dry cakes...

BabyElephant

i know this isn't really money saving but wondered if anybody could tell me why my cakes are dry - according to my hubby that is...

i decided to bake a data and walnut loaf, which i have to admit i haven't done for years, and he says "why is it dry and not moist like my mum makes" - ugh. i am wondering if it's because we have an electric oven now and not a gas one or are the dates simply soaking up the moisture in the cake and perhaps i should soak them in something before i use them

oh and i made my first family fruit cake EVER last week and according to hubby that was dry too

i want to bake a rich fruit cake but i'm worried that will be dry too...

HELP!

elona

Make the same cake and before he tries it - tell him that his Mum made it!

Either that - or get Mum to bake a cake and do not tell him - I bet that will be "too dry" too!

newleaf

Sometimes they are better if you keep them in an airtight container for a day or two? Fruit cake definitely improves with keeping.
I admit I prefer a gas oven myself, but it's what I'm used to. Could you be overcooking them?

troll35

You may have inadvertently cooked the cake for a bit too long. I find with my fan assisted electric oven that I not only have to adjust the temperature down (about 10 degrees) a bit but also the cooking time. With my oven I regularly knock off 5 mins for every 1/2 hour of cooking time for cakes. If the cake requires 1 hour to bake I will start checking it with a skewer after 45mins (the skewer will come out clean if cooked or will have cake mixture stuck to it if not).

janb5

Tell your other half to learn some tact and diplomacy! Most of us have used recipes at one time or another which have been expensive mistakes ! Like Newleaf, I`d recommend using a tin to store them in rather than plastic.

I`m sending you my friend Wendy`s fruit cake which is great and is reliable. Hope you enjoy it and your husband does too!

Saucepan cake

This makes a very moist fruit cake. However it only keeps for about 2 weeks at most. Can be frozen

7" square or 8" round tin. , lined with greaseproof paper

1.25 lbs mixed dried fruit(8oz sultanas,8oz raisins ,4oz currants
8 oz butter or marg
6 oz caster sugar
3 eggs beaten
12 oz SR flour
1 teaspoon almond essence(optional)

Put fruit in saucepan cover with cold water and boil for 10 minutes. Drain fruit well and put back in saucepan with butter and melt over very low heat. Take off heat and add sugar and eggs. Beat well then add flour and essence and beat well again. Pour into tin and bake in oven for 1 hour at 300 deg F (150 deg C) then a further hour at 250 degrees F(130 C)

If you do this recipe, please let me know how you got on with it. HTH

Jan
x

BabyElephant

gosh i can't believe it's been so long since i was on here last - i have sorted the date a walnut, i soaked the walnuts in milk before using them and that seems to have sorted that problem.

i also managed to make my first ever rich fruit cake - thanks for all the tips. i did check it earlier than the recipe suggested - and i'm glad i did otherwise it would have been burnt. i then stored it in a tin for a few days before hubby saw it and tasted it and said it was great...

janb5 - thanks for the recipe, i'm going to try that one this week, it sounds very similar to the one my MIL uses. i'll let you know how it turns out.

as for hubby being tactful - at least i know where i stand with him - lol

LJM

that saucepan cake sounds yummy,have just made a malt loaf though,may have a slice with my cuppa