Disappointing cake - what did I mess up? Rachel Allen

frivolous_fay

Hi all,

Have now made 2 attempts at Rachel Allen's iced orange cake, from Bake.

Ok, so my tin is 1 inch bigger than she suggests, and I'm using large eggs. Could these be the reason it's turning out sunken and dry? Baking time is 35-40 mins - yesterday I took it out of my fan oven after 20 and it passed the skewer test... And was still pretty dry!

It seems a bit runny before it goes in (absolutely no need to 'smooth the surface') but I don't know if that's purely down to the eggs.

Has anyone made this cake or got any words of wisdom?

TIA!

jackieglasgow

What recipe is it Faye? I've used loads of RA's recipes and they're usually pretty reliable. Post it and the regular bakers will decipher it, but you are probably right, you might have too much egg.

ETA Is this it, I did a search?

Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)

Ingredients





For the cake

• 100g butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 orange, finely grated zest only
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• 125g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

For the topping

• 100g icing sugar
• 1-2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Butter and flour the sides of a 20cm cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.

2. For the cake: melt the butter gently in a saucepan and set aside.

3. Using a hand-held electric beater, whisk together the eggs, grated orange zest and caster and icing sugar for a few minutes until light and slightly fluffy. Stir in the melted butter and sift in the flour and baking powder. Fold it all together gently.

4. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin, smooth the surface and bake in the oven for 35–40 minutes or until golden and set in the centre and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

5. Place the tin on a wire rack and allow to stand for about ten minutes before removing the cake carefully from the tin. Allow to cool on the wire rack.

6. For the topping: sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in just enough orange juice until it is soft but not runny.

7. When the cake is cool, place it on a serving plate or cake stand and spread the icing over the top. Serve in slices.

zippychick

Hi Fay

CAUTION - GUESS WORK COMING?!

it could be something to do with the size of the eggs? Or the fact you are using a fan oven? Have you tried cooking it on a lower shelf , with the fan off at the temperature stated? That's where i would start. I would also weigh the eggs out of pure nosiness and compare them to the proportion of flower and sugar - which are between 100-125g, so if your two eggs weigh 250g they out skew the recipe?

Someone posted lately about egg sizes.....

JACKIE YOU HALLION!:rotfl:

zippychick

Here are the egg sizes quoted a few weeks ago - so you can see how much the size varies.

Looby_Lou wrote: »

Most of the supermarkets seem to sell packs of eggs that are mixed sizes for less money, which is great but if you are baking then the following may be useful

small eggs weigh less that 53g
Medium eggs weigh between 53g and 62g
Large Eggs weigh between 63g and 72g
Very Large eggs weigh over 73g

If I'm planning on doing lots of baking I will weigh each egg and write S/M/L on each one. (I know I'm sad!)

Hopr this helps!

jackieglasgow

:p:p

Right, first off, you have too much egg, the cake is taking longer to set, which is drying it out. Make sure your sabayon, which is the whipped egg mixture, is properly frothy but not too stiff, and thirdly make sure the butter is just melted and not hot. Try what zippy said and put the fan off, some recipes I use the fan is just too drying, or put a small dish of water in the bottom of the oven. And make sure the temp is correct.

Alternatively, make a Victoria Sponge mix, and flavour it with orange, that should be pretty similar. Weigh your eggs in the shell, and use the exact same weight in butter sugar and flour, and add your orange zest and a little juice.

ETA Could someone who speaks English please translate what that Zippy chick just called me, please? :rotfl:

zippychick

jackieglasgow wrote: »

:p:p
sabayon,

Alternatively, make a Victoria Sponge mix, and flavour it with orange, that should be pretty similar. Weigh your eggs in the shell, and use the exact same weight in butter sugar and flour, and add your orange zest and a little juice.

SABAYON?! OOOOOOOOO! :rotfl::D That's what I would do - people think the egg weighing is a load of hassle but i mean, it takes two seconds to weigh an egg! Then same amounts of fat flour and sugar. If anything, I find that even easier as you don't have to remember quantities! :j

jackieglasgow wrote: »

ETA Could someone who speaks English please translate what that Zippy chick just called me, please? :rotfl:

Oops, using a colloquialism. here discusses and links to here . So basically, you're a cheeky minx.:rotfl:

frivolous_fay

Yes, that's the rIght recipe Jackie.

Yesterday I baked on the lowest possible shelf, not sure about the first time. I haven't tried turning off the fan - haven't had this much trouble with a cake before using the fan

Do you weigh the eggs unbroken?

zippychick

I never use the fan for cakes - AFAIK the fan makes it run quicker? *shrugs*

yes, in the shells as they are x

jackieglasgow

Yes, always with the shell for some reason. You should always bake on the top shelf as it's the hottest, if it's at the bottom it will take longer to cook, and so dry out. Try using the water, and having the shelf about 3/4 of the way up the oven.

To zippy, Can I report you to abuse for that?

jackieglasgow

Thanks for that very useful link, Board Guide!

Maybe your oven is just rubbish! Is it time for me now to confess that I used to cook for a living? (Where's the sheepish smiley?)

zippychick

Right there!

No , i genuinely find that interesting - and I am pleased to have learned something new! Maybe my baking will get on even better now! :j