Help needed for a total novice - cooking a cake using a mould

[redandyellowbits]

I am a total baking novice (I can't even make fairy cakes well

I've just bought a huge castle mould as I would like to make a big cake for DDs birthday. It's not till June but I am so crap at baking I figure I should start practising now.

Does anyone have any idiot-proof chocolate cake recipes or any useful tips for baking with a mould?

I found several here

www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=receipe+for+chocolate+cake+with+mould&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I use a baking spray for my mould and it is excellent. I have a Nordic ware very ornate mould (love it) and I was worried the fine detail would be lost when I unmoulded, iyswim. To use the baking spray I recommend spraying each little crack and crevice and then going over the whole lot with a pastry brush (or any kind of small clean brush) to make sure the cake comes out really cleanly. I bought my baking spray from amazon but I think if you google you can get homemade recipes for it as well (I think it's basically oil and flour).

Ah thank you! Do you have a recipe you could share?

I'm going to try fairy cakes again tomorrow and work my way up from there :-)

How about this?

I have made the more spicy variation and it was a lovely simple cake.

That looks perfect, the comments suggest its nice and easy to make. Can't believe I am even attempting a cake, will get practising.

DD better love it!

Hope it works. Ovens differ but you will know if your cake is done if a skewer comes out clean when you've inserted it. Do you have a fan assisted oven? If so you will probably need 5-10 minutes less time. Also do not open the oven at all while baking. Hth!

I have a regularly asked for and used chocolate cake recipe which is a fabulous texture for icing. Also, because it is made with yoghurt, it is light, fluffy and moist.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa

-1.5 tsp baking soda

• 113g softened unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups plain (full fat) yoghurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

PREHEAT OVEN TO 175C

1. Sift flour and cocoa
2. Cream sugar and butter until pale and fluffy
3. Add eggs into creamed sugar/butter mixture one at a time, fully incorporating each egg
4. Add in dry ingredients, baking soda, and yoghurt in thirds. Mix gently (will help have a lighter cake)
5. Mix in vanilla
6. Put mixture into prepared pan
7. Bake for 45-55 minutes
8. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely

Tip for baking with mould: Get a baking spray (I use Easy Bake), and after cake has cooled a bit, use a serated knife parallel to the tin to flatten the bottom. When inverting onto the cooling rack, I put a piece of greaseproof paper bigger than the cake on so that I can transfer the cake easily to the presentation tray

Good Luck!

I also just made a trial castle cake for DD's birthday. I used [[
siliconemoulds.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/dutch-apple-castle-cake.html?m=1 this]] recipe (not chocolate but had been "sized" for the mould). A few bits of the cake broke off. I had put vegetable oil and a thin layer of flour on the mould before pouring in the mixture. I think I will try the spray next!! How long should I let the cake cool down for?
My cake also came out a bit "distorted". Any advice on how to help the mould retain its shape? The mould I have is the one shown on the site above.