When your oven dings to say it’s ready, Chef Fran Costigan, Rouxbe Director of Vegan Pastry has one response: not so fast. That cheerful beep does not signal a fully heated oven. Your cakes, cookies, and pastries will be at a disadvantage before they even go in. Learn the fixes and why oven rack placement matters and the difference between standard bake and convection modes.
These are the kinds of insights that transform your baking from guesswork into intention. In this month’s Essential Vegan Desserts Live Event, you’ll learn the what, whys and tips so every bake becomes more consistent.
About Fran Costigan
Fran Costigan is internationally renowned as the authority on vegan desserts. Trained at the New York Restaurant School and Natural Gourmet Institute, Fran was a chef in both traditional and vegan pastry kitchens before moving into teaching over 20 years ago. A lifelong chocoholic and long time vegan, Fran’s latest book, Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts, (Running Press 2013) is for all who madly, deeply love chocolate desserts, whether or not dietary considerations are an issue.
Her previous cookbook, More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally (Book Publishing Company 2006) is the basis of the Costigan Vegan Baking Boot Camp Intensive®.
For more information, www.francostigan.com.
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026
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Related Video FAQs:
- My over is broken, I have to chose a mode for top and a mode for bottom. I can’t do a thermal bake in the whole oven. Any ideas?
- I have a wacky oven that only does convection on top and thermal heat on the bottom. If I want my GF vegan cupcakes to dome, should I still put them on the top shelf?
- We recently learned how to cook Portuguese "pasteis de nata" the instructions say 500 in a commercial oven & lower in a home oven 430. Can you explain why there would be a difference?
- What's your view on using a bake versus convection bake setting?
- What is the difference between a gas oven and an electric? I grew up with a gas oven and it took me a while to get used to an electric oven.
- Have you heard that Violife is discontinuing its 1# block butter? They recommend switching to Country Crock. Have you used Country Crock sticks?
- I have an old oven which works well enough. I keep foil on the floor of the oven and wonder if it changes the way things cook, brown, timing etc. so what’s your advice on foil?
- Many of us are using counter-top ovens (Breville, Our Place, etc). Anything special you recommend for regulating oven temps, etc? I find mine cooks quicker than my kitchen oven.
- Is there a time/temperature setting difference when baking in a gas oven vs electric? My gas oven usually burns the corners and bottoms of cakes/cookies.
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