On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:42:51 -0400, Bruce K.
> wrote:

>My new GE electric oven has a roast and a bake setting with an
>optional convection setting.
>
>My question is what does the oven do differently when it roasts rather
>than bakes?
>
>Thanks for your help.
>
>Bruce

This is just a guess of course because I haven't seen your oven...

Does your oven have a top element? If so, roasting probably involves
using both elements at once... roasting is generally a very high heat
from all directions, but baking heat comes from below and heats
through the pan - if you used the top element while baking it would
burn the top of your cake and spoil it, but you WANT that roasty
darkness on your roast beef.