cake baking question help please

melie3

hi all :wave:
i just need some advice please... i wondered can you use icing sugar to make a cake. my dad 'moans' that my cakes are coarse, and not like 'shop bought'. i was wondering if its the caster sugar, how do you get that soft texture for sponge??? also i never use baking powder in my cakes, should i be doing this?? ive been trying my hand at celebration cakes. it rises enough without baking powder. ive tried looking at google but cant find anything in recipes i dont already do.
i weigh eggs first then weigh butter, sugar and flour same. a touch of vanilla.

would appreciate any advice on offer thankyou meliexxx

pigpen

I just wonder if it needs to be mixed a bit more that the sugar adding level.. to break down the bits.. I wouldn't use icing sugar TBH.. but if it you think it might work it is worth a try.. maybe using a blending stick if you are mixing by hand? I chuck it in the blender..

I don't like shop bought cakes I think they all smell sicky..

Just don't bake cakes for your dad.. ask other people to try them see what they think.. It might just be your dad is liking to complain..

thriftlady_2

You could try icing sugar, but to be honest I think it's your dad that has the problem not your cakes. He needs re-educating;) Homemade cakes are far nicer than shop bought ones, they have texture and substance to them not to mention flavour all of which are lacking from shop-bought ones. I use granulated sugar for all my baking so goodness knows what he'd think of mine.

I think you should stop making him cakes if he continues to moan;)

pigpen

oh.. i don't use baking powder either I don't like the aftertaste it leaves.. the shop ones have loads in!

Another thing.. does your dad eat the cakes you make? .. Can't be all bad then?

MATH

HM cakes are not supposed to be 'pappy' like shop bought muck so i wouldn't bother too much about Dad's comments. I make my sponges with good old granny sugar (which is even coarser...erm...more coarse LOL) and use the bung it all in a bowl and kenwood it method and they turn out soft and spongy. Make sure you are adding a couple of splashes of milk to soften the mixture and to prevent them becoming too dry when baking.

Edit: If a sponge is a little dry, stab all over with a skewer and drizzle in sugared lemon or orange juice.

purpleivy

It's not the type of sugar you use. When I was at college, we learned about Shop bought cakes and industrially produced stuff, even had a go at it the mix they use. They're called 'high ratio' but I can't remember what bits are in high ratio to each other, It's a long time ago.

As the OP's say, if he likes cheapy bought cake, then let him have it! If he get's whatever is on BOGOF then it's not that expensive. But he will have to read the small print to see what he's eating.... colourings, flavourings, HVO, battery eggs,

melie3

lol all of you ..... my dad likes his shop bought cakes, and likes spending money lol... i dont lol...
i never add milk to the cake, gonna try that out now...
someone gave us a piece of 'shop made' birthday cake, but i cant help critisise my cake making, it was really soft , but then on other hand my kids love their birthday cakes i make, so i feel proud. its just that id like to make cakes for a few extra quid, and wouldnt want someone to pay to say its awful, i myself have tasted far worse cakes, from bakery to the tune of £45. im just not a confident person, my mum would never say anything if it wasnt nice but dad is the critic.

thanks for taking the time to help
meliexx

ps i have a kenwood chef, which for a celebration cake i cream butter and sugar first then eggs and flour, or just chuck it all in for fairy cakes.

kidcurry

I think that using icing-sugar wouldn't do much good - I use caster-sugar which is recommended for cakes. I think it's all to do with the melting point of the sugar as it cooks, and can't remember why icing sugar is not good, LOL!

For the record, I used a good slosh of milk in the mix, and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, as I always use the all-in-one method in my lovely Kenwood Chef. It rises loads!

purpleivy

Good luck in making celebration cakes. You really need to be sure of your costs for this as all the extras (boards, boxes etc ) soon add up in cost... and you need the cake looking right with a nice fresh box and sitting on the right board.

WHen you know what your costs are, don't forget to pay yourself fairly and structure your price list accordingly. You need to show that you are providing a quality product, not just give the message that the 'woman down the road/at work does cakes'. Otherwise you will end up putting hours in for very little return. Your cake shouldn't be any cheaper than a good quality bought cake.

BrandNewDay

It sounds to me that what he's missing is the preservatives and other additives that are put in the commercial cakes to give them a long shelf life. If you're sifting your flour and creaming the sugar well into the butter, then you're doing everything right.

katiecoodle

hello there - I find that if you use oil, rather than butter/marge, it will give a very delicate and moist cake. THe only downside is that pouring a load of oil into the kenwood bowl makes my stomach heave and if I remember it while eating the cake, it puts me off!!
Go for a recipe which uses oil & see if that makes any difference. Make sure you cool the cake in the tin before turning out, otherwise it might be too fragile & break up. - Also, i swear by baking powder (just half a tsp) in the mix to ensure it rises.