Abstract: A baking machine for cooking batter to form ice cream cones and the like comprises a plurality of griddles which are driven along a path of movement through heating zones for the purpose of cooking the batter. Principal features of the invention include: an automated and responsive gear-type control mechanism for starting and stopping griddle movement, include provision of means for ensuring proper meshing of the gears; and an efficient top-bottom burner system which ensures efficient and uniform cooking of the batter by provision of separate supply lines to the top and bottom burners, respectively, as well as a master-equalizer valve arrangement in which the master valve regulates flow to all burners and the equalizer valve provides for equal heating at top and bottom burners.