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Cake help asap!

13 replies

Fremd · 10/09/2025 08:16

I‘m a baking disaster. I need to make a cake this morning. Bought a box pack thinking I can’t mess it up. 5 mins left on the timer, checked the cake and it is no where near done!

Box says 45-50 mins at 160°, (140° fan).

I‘ve cooked it at 140°. Not fan.

How should I adjust the time/ temp? Should I put it on 160°? Or just cook it longer on 140°?? Help!!

OP posts:
Not2identifying · 10/09/2025 08:18

I'd turn the temperature up and leave it in there for longer. Try to keep an eye on it without opening the oven door. I usually bake cakes at 180 degrees.

Doje · 10/09/2025 08:19

I'd nudge it up to 160° and leave it for 10 mins, then check again.

Fremd · 10/09/2025 08:21

Thanks. Fingers crossed I can salvage this. Feel so stupid!

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Flakey99 · 10/09/2025 08:24

Why didn’t you follow the instructions and cook it at the lower temperature?

Hope you didn’t open the oven door to check it? 😂

Fremd · 10/09/2025 08:27

Flakey99 · 10/09/2025 08:24

Why didn’t you follow the instructions and cook it at the lower temperature?

Hope you didn’t open the oven door to check it? 😂

Because I‘m an absolute moron! Trying to do too many things at once and misread it.

No I haven’t opened the oven door, thank goodness

OP posts:
pastaandpesto · 10/09/2025 08:33

That temperature seems quite low, I bake cakes at 175.

Just whack it up for a bit. Look for it beginning to come away from the edges of the tin.

I'm not a massive fan of cake mixes - they always taste fake which kind of defeats the point of going to the effort of baking it. If I'm in a hurry I follow an all in one sponge recipe but use melted butter so I don't need to use a mixer, I can just stir everything together and plop it in the tin. Always seems to come out ok and tastes like a proper homemade cake!

Pashazade · 10/09/2025 08:35

I have to say that temp feels wrong if it’s a basic sponge, 160 is the lowest I’ll go in my fan for a sponge cake. However hopefully turning it up will work and it may just be a little crispier on the edges.

Onionlove81 · 10/09/2025 08:37

Leave a little earlier and stop by a supermarket

KpopDemon · 10/09/2025 08:40

whack the temp up and leave it until shrinking back from edge of tin, it’ll be okay! Our old oven had a dodgy seal and for a while I didn’t notice (actually it was cakes taking way longer than they should that gave me the clue the oven’s temperature wasn’t staying as high as it should!)

if it’s a sponge cake and you plan to ice it: let it cool fully before you ice it and turn it upside so you have a nice flat surface.

If it still appears sunk in the middle after you turn it over, you can put it on a large plate with an upside-down saucer under the cake so you have a little dome to support the middle.

Comedycook · 10/09/2025 08:43

It'll be fine...I open the oven door while I'm baking to check and also turn the temp up and down depending on whether I think it's cooking too fast or slow. Always comes out ok.

Not2identifying · 10/09/2025 20:19

How did it go?

Fremd · 12/09/2025 11:10

Not2identifying · 10/09/2025 20:19

How did it go?

The original cake didn’t cook properly.

I ran to the shop, got another kit and made another following the instructions properly! Turned out better than expected.

OP posts:
Not2identifying · 12/09/2025 18:04

Oh well, at least your Plan B worked!

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