Just so that I know I'm not going completely mad

[Changeforthrday]

So I made a lovely cake, I baked it, checked it was cooked though and took the golden brown and beautiful thing from the oven and turned it onto a wire tray to cool. It slopped through the wire and onto the worktop.

I am not best pleased to say the least! The temperature was right, the mix was right, the timings were right (made it a million times and used a timer). What happened?? I did soften the bitter and sugar together in the oven as the butter was rock hard. Could that have caused it?

So it was still runny?

I have made cakes before with almost liquid butter (too long in the microwave) and they were fine.

Could there be something wrong with your oven?

The outside was cooked beautifully. It sat there then the middle just caved in and it slipped out the bottom. A bit like a very large melting chocolate cake! The cooker temperature seems fine.

not a new recipe?
did you double up the ingredients?
what sort of cake- what temp/timing?

I don't know. But I once followed a recipe for Victoria sponge I'd made many times before and got two biscuity pancakes. I checked and rechecked that recipe but I hadn't made a mistake.
My only advice. Don't tell your DH. Mine likes to remind me about the 'ridiculously bad' cake I made every time I say I'm going to bake.

Did you have your oven on grill instead of fan?

It possibly just needed longer to cook. A good way of checking is to stick a clean knife into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean, it's cooked through - if it's not cooked through the knife will come out with cake mix stuck to it.

Oh you did check it was cooked through - how bizarre then

It was orange polenta. It smells gorgeous too! Bah. I'll have to blame the poltergeist then! Im wondering if the fan came on - its a bit tempremental.

could you have forgotten a key ingredient or put in the wrong amount of it?
a friend of mine has done that a few times

I dont think so... My bin is all warm and orangey!

Just had a thought. Maybe it was because I used a loaf tin. I usually use a 23cm round but have used a tin before (I remember it being a little too browned for my liking). Bugger.

mmm, so probably thicker in the middle, you know Delia is very particular about using the correct tin, this may be why!