A madeira or sponge cake that rises please??

[flagging]

I want to make a lovely cake for my mum's birthday which I will cover with Fondant icing and decorate.

But my two attempts so far have not really risen sufficiently. She likes Madeira or Victoria Sponge or even chocolate cake maybe.

[ElbowFan]

Most sponge recipes are pretty similar as its the proportion of fats/sugar/flour eggs which makes them work.
Make sure you cream the fats & sugar so the mixture is really light & fluffy before you gradually add the eggs and be gentle as you fold in the flour.
Also make sure the oven is up to temperature before you put the cake in, and don't open the oven door until you have to.
I generally use 6oz of everything and 3 eggs, but 8 oz + 4 eggs will naturally give you a bigger cake.
Another one to try is to add just the egg yolks (beaten) and then fold in the whites which you have whisked into soft peaks - all about getting air in.
Don't know if this helps, but I'm sure your Mum will appreciate your efforts!

[coastgirl]

Seconding what ElbowFan says - a basic sponge mix should be fine but really cream the butter and sugar for aaaages before adding anything else. It should look almost like mayonnaise when it's done.

Don't let the oven door bang shut either.

[startail]

I find even self-raising flour benefits from 1/2 tsp of baking powder and use decent new flour for important cakes. If anyone knows an own brand that works reliably please tell.

[WyrdMother]

A Friend gave me this recipe and so far it hasn't failed.

Pre-heat over to 180

Take three very fresh eggs and weigh them. Note the weight and weigh out the same amount of fat, caster sugar and flour.

Cream the fat and sugar until it is light and fluffy.

Lightly wisk eggs.

Add a small splodge of egg to the fat and sugar, wisk in. Repeat putting slightly larger amounts of egg in each time until it's all incorporated.

Add one teaspoon (preferably a proper teaspoon measure, not just one you use to stir your tea as they vary in size) of baking powder per 4oz of flour to the flour.

Sieve the flour into the egg/fat/sugar mixture from as high as possible to get lots of air in.

Fold flour in gently adding a teaspoon of warm water if the mixture seems too stiff.

Split into two tins lined with greaseproof paper, gently spreading it out if you think it needs it.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown but watch like a hawk in the last five minutes.

I think the key is really the eggs, since we got hens and have seriously fresh eggs the cakes have risen even better.

Good luck!

[somedayillbesaturdaynite]

this one is great and amazingly simple. all my friends now ask me to make their dc's cakes

[somedayillbesaturdaynite]

www.redonline.co.uk/food/step-by-step-classics/victoria-sandwich

[WyrdMother]

oops, when I say watch like a hawk this is through the door if you can, don't open unless you absolutely have too. If you don't have a glass door spend the last five minutes in the kitchen and as soon as you can smell cooked cake it's probably ready.

[flagging]

ooh thanks so much ladies. Interesting what you say about adding baking powder to self raising. It does fixx too much then?

elbow with the egg yolks and whites idea. Do you add in one dollop or slowly?

Also, I was always told to add a touch of flower to my last egg to stop curdling. Anyone got any views on this? I find I always have a stodgy mixture and have to add milk to get some lightness in.

[flagging]

'fizz' even!!

[flagging]

OMG have just noticed how I spelt flour too. I am thinking of making sugar icing flowers so have it on the brain!

[WyrdMother]

In theory you shouldn't get curdling if you add the egg slowly enough but I often drop a bit of flour in in the consistency isn't looking right and it never seems to be a problem one way or the other.

[WyrdMother]

...flour in if the...

my fingers are just as bad

[ElbowFan]

I tend to drop all the whisked whites into the bowl as the last thing that is added, and gently fold into the mixture.
(when my mixture 'curdles' it never seems to make a great deal of difference to the finished cake. It's usually because I'm in a hurry and add too much egg into the mixer at once. Mum always reckoned adding flour to stop the curdling though)

[pointydog]

What quantities are you using in your recipe, flag?

Maybe you are expecting too much in the rising department. Maybe you just need to increase the quantities to make a larger cake?

[cazzybabs]

I love Hugh F-W approach - he makes a yummy victoria Sponge - weigh 4 eggs in their shells. This gives the weight of SR flour, caster sugar and butter. Cream butter and sugar together untill fluffy and creamy. Add 1 egg and some flour - mix (keep going until all eggs and flour added). Put in 2 pre-lined 20cm baking trays. Cook at 180 for 25-30 minutes. When cake is cooked drop from about 30cm onto work top (stops is sinking in middle).

[flagging]

Interestingly cazzy it is HUGH FW that I follow (especially for fairy cakes - and they are lovely). But when I up the quantities the cake just doesn't rise enough and becomes heavy.

That's why I was wondering about a madeira instead ?????

[Taffeta]

I use this recipe for all the birthday cakes I make, its delicious as well as rising beautifully and coping with lots of fondant icing.

[cazzybabs]

This is the recipe from his family cookbook - his everyday one also has a yummy lemon drizzle cake.

I do fine the VS works best by hand, but the lemon drizzle works best in the Kitchen Aid

[pointydog]

Only use butter and eggs which are room temperature. This makes a huge difference.

[flagging]

taffeta how many does this serve?

Thanks for the other tips everyone (crossing fingers).

[Taffeta]

Depends how big you make the slices! You can get at least 14 small slices I'd say.

[pointydog]

A 4oz, 6oz or 8oz cake serves the same number of people really. You just have much higher cakes if you increase the ingredient quantities, so the slice on your plate is higher but not wider. I always use the same cake tins.

If that makes sense.

[coastgirl]

I bake for 12 every week and use a 6oz mix as the basic size guide. That does 12 normal slices. You could probably get 16 "polite" slices out of that or 8 "hungry boy" slices.

[flagging]

My family doesn't do 'polite' slices LOL. Thanks for this ladies.

[underafricanskies]

pointydog what size tin do you use then?