That's it. I just cannot bake.

[SundayGirlB]

Another recipe followed another cake disaster. Out of god knows how many attempted cakes I can remember maybe 2 that were edible. I follow the recipes. What is happening here.

The latest effort is a courgette and lemon cake. The first one was one of the 2 edible cakes and lovely. I was winning at life. This 3rd attempt has been in the fan oven on 160 as per the recipe for 1hour and the knife is still coming out wet. I've done it all the same.

Why why why why. Baking is either high physics or sorcery. I CANNOT DO IT BUT CAN'T STOP TRYING. That is all.

Use a Nigella recipe, utterly fail safe

Nigella is absolutely not reliable. Is your oven temperature accurate?

You need to start with Mary Berry or Delia, after checking your oven temperature is accurate. Avoid random internet recipes (notable exception for BBC good food)

Also, some cakes are easier than others. Don't jump straight into a Hummingbird Bakery triple layer iced extravaganza.

160 is very low for a cake. Also courgette call will be v most, so know won't come out completely dry?

160 is very low, if the knife comes out wet just keep on cooking.

It's no bad thing OP.

I can't bake either, although consider myself a good cook.

Baking is a way of cramming in loads of shit food- sugar, saturated fat and usually white flour.

I am quite glad I can't bake.

All ovens are different. For a recipe stating 1 hour in the oven, it would probably need another 10 minutes in mine.
Or, could be the baking tin? Did you use the same size suggested in the recipe? Using a smaller tin would take longer to bake.

Courgette & lemon cake would also be a moist cake anyway, so you’re unlikely to get a completely clean knife.

Did you squeeze the excess moisture from the courgettes?

Could also just be a crap recipe, which I’ve had before even from the likes of Good Food.

Scones are your friend OP! I'm shit at making proper cakes but I very rarely try a scone recipe that doesn't come out well.

I thought 160 was low. It's brown but still wet I think. This is a Good Housekeeping recipe. Should have known to go with Mary or Nigella.

I'm blaming the bloody oven!

I’m in the same club, utterly rubbish at kind of sweet baking

Are your scales accurate enough?

BBC good food website. Make sure the recipe has 4 stars or over.
Never had a bad recipe using this theory. Even biscuits and I'm normally terrible at biscuits

This kept happening to me so I bought an oven thermometer. Turns out my oven is running 30 degrees low 😡

Need an engineer - but no chance of that for a while.

Steer clear of Nigella. Her cake recipes are, indeed, unreliable.
I was lulled into a false sense of security by her foolproof cherry cake. The recipe worked every time.
I tried her damp apple cake. It was a soggy mess, which never cooked in the middle.

Another vote here for Mary Berry recipes and checking your oven temp. A new oven and a MB cookbook have transformed me from a shit baker to a fabulous one!

Turn the oven up to 180, cover the top of the cake with foil.

If you’ve really only managed to make 2 edible cakes I really would start out with simpler recipes. As someone mentioned above, ingredients like courgette add a lot of water content. Master the basics first would be my advice!

I don’t agree Nigella isn’t reliable. I have domestic goddess since it came out in the 90s and it’s the only baking book I regularly use. It’s served me well for 20 years! I have a few Delia’s and was given a Mary Berry one. I just can’t get into them.

OP I hope you aren’t just following random recipes online. You need someone reliable to follow.

My oven cooks low, obviously landlord isn't fussed. It should still work, turn up a little leave in for longer.
Muffins are easier than cakes I feel.

Courgette cakes are vile, and a waste of ingredients, too wet, too flavourless and just too wanky to be worth the effort.

There, I’ve said it.

Mary Berry, or should I say St. Mary Berry does a fail safe carrot cake,, using a couple of grated carrots and a couple of mashed ripe bananas, plus oil, eggs flour and sugar. It really never, ever fails.
I’ll post a link

www.bakingmad.com/recipe/mary-berry-carrot-cake
I add some mixed spice and a handful of raisins and some orange rind if I feel inclined.

I can't bake for shit, I've given up even trying.
I actually own a Kitchenaid which is known as, "The very expensive kitchen ornament".

I am not great. Stick to simple stuff. Banana bread, lemon drizzle, ginger cake. BBC good food usually turns out ok.

I cannot bake to save my life but this cake never fails on me. Always rises beautifully. I’ll add a photo as proof.

hillfarmoils.com/recipes/baking-puddings/rapeseed-oil-sponge-cake/

My first thought was that the oven temperature needs checking as well. Nigella does have a bit of a reputation for not thoroughly checking her recipes. Mary Berry or Delia Smith are a good call.

I agree with trying something less complicated. Baking is an exact science so the following rules (yes rules) need to be followed:

1. Ensure that your oven temperature is accurate

2. Preheat your oven

1. Weigh your ingredients exactly
2. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature
3. Use the size of tin specified in the recipe. I can't emphasise this strongly enough. It really makes the difference between a successful cake or a failure
4. Bake your cake on the centre shelf unless specified