Baking quick questions

newleaf

It looks delicious!
It has some big airholes? So it looks like it rose and flopped back. Mixture too wet perhaps? Did you measure everything accurately?

mrbadexample

juliapenguin wrote: »

But the cake looks absolutely scrumptious and I'm going to put you on my Christmas list and we'll put my husband into your old oven...

Bless you! Can we give your husband some Stardrops to keep him busy while he's in there?

SUESMITH_2

juliapenguin wrote: »

You did say your bicarb was out of date - that won't have helped. But the cake looks absolutely scrumptious and I'm going to put you on my Christmas list and we'll put my husband into your old oven...

the age of the bicarb shouldn't make a difference all it is is sodium hydrogen carbonate which doesn't go off unless its been stored damp.

looks like it was maybe too stiff a mix? too cool an oven?

i always turn my cakes over and ice the bottom so they're nice and flat - my cake decorating books tell me to do that, even st delia says that

still looks delish though, love parkin

Sambucus_Nigra

Squish the outside bits down and call it a brownie cake. Then ice it. Sorted.

mrbadexample

SUESMITH wrote: »

the age of the bicarb shouldn't make a difference all it is is sodium hydrogen carbonate which doesn't go off unless its been stored damp.

Presumably it would have turned into a lump if it had got damp? Still nice and powdery, so don't think that's it.

SUESMITH wrote: »

looks like it was maybe too stiff a mix? too cool an oven?

The mix was stiffer than usual - I think the oatmeal may have absorbed some of the liquid. I've had the problem before, but this is the worst it's been.

So, perhaps a drop more milk to make the mix thinner next time?

Am I right in trying not to overwork it? What would happen if I mix it for ages?

mrbadexample

newleaf wrote: »

It looks delicious!
It has some big airholes? So it looks like it rose and flopped back. Mixture too wet perhaps? Did you measure everything accurately?

I always measure accurately!

I don't think it rose and flopped - I don't think it ever rose in the middle at all.

jamsandwhich

Might be one of those things you just don't know why it happened! The next one could be perfect - have you got a thermometer you could put in the oven next time it is on to check it is getting to temp/maintaning temp?

The only reason I mention the OOD ingredients is that in my Muffins book she says that lack of rising of your muffins can usually be put down to old flour/bicarb/baking powder which has lost its potency.

I bake loads and got the Hummingbird bakery book out of the library - have never made such a dire batch of cakes in my life - the mixture was flatter when it came out than when it went in:rotfl:AQm sure some people make lovely cakes out of it but for me the pictures and the results didn't tally!

Back to my tried and trusted old Bero Book and Granny's recipes.

Good luck next time.

debtmess

mrbadexample wrote: »

Nope, I'm convinced it's cooked - I've just eaten a slice from the middle:



Even if it was undercooked at 50 minutes, it wasn't going to rise any more in the middle.

And lets face it, a bit of icing's not going to hide that dip, is it? :rotfl:

i should somehow upload my last rainbow cake it went wrong, a few broke after trying to remove from the tin

butter icing saved it hehe inside (to sandwich together) and smothered over the top and sides

mrbadexample

I think what I'll have to do is keep adding to this thread every time I make a cake, in the hope that after sufficient documentation I'll be able to sort it.

Slice of parkin, anyone? :whistle:

oliveoyl

Did you wait for the oven to get up to the right temperature before putting the cake in?