What went wrong with my sponge cake?

lindseykim13

I am practising making my sons birthday cake before the big day next week, i followed this reciepe to the word.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/smallspongecake_14563.shtml

but if i had left it in for the full 90mins it would have been burnt to a crisp, i checked it after 1hr 10 and it was dark brown (ok to eat) so i know that the time needs to be cut down, but it has risen to a point rather that the nice flat sponge in the pic, what can be done to fix this?

I am planning to slice in half and jam/cream the centre, ice the top with my sons choice of character so i need a flat top is this possible? Any suggestions would be great. thankyou

Penelope_Penguin

Sounds like your oven is hotter than the dial is indicating. CAn you cook the next cake at a lowere temperature?

Penny. x

lindseykim13

thanks will give that a try then, will be eating cakes all week till his birthday! Once i've mastered it i'll be ok for years of brthdays then lol

ravylesley

I agree with Penelope Penguin that your oven is too hot

I have had loads of ovens and each one has had different temperature ranges.Its just a case of learning your ovens.

I would suggest a lower temperature and placing your oven shelf a little lower in the oven

As for the peak on the cake you can cut it off to flatten the top and then turn the cake over so that you are icing the bottom when it comes to decorating and you will have a nice flat surface to work on then

Lesleyxx

Nicki

Surely the recipe must be wrong. 90 mins must be a typo.

I have never in my life baked a sponge cake for an hour and a half. It would be burnt to an absolute frazzle unless the oven wasn't switched on at all, never mind at GM 4, which this recipe says!

25-30 mins is much more realistic. Check it after 25 and if a cocktail stick in the middle comes out clean it is cooked through. If not bake for another 5 mins and retest and repeat this until it does.

Enjoy the practising though!