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Oven Temperatures

Suggested Baking Temperatures For Slow, Moderate, or Hot Ovens

Oven temperatures are important in baking, yet when the old-fashioned dessert recipes originated in the 1800s and early 1900s, wood-burning stoves were commonly used in kitchens. Keeping an even baking temperature required know-how, constant vigilance, and a ready supply of firewood.

Likely you have noticed that most old-time recipes do not specify exact cooking temperatures and times, but simply suggested using a "slow," "moderate," or "fast" oven. That's because very few of the old wood-stove ovens had temperature gauges.

On Mom's old kitchen cook stove, there was simply an ornamental metal trim piece on the front that you touched to judge whether the oven was hot enough for baking. The temperature of the oven varied, and Mom always had to test for doneness while baking.

The approximate wood stove oven temperatures are provided below to assist you in obtaining good baking results in a modern oven.

Wood Stove Oven Temperatures Chart

Helpful Household Hints Oven Temperatures For Wood Stove

Very Slow Oven = 275°F (135°C)

Slow Oven = 325°F (163°C)

Moderate Oven = 375°F (190.5°C)

Hot or Quick Oven = 425 °F (218°C)

Bread or Pastry Oven = 360°F (182°C)

Pastry Oven = A piece of writing paper will curl up brown when it's at the proper heat for baking pastry.

Note: Oven baking temperatures can vary 25°F (4°C), plus or minus.

Carefully testing for doneness every few minutes is recommended for best baking results.

Temperature Conversion Calculator

°F To °C

To convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius in recipes, subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature, multiply the difference by 5, and then divide the product by 9.

°C To °F

To convert degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, simply multiply the Celsius temperature by 1.8 and add 32.

Or, simply use the handy temperature conversion calculator below.

Cooking Schedule To Use With Oven Thermometer

Taken from the book "Mary At The Farm And Book Of Recipes" by Edith M. Thomas, 1915.

When a teacher of Domestic Science, the Professor's wife was accustomed to using a pyrometer, or oven thermometer, to determine the proper oven temperatures for baking. She explained its advantages over the old fashioned way of testing the oven to Mary and gave her a copy of the "Cooking Schedule," to put in her recipe book, which Mary found of great assistance, and said she would certainly have a range with an oven thermometer should she have a home of her own, and persuaded Aunt Sarah to have one placed in the oven door of her range.

Biscuit, small 300°F for 30 minutes
Biscuit, large 300°F for 30 minutes
Cake, Fruit 260°F for 2 hours
Cake, Sponge 300°F for 30 minutes
Cake, Loaf 300°F for 40 minutes
Cake, Layer 300°F for 15 minutes
Cookies 300°F for 5 minutes
Custards 260°F to 300°F for 20 minutes
Gingerbread 260°F to 300°F for 20 minutes
Pie Crust 300°F for 30 minutes, or less
Pudding, Bread 260°F to 300°F for 1 hour
Pudding, Plum 260°F to 300°F for 1 hour
Pudding, Rice 260°F to 300°F for 30 minutes
Pudding, Tapioca 260°F to 300°F for 30 minutes

Baking Tips For Vintage Dessert Recipes That Call For Wood Stove Oven Temperatures

One reason I try to provide several old fashioned recipes on a page is that, hopefully, one of those recipes will contain instructions as to baking times and/or baking temperatures. For instance, if one of the cake recipes suggests 30 minutes in a moderate (375°F) oven, those instructions should work for other recipes for the same type of cake.

Ultimately, all you can do is use the recipe's suggested time and temperature, if given; but before your baked item is expected to be done, begin to check it visually for doneness.

For instance, cookies should begin to brown, and you can insert a wire cake tester or fork into a cake to test it for doneness. If the wire cake tester or fork comes out clean without batter or crumbs attached, the cake is done. And don't worry, most of the old recipes are quite forgiving.

I recall that whenever Mom tried a recipe that was new to her, the first attempt was pretty much an experiment. Experimenting with the old-fashioned recipes and mastering them is a big part of their fun; that and getting to taste the dessert treats that our ancestors once enjoyed.

Grandma's old-fashioned dessert recipes should turn out okay using these basic oven temperatures and tips.

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My name is Don and I've dedicated my site to bringing you the best in vintage dessert recipes.

Grandma's historical recipes are given exactly as they were first published and sometimes lack exact temperatures and cooking times. Here, you'll find...

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