My sponge cake is always dry! Help!

[musicalmama]

I want to be able to make a tasty birthday cake- nothing fancy. Just a sponge with jam, buttercream and fondant icing rolled over.

My sponge is always dry with a bit of a greasy bottom?! Where am I going wrong? Does anyone have a good recipe or tips?

Thank you!

It sounds as though you are simply over baking it.

Try Delia's Victoria or her all in one sponge and don't be tempted to leave it for a minute or two, just on case.

Good luck with the next one

All I can think of is that you are cooking it at too low a temperature so the fat dissolves and sinks to the bottom before it gets a chance to cook.

What recipe are you using?

Are you using GF flour? I always find that v dry, makes a very friable cake.

Yes could be time and temperature are wrong. Are you sure your scales are right too? Presume you follow the instructions through? Are they tried and tested recipes or ones passed from friend to friend say?

The trick I have is to make sure you beat the sugar and butter for at least ten minutes or more using a stand mixer then mix the eggs in quickly but gently add the flour only mixing until just combined. You dont want to over work the flour

If you can say how you are making it someone might be able to give some useful advice - recipe, tin size, oven temp, time in oven etc.

I make a lot of sponge cakes, but I have a gas oven, and my sponges are always moist.

Add a splash of milk.

If you are using margarine I can understand why it's greasy. It's the only thing about which I disagree with Mary Berry. She recommends Stork - I found it makes a greasy cake and only use butter.

I always use tub Stork, and my cakes are never greasy.

I bake fairly often.

Weigh the eggs - say 3 large or 4 medium. Weigh equivalent amounts of sr flour, caster sugar and butter. Cream the sugar and butter till very pale and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Don’t worry if it curdles. Then fold in the flour carefully and add a couple of tablespoons of milk. Cook at 180 for 20-25 mins .
You could add a teaspoon of baking powder . Too much baking powder will make the sponge dry as will over cooking. Over working the flour will make it tough .

Sounds daft but it works, when the cake is cooling place a piece of bread on top that helps to keep the moisture in. I've also read somewhere about misting your cake with sugar water to keep it moist.

Mmm, tricky the butter v stork, because I used to bake cakes often, and I'm pretty sure I used butter. Always perfect. Rarely make cakes now, but did switch to stork cake marge in a tub. And seem to remember the last ones I made were also perfect. I think alot of it boils down to experience, but oddly enough I find if I make something different for the first time, perfect - subsequent times not so. Maybe it's because 1st time I concentrate, 2nd, get a bit slap happy and start adapting things slightly!

Thanks for all your replies. I've tried lots of different recipes and usually the same result! I will try recipe suggested and all the little tweaks you have all mentioned. I always use butter but am probably guilty of over baking as I don't bake often so am never sure. Also, baking paper or a greased tin? I've tried both and think baking paper makes it greasier? I will also check my scales are correct but I think they are as use them often and most of my other cooking turns out fab. Maybe I'm just not a baker.

For every egg put in a tablespoon of milk. Mary Berry tip that really works to keep the cake moist!

I do a greased and floured tin. It's a sign cake is cooked when edges come away from tin edges slightly.

Sorry meant when cake comes away from tin edges. Got distracted! Good luck!

I have a fan oven that blasts hot air over the top of the cake and always got dry cakes. I’ve started putting a shallow tray of water in the bottom of the oven to counteract the dryness and have lovely moist cakes again. It might not be the same in your oven but could be worth a try!

LoniceraJaponica
I always use tub Stork, and my cakes are never greasy.
I bake fairly often.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree. The birds in my garden would probably agree with you - they enjoyed the cake after I had one bite.

Me too

I had this problem and they were never light till i tried 2tbs of vegetable oil! Never leave it out now! Light and spongy sponge!

You can try adding a tsp of glycerine (liquid, comes in little bottles like the cheapo food colourings), to your mix. It's a humectant, so retains moisture. I use it in Madeira to keep it moist.

According to James Morton ( previously in gbbo) you should use stork in all in 1 recipes and butter if creaming . He recommends greasing and the using flour which he says reduces greasiness. Personally I line the tin with baking paper.
He also says the size of the eggs make a difference to the moistness. There is a big difference between medium and large eggs. He suggests the mixture before baking should always be a soft dropping consistency

I made one today - there are around 2 slices left . I always use unsalted butter, large free range eggs, caster sugar and sift the SR flour. If the mix seems a little stiff, add either a tablespoon of water from the kettle or a tablespoon of milk.

And don't over grease the pans, use baking parchment and a light glide of butter using the inside of the packet.

Actually for Victoria sponge you should weigh your eggs - in the shell - and then weigh out the same amount each of fat, sugar and flour for the best results. I think margarine like Stork gives a better rise and butter gives a greasier bake. I grease and base line sponge tins.

That's interesting nooddsocks. I always use the all in one method, and tub Stork. So maybe he is right. I just base line my tins with baking paper and grease the sides.

I always leave the cakes in the tin for a few minutes before turning out.