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Food/Recipes

Cake baking in an AGA - HELP!!!

58 replies

Pennies · 05/12/2006 17:56

Have got a 4 oven AGA and I need to bake two cakes (1 x 2 litre and 1 x 0.5 litre) for a duck shaped cake for DD2's 1st birthday this weekend. I am using a maderia cake recipe. The recipe says to cook the cakes for an hour at 160 C in a convenetional oven.

My questions are...

  1. Which oven do I use and whereabouts in that oven?

  2. Surely the 0.5 litre cake won't take an hour?

  3. Is it OK to open the doors midway through and do the skewer test?

  4. (Not aga related) - Will the cake still be fresh for Saturday if I make it tonight? If not how best to keep it fresh bearing in mind I dont have a tin big enough for the 2 litre cake.
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FrostyTheSnowMarsLady · 05/12/2006 17:58

It will be fine to open the doors. However.... see if Mary Berry has a website. She will tell you what to do with the cooling tray.

If you make the cake today you need to keep it in something air tight.

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CorrieDale · 05/12/2006 18:00

Have no idea about the aga related stuff (you are soooooo brave BTW! I have been known to burn cakes in a fan oven) but I should have thought it would be OK for Saturday. Freeze it if you are concerned - madeira freezes well. Well, all cakes freeze well, as long as you haven't iced it/filled it with cream.

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Pennies · 05/12/2006 18:00

What's a cooling tray? I've inherited the aga with a new house and I suspect it hasn't got all the trays it should have. It has a grill thing in 3 ovens and that's it.

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piglit · 05/12/2006 18:03

I would check out a proper aga recipe for madeira cake. I have an aga and when I follow a recipe for cakes for a conventional oven they come out pretty badly but when I follow an aga book recipie they are just fab.

Here's a link I've found. here

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piglit · 05/12/2006 18:04

And you don't need a cooling tray with a 4 door oven. Use the baking oven (it's about 170 - 180). If you follow an aga recipe it will be a breeze. Trust me.

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FrostyTheSnowMarsLady · 05/12/2006 18:06

I didn't know that about 4 door agas. I do know however that Aga baked cakes are delicious! As is Aga made toast! Oh yum!

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piglit · 05/12/2006 18:07

There is no other kind of toast!! My dses have been weaned on it.

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Pennies · 05/12/2006 19:27

Thanks for the link piglit - will give that recipe a go.

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PrincessPeaHead · 05/12/2006 19:29

agree, with a 4 door aga you have a baking oven which is perfect.

you can actually bake the cake with the oven door wide open throughout and it won't make the blindest bit of difference (because the heat is being emitted from hot metal all around.... anyway trust me, it works )

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Pennies · 05/12/2006 19:30

Thanks PPH - quite excited about giving it a go now!

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DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 05/12/2006 19:31

I have a 4 oven aga. It's old though and the baking oven never seems to get quite hot enough so I always bake cakes in the roasting oven with the cooling tray in and the shelf on the lowest level. I check it after 20 mins and then every 5 mins until cooked. I also turn it each time as the back, left hand corner of the oven is hotter and burns the cake.

It's a right faff but cakes are delicious.

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Waswondering · 05/12/2006 19:33

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:33

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PrincessPeaHead · 05/12/2006 19:34

pennies, have a squint at the bottom of each of your ovens. if any of them have a lip on them, that isn't the base, that is an aga cold tray, you can lever it up and out with gloves on. they can camouflage themselves quite well down there...

you need to buy amy willcock's book Aga Cooking, and read the first chapter which gives you a quick rundown on the mysteries of an aga, and then cook everything in it, delicious

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:35

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:35

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Waswondering · 05/12/2006 19:35

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PrincessPeaHead · 05/12/2006 19:36

hello fellow amy-appreciator!

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:37

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:37

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:38

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DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 05/12/2006 19:39

When you are not using the cooling tray you need to keep it cold, as in not in the oven ( I keep mine down the side. You should put it in cold just befrore yopu put the cake or whatever your cooking in. It stops the exposed top cooking/burning to quickly.

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DingdongMegaLegsonhigh · 05/12/2006 19:40

We did an 18lb turkey in ours last year and it only just fit. DH has ordered a 20lb this year. He reckons we might have to cut it off to fit - I'm picturing a square turkey

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MrsMaloryTowers · 05/12/2006 19:41

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PrincessPeaHead · 05/12/2006 19:43

or you just keep it in the oven because it is a pain in the arse to keep it anywhere else, then run it under the cold tap before you need it (producing lots of steam and giving yourself an impromptu facial, perfect for maintaining that dewy english complexion)

malory 25lbs is a LITTLE excessive. ours is 20lbs this year plus a ham as well.

trouble with 25lbs, me'dear (hefts bosom in a bossy way) is that you'll have to take the legs off to get it in the oven and then it just doesn't look so impressive when you heft it to the table (purses lips)

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