How do I lighten my cakes?

[Tee2072]

I always make sponge cakes, usually a 4 egg sponge to make 2 layers, and they are so heavy you could anchor a boat with them.

I use SR flour and usually another rising agent as well.

Tips?

I do 2 eggs, 125g utterly butterly (or similar) and sugar 175g Sr flour and about 4tbsp milk always works out beautifully

Eat a bit. They'll be much lighter then

My recipe doesn't call for milk, maybe that would help.

They taste good, they are just so dense!

Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature, weigh the eggs and add the same weight in sr flour, butter and sugar, add level teaspoon of making powder and mix all together until just combined, if youmix for too long you'll 'work'the gluten in the flour.The mix may need a couple of splashes of room temp milk too so that a spoonful drops fairly easily off a spoon. I forgot to add let your oven come up to tempbefore you start mixing. Using a mixer should only take a minute or so to combine all the ingredients.

Sorry for the bad punctuation, and writing making powder!

Make sure you really whisk the eggs and sugar so that they're fluffy before adding the flour, then fold the flour in gently so you don't knock all the air out.

Sorry for the bad punctuation, and writing making powder!

But you cream the butter and sugar first surely?

Add some yoghurt - plain, live yoghurt. Just a dollop or two: it will make your cake moist and light and delicious.

And how are you mixing them? I do old-fashioned butter and sugar, then eggs, then flour sifted in. And a bit of yoghurt at the end.

Same as you, Omi.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Fold in beaten eggs.
Fold in well sifted SR flour and baking powder.
Mix gently and not too much.
Put in pan.
Cook in preheated oven.

Come out like bricks. Delicious bricks, but bricks!

Yoghurt is an idea.

Sunflower spread not butter, I'm afraid. I like the idea of butter much better, but cakes are definitely lighter when you use a vegetable spread.

I made my last cake with Stork, and it was just as heavy.

This one I just made is butter.

I think cakes just don't like me.

I always do Mary berry's all in one recipe- google it. The cakes are lovely and light and take 2 minutes to do. The best recipe I've used

That's my recipe, Cupcake. It must be me!!

Well, except she puts things together in a different order. Maybe I will try that next time, thanks!

Me too cupcakelover, in fact I am making her Vicky sponge a bit later on. Never had a problem.

Oh and I use Stork.

YY to all ingredients room temperature even the eggs. Ive been using superior self raising flour and my baking has improved on taste and texture .

everyone always comments on how light my cakes are - no idea how I do it I always used to be crap at making cakes when I was younger and I use the same recipe as I do now, I think it must be down to the mixer.

I use 4oz sr flour, 4oz of butter, 4oz caster sugar and 2 eggs. Mix butter and sugar and flour together. Then one by one mix the eggs in (actually thinking about it never used to do that when I was younger just walloped it all in together maybe that is the secret!) Your supposed to be able to slice that in half but I usually repeat the same method/ recipe again and make two layers.

oh and another good trick for the filling is to use chantilly cream and a good quality strawberry jam

Beat the sugar and butter (I use Flora, butter is too heavy) together until it's really moussey, then add half the eggs and half the flour, mix a bit, then add the other half of the eggs and flour. I sometimes add milk or yoghurt, depends on how loose the mix is.

I use Sainsburys supreme sponge flour for Victoria Sponge and my trusty electric hand mixer. 175g stork, 175g caster sugar, whizzed. Beat 3 eggs, whizz a bit at a time. Sift 175g sponge flour and 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. Stir in gradually with metal spoon. I sometimes whizz up after adding flour, still same results. Add 1tbsp milk if necessary. Grease and line 2 sandwich tins, I only line the bottom using a circle of parchment and I ensure there is the same amount of mix in each tin by weighing them. Oven 180, top shelf, approx 25 mins. Take out of oven, leave 5 mins, turn out onto wire rack.

Make sure the mix is room temp and use a a very light cake flour (ie not strong bread flour) and use a light margarine.

In fact as I am severe;ly gluten intolerant but love cakes so I make all my cakes using normal recipes but with Pure sunflower margarine and Doves farm gluten free plain flour (which is made of rice, potato and buckwheat flour) and add my own baking powder.

If you use strong flour, butter and a cold mix it will never rise - even if you put dynamite under it.

I also blend everything in a food processor not a mixer.

No, I use self rising, not bread flour.

Perhaps the room temperature thing.

You have to cream the butter and sugar together first until they stop being yellow and start being white. This can take up to 5 mins with an electric whisk. It's much easier if your butter is at room temperature before you start. I put mine in the microwave for 10 / 20 seconds to make it softer.

Add a bit of milk at the end if your mixture is too heavy.