Please help with my buns!

[losttheflickumdickumagain]

Hello .

Can anyone please help? I'm very new to baking, but I love just doing basic buns do the dc's can decorate them. For some reason though, the last few batches I've made seem to resemble volcanos! They taste fine, but it's hard to decorate them when they're not smooth and round.

What am I doing wrong? I don't think I've changed anything, and they used to be okay.

Bump

a little less mix in the tins and a slightly lower temperature in the oven. Also making the mix a little softer, 1-2 tbs of milk helps the cakes stay flatter.

do you mean sponge cake buns?

probably your oven is a little hotter than needed, try reducing the temp by 5degC?

Yes, sponge cake buns.

Thank you, I'll try both of those and see if it works.
Domestic goddess I'm not!

How are you making them? Can you give the recipe and the oven temperature?

This is how I make them:
4 oz each of Stork marge, sugar and SR flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 eggs.
Bung all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and using an electric whisk beat together until just mixed - about 30 - 45 seconds.
Place spoonfuls of the mixture in 18 bun cases in bun tins and bake at gas mark 4 (180 deg, fan 160 deg) for 17 minutes.

My bun tin has room for 12 buns so I bake them in 2 batches.

These are fairy buns BTW not cupcakes.

Bunbaker, I'm using 4oz of butter, self raising flour, caster sugar, and 2 eggs.

I'm also whisking for quite a while with the electric whisk now (ds2 has started wanting to do it) will that be making a difference?

And putting into 12 cases.

I don't think too much wisking is a problem. Make sure all the fat is mixed in properly. If there are lumps of butter they will cause 'holes' in the buns.

If you are using the all-in-one method you don't need to continue whisking once the mixture is all mixed evenly together. You need to whisk a lot with the old fashioned creaming method before you add the flour because it gets the air into the mixture. Once you add flour you should fold the flour in with a metal spoon to avoid knocking the air out.

Overmixing once you have added flour works the gluten and results in a flatter cake that doesn't rise very well.

I never bother with the creaming method any more as it takes too long and the results aren't any better than the all-in-one method. The only difference is that you add a teaspoon of baking powder to the mixture to provide the rise instead of beating the air into it.

They are rising okay, it's just they are a bit pointy.

I think I'll put less in the cases, and lower the oven temperature slightly. See if that works.

Thank you for your replies .

I think even Nigella admits to pointy buns. She cuts the tops off.

Okay, I've added a touch of baking powder, lowered the oven temperature, and spread the mixture between more bun cases.
Fingers crossed, otherwise decorated volcanos for dh's birthday tea tonight .

They're better . Thank you .

Great. How many did you make in the end? I found that using 12 cases made the cakes spread over the top of the case and on to the tin, which is why I put a 4:4:4:2 mixture in 18 cases.

excellent news, can we come round for and cakes then?

You're more than welcome, I'll get the kettle on .

I made 18, much better in nice little cases instead of the huge football ones ds picked.