Coffee cake failure. Help.

[Fordian]

I am not a baker at all because my family don't have a sweet tooth.

But I was minded to make a coffee cake.

I followed a Mary Berry, 100g x 3, 2 eggs, coffee. Bought all fresh ingredients.

15 mins in fan oven, checked with a tooth pick.

Disaster.

Batter barely filled the recommended 7" tins. And didn't rise.

Mary tells you to chuck everything in the bowl and electric hand whisk. I did butter, egg, sugar, coffee, combine then hand folded in the sifted flour. To maintain air.

But the whole shebang was 1cm thick. Was it 'the bake'? Too little batter? Note I haven't cut into the cake, so I'm not sure what 'the crumb' is like. But-

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks.

Yes to all this. When weighing out the ingredients I add eggs last then get it mixed and in the oven asap.

It looks like you’ve had loads of tips but just to add, I’ve never had any luck with the all in one method. I whisk my butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy, then fold in eggs and flour, never whisk as you can over do it at this stage. And I hope you didn’t throw the cakes! If it’s not burnt it can be used for something. Layered up for tiramisu, cake pops, truffles. I once threw a Christmas cake which was burnt round the edges when my mum said I could’ve just trimmed it 🫣

Can I hijack to ask a coffee cake question? I hardly even make coffee cake because Im worried about the caffeine with the kids. Not sure why- they are teenagers and they are allowed a bit of Coke now and then- I think its just a throwback to when Id make cakes for them when they were little. But would you use decaff coffee granules?

Teenagers and coffee cake are the least of your worries!!!😂

Quite possibly!

@Angrycat2768 I wouldn’t bay an eye at giving my small children coffee cake never mind teenagers, it’s not the same as giving them a cup of coffee or something, the coffee is just a small percentage of the ingredients.

Best coffee cake i ever made was from Cupcakes from the Primrose bakery by Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas (they have a few full cakes at the back)

Never has so much praise for a cake before or since.

Recipe

It is entirely possibly that I have been an idiot about this and deprived myself of homemade coffee cake for the past 15 years, yes!
Especially as I poured an entire mini bottle of white wine into a risotto that I then served them up for dinner without a second thought ( and they have had that regularly since they were toddlers)

OP I made the coffee cake with 4,4,4,2 and put it in 7in tins. It looks like this

225g of butter, sugar and SR flour. 2 level tsps baking powder. 4 eggs.
Don't overbeat.
25 minutes in the oven at 160.
Never fails.

M+S coffee and walnut, no faff!

Yes! Excellent idea. Will buy one tomorrow. Thanks.

I'm a good Baker and my basic sponge quantities are 200g and 2 eggs. Less always looks a bit flat in my opinion. I bet your cake tastes lovely which is what matters!

I have an ancient Bero book and it is brilliant. I think DM sent off for it some time in the 1980's and gave it to me. It is now very dog-eared and practically falling apart. For basic cake recipes I wouldn't use anything else.

Not sure what's gone wrong but you can style this out! Cut each sponge in half and layer the 4 semi-circles together with a thin layer of buttercream. Also buttercream on on top, abd decorate with walnuts. Voilà! Half a gateau!

Or use the sponges in a tiramisu style trife - maybe with Kahlua or Tia Maria if you have any lurking around....😊

@CareConumdrum cut in half?? Have you seen how thin they are?!

These are 7” diameter and approx 2” deep each - and I use 200g each of flour, sugar, butter and 4 eggs.

In half into semi circles. Not in half horizontally...