I can't make a cake that rises. Ever. Help.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I have to make a victoria sponge type thing for an event this Saturday (dh in his wisdom volunteered me ). I've had a practice tonight and it didn't rise at all really, same as the last time I made one, and the time before that, and the time before that......

I don't think I can get away with a shop bought one.

What do you think I'm doing wrong?

[rickman]

Message withdrawn

[Lonelymum]

Oven not hot enough? Open the oven door to see if cake is done too early? Not using self raising flour? Adding flour with beaters instead of folding it in?

TBH, there could be many reasons. do you recognise any of the above faults?

[JoolsToo]

get a 34k oven that should do it

[pixiefish]

Warmt the mixing bowl first. Take the stork marj out of the fridge 30 mins before. You need to really cream the sugar and stork marjarine until it's white almost. Use a hand blender as it kills the arms.

The add the egg ever so slowly- making sure the mix doesn't curdle. Again use a hand mixer for this part.

Sift flour onto mix and fold into the mix fairly quickly- put into greased tins and put in the oven at whatever temp the book says (can't remember sorry and the kitchen is 2 storeys down)

[ionesmum]

Personally I've never been able to get a cake to rise in a fan oven. Do you have a grill that is also a conventional oven?

[jangly]

Are you using the all-in-one method. Its failproof. delia

[MarsLady]

You need to follow the recipe to the letter. That's how it works with baking. You need to make sure not to slam the oven door, not to check the cake until the cooking time is finished. Try adding a little bit of baking powder to your cake mix. Maybe 1tsp. See if that helps. But I agree about the temp.

[Lonelymum]

Agree jangly. Although I am quite a good baker (tho I say it myself!) and was taught to make cakes very early on by my mother, since finding the all in one method, I rarely use anything else.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Hehe Jools .

I've tried these cakes at diff temps in my oven - always with the same crap result. Maybe the mixture is getting beaten too much (do it in a mixer).

Carrot cake is a good idea rickman.

I'm not bad at other stuff, but these light fluffy cakes are beyond me!

[jangly]

Oh, I so want cake!

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

It was that very recipe - supposed to be idiot proof .

[Aero]

lemon drizzle cake always rises!

Seriously, if your oven isn't hot enough, this can happen. Do you have an oven thermometer - just to check your oven is at the temp it's meant to be?
I'm sure there are other possible reasons too, but the all in one recipe stated before really is fool-proof. If I can do it, anyone can!

[Aero]

• oops! Must be the oven then!!!!

[MarsLady]

tell DH that you will be providing MarsLady's divine Lemon Drizzle cake and that's that!

[snafu]

So how come my lemon drizzle cake ended up approx 1 inch high?

[MarsLady]

did you use a tin that was too big snafu?

[rickman]

Message withdrawn

[snafu]

No, I just spread the mixture over a baking tray, Mars. Was that wrong?

[MarsLady]

not wrong honey. The bigger the tin the lower the cake iyswim. It only needs to be big enough to make slices. The kids don't need a really deep cake, just a very tasty one. Besides if it's too big it won't store well in the cake tin.

[MarsLady]

oh yeah and I hate you all for making me dream of cake Don't you know I'm trying to get a flat tummy for Saturday??????????

[lilibet]

Buy one??

[snafu]

I was joking about the baking tray, hun...

[MarsLady]

[raspberry]

[snafu]

[lemon drizzle]

[MarsLady]

lol