Any bakers out there??......

lynsayjane

I've found since moving that everything I cook in the oven is burnt on the bottom no matter how perfect on top/in the middle. The oven looks ancient and has been a bit iffy since I moved in Oct.
Tried giving it a good clean (well for me, am by no means a pro) and the oven sheet thing from lakeland but it's put me off doing much in the way of baking as I can barely cook a pizza in it!

Hope you manage to succeed OP

LJ
x

mtbbuxton

As Wee Pilsbury says, it's worth investing in one of these to check your oven temperature http://www.tesco.com/direct/oven-thermometer/163-9836.prd?sc_cmp=tp4_aff_1790409
Other suppliers are available

You also need to get your ratios correct and personally I've never had any success with the egg weighing method. For basic sponge cakes I use a Mary Ford all in sponge recipe and it's never failed me yet. It's in this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quick-Easy-Cakes-Mary-Ford/dp/185479437X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-1&keywords=mary+ford+quick+and+easy+cakes but you could possibly find a copy in the library. The best bit about it is that it gives measurements to suit many tin sizes, both round and square.

Another good source of easy recipes is the Be-Ro cookbook, which costs about £1.50 and is sold in some supermarkets. If you can't get hold of a copy, the recipes are available online too
http://www.be-ro.co.uk/f_insp.htm

Good luck,

M x

Suffolk_lass

I would try a couple of the simple Mary Berry recipes that are all-in-one (loads on-line) - i.e. you mix all the ingredients together at the same time. Do this with a mixer or processor preferably, so you do not overwork the flour (unlike bread, you do not want the gluten to develop or your cakes or pastries will be tough). If you try something like the lemon drizzle tray bake that is tried and tested, and that goes wrong, it may well be your oven and at that point, all the thermometer advice, temperature and timing modifications come into play, but I would try a straightforward recipe and weigh the ingredients (I have never weighted eggs but lots do - I count them as an ounce or 20g/ml and that works. Most British recipes will say x number of large or medium eggs. You will need to add a raising agent (usually baking powder) to an all-in-one mix to substitute for the air that the creaming method incorporates (that is beating butter and sugar together, then add an egg at a time, then fold in the flour to keep all the flour in - as one of the previous posters' recommended. The consistency you are aiming for is between custard and mashed potato, if you know what I mean. A dribble of milk to slacken (stirred in gently, or a little more flour if it's too runny.

To check for "doneness" the cake top should feel a bit firm (crust has formed) and should spring back when you press (about the same as sticking a self-adhesive stamp on an envelope!). If it doesn't, give it a few more minutes, until it does

For a tray bake I line the bottom of the tin with old butter papers, to ease tipping it out but greasing is fine, so you can tip it out with a little encouragement (running a knife round the sides to unstick and stuck bits) but leave it for 5-10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Best of luck.

By the way, Mary Berry does no-bake recipes to cook with children too - you could start there. Even if they are not perfect they are made with love and will taste delicious, because of who made them!

SL

poorly_scammo

Here are my tips because these are far more important than individual recipes I think:

1. Get a good set of scales and measure all ingredients accurately. Baking is not like 'ordinary' cooking where a splosh of this and a handful of that is OK. You must measure otherwise you won't get a good result.

2. As others have noted, check the temperature of your oven and buy an oven thermometer. My inherited oven from the previous owners of my house is like a blast furnace. Since I bought an oven thermometer, my cakes are no longer charred.

3. Grease your tins well. Yes, I know the majority of them nowadays are non-stick but I still grease mine because I'd rather be safe than sorry.

4. Unless stated otherwise in the recipes make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. (Doesn't apply to pastry)

5. When making cakes, don't overmix. It's one of the worst things you can do and will result in a heavy cake, regardless of the recipe. Mixing the batter is only done to combine ingredients. Unless you're making meringues or similar, you are not trying to beat air into the mixture. For this reason, I never use a processor or electric mixer, although many people do.

6. Batters for sponge cakes will be slacker than mixtures for fruit cakes. This is because the fruit will sink if the mixture isn't stiff. If a fruit mixture is really stiff and by that I mean, unstirrable then add a small splash of milk.

7. Mary Berry is a goddess when it comes to cakes. I try to use her recipes whenever possible as I know the cakes will be excellent. I have these two books of hers and recommend them:

Fast Cakes - http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=1403430712&searchurl=curl%3D%26%23x2F%3Btitle%26%23x2F%3Bfast-cakes%26%23x2F%3Bauthor%26%23x2F%3Bmary-berry%26%23x2F%3Bsortby%26%23x2F%3B3%26%23x2F%3B

Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book (2nd ed) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mary-Berrys-Ultimate-Cake-Second/dp/0563487518/ref=la_B001KCCVPY_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409074811&sr=1-6

kippers

You can't go wrong with the 'throw it all in cake' and there are even photos to show you exactly how to do it here: http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/a-family-birthday-and-a-special-cake/

meritaten

good accurate scales, following the recipe and good pans (or double line if using cheap ones) and ..............making sure your oven temperatures are accurate.
baking is more 'exact' than most cookery - but get to know your oven - mine seems to be a little hotter, so if recipe says cook on gas 6 I cook on gas 5. its better to cook a little slower and for longer in my view.

Floss

One more tip to add to the "baking is a science and must be accurate" list - have your butter / marg & eggs at room temperature - take them out of the fridge an hour or so before you want to bake.

I am an egg-weigher for victoria sponges & cupcakes, but don't bother for the madeira cakes I make for my cake-decorating business.

pollys

Runnerduck wrote: »

I bake hundreds of cakes a week to sell on the country market, first thing Relax, then make sure your eggs are at room temperature, i use the 6,6,3,6 method for sponges, cream 6oz of stork soft marg, with 6oz of castor sugar, untill well mixed, then add one egg at a time with about 1tbs of flour and mix in, i add a tsp of vanilla essence, then add 6oz of srf and just mix enough to blend in all the flour, i do then put my sponges in my fan oven at 180 c and cook until they are firm and golden, for a chocolate sponge add 1oz of cocoa powder at the flour stage.

a delicious simple chocolate fudge icing, meld 4oz of marg, 2 tbl spoons of milk and 2 tbl spoons of cocoa in a bowl until all liquid, and add icing sugar and stir until it is stiff enough to pipe onto the cakes


Chocolate chip cookies are simple too cream 4 oz of salted butter with 2 oz of castor sugar until well creamed, add 2 table spoons of condensed milk, 1 packet of choc chips and 6oz of srf, mix to a dough roll into 12 balls and flatten onto a baking tray, cook until golden at about 180 c, i regularly cook these in my wood oven so the temp is not too important

give it a go and you wll be surprised how simple and enjoyable baking can be x

I've just made the chocolate chip cookies. They are delicious, thank you for the recipe.

Polly