180 degrees C as this is the most commonly used temperature for baking. Using the arrow key, set your desired temperature, in case it's other than 180 degrees C.
• Press ''Start'' and the preheating will start.
• The display window will show ''PRH'' or ''Pre-he'' or something like this (different brands show it differently)
• Once the microwave convection is preheated, it will give a beep.
• Simply open the microwave convection and keep your baking pan in it.
• Close its door.
• Set the time, again by using the arrow key.
• Press ''start''
• And now, the display unit will display the time. Like, if you selected 30 minutes then it will start showing 30.00 then 29.59 then 29.58 and so on till it reaches 0.02, 0.01 and finally, ''Stop" with a long beep indicating that it has been 30 minutes.
• Relax and wait for the beep after the time that has been set.
• If you feel that after the set time, it needs more baking then repeat the process and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more. At this time, you can straight away start baking and need not preheat it. This is because the oven is already hot.

 

Time to answer some FAQ's

Q. How heating is done in microwave convection?

A microwave convection oven comes with a built-in fan that circulates the hot air all around the food, which ensures even cooking.

 

Q. How do I know whether my microwave oven has convection or not?

This problem is faced by many especially when the microwave is there in your house since a long time and now neither you have its booklet nor the model number is of any help. Then, what to do? Simple! Scan the digital panel on your microwave moving your eyes all around.

• If you see the words, convection or temperature or bake then it means yours is a microwave convection.
• If the word, grill is seen but nothing related to baking then this means that it is microwave cum grill.
• Incase, none of the above words are there, then its a solo microwave oven.

 

Q. Can I use metal in the microwave?

•  Microwave convection behaves exactly like an conventional oven. When you use it in convection mode then your microwave is turned into an conventional oven (OTG). And therefore, you can use metal in microwave convection. Aluminium or even steel can be used for baking in microwave convection.
• But you cannot use metal in microwave oven.

 

Q. What materials can be used in microwave convection?

Any material, be it glass, metal,  silicone, disposable pans, or paper, can be used easily in the microwave convection. Just avoid using plastic, as it is not safe to heat in plastic for health reasons.

 

Q. How to preheat microwave convection?

After selecting the temperature, Microwave convection needs to be preheated. But unlike an conventional oven, you do not have to set time for this. Preheating time is inbuilt in the Microwave convection, which takes roughly 5 minutes to reach the temperature that you have selected. So, just set the temperature and press 'start''.

While it is preheating, the display window will show, "Pre-heat'' or ''PRH'' or something like this which means that preheating is being done. Once ready or say preheated it will give a beep indicating that it's ready. And thereafter, it will display the time. Like, if you selected 30 minutes then it will start showing 30.00 then 29.59 then 29.58 and so on till it reaches 0.02, 0.01 and finally, ''Stop" with a long beep indicating that it has been 30 minutes.

 

Q. What should be kept in the microwave convection while preheating?

Only the turntable and the steel rack remains inside the oven while preheating.

 

Q. Should I remove the turntable while baking?

No! The turntable is an integral part of the microwave oven. It remains inside the microwave oven irrespective of the mode, be it cooking or grilling or baking. So, remove it just for cleaning otherwise let it be on its seat (place) and do not disturb it at any cost.

 

Q. Should I use the steel rack while baking?

Yes, its must to use the steel rack while baking. Keep the steel rack on the turntable.

 

Q. Should I use a higher rack or lower rack while baking?

Ideally, the lower rack is used for baking and the higher rack is for grilling purposes. So, use only lower rack while baking.

 

Q. Can I use both, higher and lower racks simultaneously while baking?

Technically, Yes! But practically, No!

You can use both the racks simultaneously as heat is evenly distributed from all the sides in microwave convection. But, as both the racks rest on the turntable only, therefore placing and removing the racks, especially, with the moulds/pans on them, is a task. Once baked, taking out the baked products is quite difficult as its terribly hot at that time. So, do so, only in case of utmost urgency. I did it once only! And if you decide to bake in both the racks then remember to interchange the goods, like put the muffins/cookies from higher rack to lower and vice versa.

 

Q. Do I need a specific baking recipe while using microwave convection?

The recipe remains the same, irrespective of the mode of baking. The same recipe can be used for baking either in OTG or microwave convection or gas stove or air fryer.

The recipe remains the same just the temperature changes slightly.

 

Q. At what temperature should I bake in microwave convection?

• Though the recommended temperatures are 180 degrees C for baking a cake and 200 degrees C is for bread. But through experience, I have realised that baking with slightly lower temperature gives better results. And this is because microwave convection heats up much more than an conventional oven.
• So, reduce the temperature by 10 degrees from whatever is given in the recipe. Like, if the recipe asks you to preheat your oven at 180 degrees C then while baking in microwave convection, take it as 170 degrees C.

 

Q. Why does my cake burns from the top while uncooked from the centre?

A.  This is very rare and the possible reasons for this are:

• Cake is baked at too high temperature. So, try reducing the temperature atleast by 10 degrees.
• Cake pan is placed on the turntable instead of metal rack.
• There is too much heat from the top and this happens when the element at the top which is for grilling gets activated. In some microwave convections, grill coil at the top starts on its own at very high temperature. For example, in my microwave convection, at 200 degrees C, the grilling coil starts working along with baking. So, while baking bread, I keep the temperature to 190 degrees only. So, just check if something like this is happening in your appliance too.

Q) Is Microwave Convection Good for Baking?

Baking gurus say that a conventional oven is best for baking. I don't differ but microwave convection has always given me excellent results. Be it cakes or bread or cookies, everything comes out very good. Yes, Pizza is somewhat not satisfactory as the base doesn't get crisp.

For professional bakers, of course, OTG is the best as they can bake a lot many cakes/pizzas at one go. But if you bake only for family and friends then microwave convection does the job beautifully. And with one appliance you can do multiple tasks of cooking, heating, defrosting, grilling, and baking.

As far as the quality of baked goods is concerned, it is superb even in microwave convection.

 

Q) Is it Healthy to Bake in Microwave Convection?

This post is about how to bake in microwave convection rather than on whether or not it's healthy to use it. So, I reserve my views and leave that to you. There are multiple blogs on this topic and you can go through them and then decide.

But, if you have microwave convection and you want to use it for baking then please go through this post as it will probably answer all that you want to know.

Q) Can I bake a cake in Solo Microwave oven without convection? 

Yes, you can bake a cake as well as Mug cake in microwave even without convection. Cake gets ready in 5 to 6 minutes whereas Mug cake takes only one minute.

 

Q) Can I bake a bread in Microwave oven without convection? 

No. You need convection feature for baking bread or cookies.

 

Precautions While Using Microwave convection

• Always keep your microwave convection 6'' away from the wall.
• Ensure that the exhaust outlet, which is either on the top or on the side of the microwave convection, is not blocked. This is because the hot circulated air inside the oven is pushed out through this outlet. If it doesn't get released then it is forced to stay inside and your microwave oven may trip for some time.

 

Though I have tried to answer most of the questions but it is quite possible that I have left out some. So, please feel free to ask and I will be more than happy to ask.

P.S. Till now, I have used microwave convection, of two brands. My first was of BPL, from which I started baking and it gave me company for 24 years. Pretty long time, isn't it? Thereafter, I bought of Samsung and it is also working fine. My post is based on Samsung microwave convection, as this is the one I am using now.

 

Let’s Connect

I hope you have liked this tutorial for How to Bake in Microwave and baking on microwave will be easy for you now. Would love to have your feedback.I will be happy if you share your creations on Instagram and tag me #samirasrecipediary there.

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