Why is my cake suddenly all crumbly?

[PiedImperial]

I am hoping that someone can help me!

I have been making the same sponge cake recipe for years now: just a simple sponge, using equal weights of eggs, butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour (with some flour replaced by cocoa), and some baking powder. A tried and tested Delia recipe.

Recently the cakes have been coming out very soft, and they crumble very easily when you slice them. They also try to break when I turn them out of the cake tins.

They aren't dry, and seem properly cooked through.

What's going on?! We do have a new oven - so I'm guessing that is the most likely culprit(?) Help!

Definitely the new oven, the temperature is probably more accurate now. I'd check possibly 10 minutes sooner with a cake tester and see where you're at.

Or reading back your post I have no idea what I'm talking about because I thought you said they were dry

Maybe try making lots of cakes and taking them out at different times, maybe a five minute difference?

Also try cooking at a few degrees lower temperature - maybe the cakes are cooking too fast?

If you need volunteers to test the resulting cakes - I am always available...

Thank you both! And thank you also for the offer of tasting, zaphod - DH and the DC are still happy to perform that role, but I am considering outsourcing it to someone who doesn't moan quite so much about the crumbliness while they are tucking in

So maybe a slightly lower temperature? I can definitely get on board with the idea of making lots of cakes to see what works best!

Sigh. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it...

Good luck @PiedImperial