Home made bread/cake query

SnowyOwl_2

Hi All

Some time ago someone posted a receipe for a malt loaf, and I have been churning them out with amazing regularity as they are totally gorgeous and so easy! Depending on what ingredients I use I can call it bread...or if it's sweet and v.moist it becomes a cake.

There's just a wee bit of a problem - the middle is normally "just right" but sometimes the top comes out with a crispy shell on it, which the next day will be v. chewy. Not so bad for bread but when it's a cake it's a right pain. What can I do to cure this problem?

For info here is the receipe/method.

Bread:
1 cup of tea
1 cup of all bran (I have however only used Bran Flakes)
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of dried fruit
Mix the whole lot up together and leave until the bran is v.v.soft
Grease a loaf tin.
Last ingredient - 1 cup of self-raising flour, just mix it into the mixture, with a dash of cold tea if it's v.dry
Put in the oven at 180 degrees, for 45 minutes.
(How easy is that!!!)

For variation I have chucked in some all spice (yum!), put in a mixture of dried fruit rather than just raisins on their own, or replaced a quarter of the dried fruit with something like sunflower seeds. Yum!!!!

To make it more cakey:
replace the tea with milk
use dessiccated coconut, sunflower seeds and raisins in equal measure
This is the one that had the rubberiest top...shame as the middle was totally addictive! Just want to cure that then it'll be perfect, any advice will be v.gratefully received. Thanks!

MimiJane

Wow, this sounds great snowyowl:) .... defo. going to try this one. Thanks.

Ticklemouse

Thanks for the recipe Snowyowl - can't help with your problem, but only the other day I was wondering what I'd done with my recipe for All-bran cake. Used to make it a lot. Will give it another go and if I can help with any of your problems, I will.

Only thought is , if it's a cake mixture that's gone crispy on top, serve it with custard as a pud. That should soften it.:D (I know this could be hard if you're using it in a packed lunch though:) )

Spendless

What about putting some tin-foil or greased proog paper over top of cake when cooking?

See if that works.

Paul_Varjak

My father was a master baker (I certainly am not), but I recall that, when baking cakes, he often wrapped the cake tin in brown paper and put some cardboard on top of the tin.

SnowyOwl_2

Hi all

Thanks for your replies. I think my first move will be to wrap the tin in sturdy brown paper and put a bit of cardboard on top, as per Paul's advice. The whole of the outside does get a bit too chewy, so that should help. Will give it a whirl tonight.

SnowyOwl

Paul_Varjak

SnowyOwl:

I.ve just remembered - the brown paper that you wrap around the tin should extend above the top of the tin so that the cardboard you put on top does not 'collide' with the cake as it rises!

loracan1

This reminds me of a recipe my auntie gave my mum many years ago - but that had a full cup of sugar. I remember it being 5 cups of things but could never remember what or the method.
Thanks for this, I'm going to try it out.

Curry_Queen

Would you be able to use flaked bran instead of All-Bran do you think, as I have a big bag of that in the cupboard I could use.

There's another recipe I used to make, on similar lines, and was also dead easy and very scrumptious but I can't remember the exact quantites :rolleyes:

It was a Boiled Fruit Cake and basically you put the dried fruit and spices into a pan of water (could use tea) and bring to boil and simmer for (I think) around 20 mins, then leave to cool off a bit. While still warm add a beaten egg and flour and pour into a tin and bake in the oven!

I wish I could remember where I found the recipe (must be nearly 20 yrs ago now) and what the measurements were as I'd love to make it again. It keeps very well too, although it never lasted more than a day or two with my lot

Ticklemouse

Curry_Queen

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find the recipe for the aforementioned cake. You have exactly as long as you want to find the recipe and preferably do a test run. I am available to aid with testing if required.:D

This message with self-destruct should I ever delete it.....

TM

Ticklemouse

However, have just found this recipe online. Annoyingly, it is a bbc/food recipe, so why is it in 'cups'?


Ingredients
1 cup castor sugar
1 cup sultanas
1 cup milk
110g/4oz butter
2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 egg
lined 900g/2lb loaf tin




Method
1. Oven temp 150C/300F/Gas 2.
2. Place the caster sugar, sultanas, milk and butter into a fairly large saucepan
bring slowly to the boil [giving sugar and butter time to melt].
3. Allow it to cool a little, then add the self-raising flour and the egg to the boiled mixture.
4. Mix together thoroughly and pour into loaf tin. Place in pre-heated oven for about 75-90 minutes. Allow it to cool in the tin.
Recommendations for accompaniments:
Nice cup of tea or coffee.
This has to be the easiest fruit-cake to m