those large cupcake moulds

[JaxTellerIsMyFriend]

DD wants one of these as her birthday party cake this year, so have ordered a mould, but what cake do I bake? A standard madeira or chocolate cake? or a mixture of both - madeira for bottom and choc for top?

I also have another question - last week I doubled my recipe for madeira cake, split into two tins, baked for required time, tested with skewer all lovely. Removed from oven and the cake shrank back, just totally deflated. I left it to cool, it looked OK on outside, iced (butter frosting) next day and put in my cake box. When I cut into it that evening it looked awful inside, like it wasnt cooked properly and very dense - like when bread isnt quite cooked properly.

What went wrong? I have made this a few times and all went well, I am usually quite a decent baker but I have no idea.

Have chucked out the flour - although it was quite new and in airtight container as that was all I could think of that may have been 'wrong'

It wasn't the flour that was wrong, it was the oven temp. Sounds like you had it slightly too high. Try cooking it for slightly longer on a lower temp and see if that helps

As for the giant cupcake, try a madeira mix, but with 300g and 6 eggs. Gives a very firm cake so holds its shape better. Leave it to cool before turning it out or you run the risk of breaking it. If you want hlf and half choc and white, halve the recipe and replace 50g of flour with cocoa. Would love to see pics when its done!

It's a common error- thinking you can just double up on a recipe quantity. You cannot always do this. It doesn't work.

I would use a Madeira or Pound Cake recipe as it needs to have a denser texture. Sponge will be too flimsy and has a very open crumb texture. You can find pound cake recipes online.

thanks for the replies. I will try again re oven temp and now have new flour - wont just double up again.

Pound cake recipe, off for a google.

hopefully my mould will arrive today then I can figure out quantities etc.

You can add all kinds of ingredients to jazz up pound cakes too. They are very adaptable.

atree do you have a failsafe recipe. My last 2 baking attempts have ended in disaster.

I am now a little scared to bake.

I never use madeira for anything, it's too dry IMO and too dense, I hate it. I do use a close textured but lighter sponge when I need one, but for the giant cupcake I just use 'bog standard' sponge mix as follows:

7 eggs
14 oz flour
14 oz block stork or butter
14 oz caster sugar
splash of vanilla

split between the two moulds and bake at 160C (fan oven) until done. I can't remember how long I bake it for, but I know it takes longer than stated on the case instructions. I have been known to turn the oven down a bit towards the end of cooking time if I need to.

thanks midori my cupcake mould arrived today - but isnt quite as large as I had hoped for. Assume your eggs are large eggs. And no milk?

Will give it a go this evening as DH wont be home until late.

No, they aren't as large as you expect them to be!

I just use any old free range eggs, usually mixed sizes. If you wanted to be very precise you could weigh out 14 oz of eggs though. No milk.

Good luck with it!

right, midori mixture in oven at the moment, was perfect so no need to loosen with milk. I swirled in a little bit of cocoa powder to the bottom mix.

Cant wait to see what it looks like!

How did it turn out jax?

I have made loads of these with a similar recipe to midoris one.

My last 2 have been crap and I can't wok out why.

cake is fine, but the mould (silicone) ; despite being oiled to a slick was still a bit stuck to the cake but it did turn out ok.

Going to make another one this evening once kids are in bed.

I made one today which looked great.

Iced and decorated only to find a big hollow bit inside the bottom half

I've no idea what I'm doing wrong.

I'm supposed to making one for a birthday in two weeks but I can't see that happening if this carries on.

did you put a pic on profile mike?

Maybe try using a packet mix - or 2 is better for the large cupcake mould.
I tried using them the other day just to see and they are fine. Quite light and not dry at all.

I use a basic cupcake recipe and bake at 150 degrees, after 20 mins in the oven I check it at 3min intervals until the skewer comes out clean.

Recipe for 12 cupcakes. Double it for a giant one

150 stork
150 caster sugar
175 self raising flour
3eggs
2tsp vanilla extract.
just throw it all in the mixer and mix on high for 3 mins

I usually spray the mound with anti stick spray before adding the mixture.

Can't put pics on profile, I'm on my phone until this evening.

I never have a prob with sticking, it's just getting the texture right that I can't manage.

I have managed to get a pic of the finished cake on but not the hollow inside bit. Will have to try again later.

cant see the cake Mike

Should be on there now jax.

WOW! That looks amazing - and much bigger than my cupcake, didnt take a picture of it, sorry.

I will next time.

Did the chocolate fingers thing too, then iced on top and sprinkled some glitter on so it looked all girlie and sparkly. Tasted lovely.

I use the Hummingbird bakery cupcake recipe for my giant cupcake mould and increase the quantity by 50%. Has worked every time. I bake the top half for about 30 mins and the bottom for about 40 mins.

Thank you jax, it looked and tasted lovely but was spoilt by that stupid hollow bit.

I'm going to have another go on Wed. If that fails it will have to be a normal cake.

do you use a silicone mould or a metal one? and do you put the top in first for a while? I do, it doesnt take very long to cook, whereas the bottom part takes ages.

I have a lovely chocolate orange recipe for the giant cupcake, I can root it out later? The hole in the middle is for icing to stick the top to the bottom :)

madame I would love that choc orange recipe.

jax I use a silicone mould and I usually put the bottom in first then the top about 20 mins later.

I don't usually bother with the hole in the middle thing but the one I'm doing soon has aked for it to filled with nutella.