AIBU to think it costs money to get into baking

[mailfuckoff]

So over the last year I have started baking more and it takes money to do so. Different sized bowls and spring cake tins/ load tins and tray bake tins, lots of ingredients that you don't use before they go off.
I wanted to make a spiced apple cake. I had to buy a lemon and mixed spice. I used Brown sugar instead of demarera (sp?) And baking powder I already had. It didn't rise and looks a bit pants. Do I need to buy all fresh ingredients every time? How do I stop wasting my time and money? I have a cake tins and neither was the exact size needed!

Baking for me isn't about cost (although I do love being able to knock up a decent cake when I am skint and don't have much in)
It's about creating something you feel happy about, not to mention knowing what's in it! As opposed to lots of chemicals and preservatives.

I bake regularly so nothing ever goes off even if I have had some of the spices for years. I tend to stick to tried and tested recipes so I make victoria sandwich, fairy cakes,chocolate brownies, lemon drizzle cake, raspberry and coconut cake (when the raspberries are in season), choc chip cookies, Bakewell tart and sausage rolls. I've made them so often I can do them without scales now.
Every now and again I bake something different when I see a recipe I fancy though.
I get lots of my baking stuff from poundland to keep costs down so have a look in there I especially like the pre cut baking paper to line tins.

I second Poundland for things like silicon spatulas, dredgers, liners etc, as well as tubs for storage.
Not sure about tins, though.

I've got a silly amount of novelty tins and moulds and still want more. It's an addiction

Yes, there are costs and space issues. But I mostly hate store bought cake- they always make it more sugary than I prefer (or want my children to have) so I much prefer home baking.

It shouldn't be that expensive once you have bought the main things you need. flour, sugar, butter eggs are cheap and a thing of baking power will last ages. It gets expensive if you use nuts/dried fruit.

If you are having problems with things rising, it might be due to oven temperatures. It can take a while to get a feel for your oven and how hot it is and how long a cake needs. Also, something like an apple cake which is moist can be more difficult. It might just need more practice to get a consistent outcome. maybe practice with easy stuff like fairy cakes/scones/cookies first. The unrisen apple cake will probably still taste fine as long as it isn't raw in the middle (and be loads nicer than shop bought crap). Just slice and dust with a bit of icing sugar and no-one will notice.

Another thing I've found is that sometime mixing by food processor can lead to a different consistency than mixing by hand...

Remember that your ingredients need to be at room temperature for cake making so take them out of the fridge well before you start. As someone has already said, if the recipe begins with creaming the butter and sugar, beat it till it is almost white and has lost its grittiness. Add the eggs a little at a time. If it begins to look 'slimy', it is curdling, add a little flour and carry on. If your recipe mixes the butter, eggs, flour, sugar and baking powder all in one go, mix as little as possible otherwise the cake will be heavy. For muffins, you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix as little as possible. Better to still see bits of flour than over mix and end up with heavy cakes.

Thanks everyone for the help and ideas. I guess it's practice and getting into doing it regularly :-)