technical(ish) q about splitting a cake mixture

10 replies

alabasterangel · 05/02/2014 12:10

Crap title, don't know how else to describe it!

Am a relatively okay baker and have some experience, but struggling with this.....

Making a 9 inch bday cake for the weekend. I don't like madeira all that much but stumbled across this recipe which is lovely and soft and light and want to use it again....

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10860/easy-vanilla-cake

however, when I upscale the recipe to a 9inch tin, it just doesn't seem to bake that well. The last time I did it even though I had a clean skewer, good rise, bounceback and colour, when I cut into it there was a central part which still looked dense and underbaked IMO. The edges were well cooked so I don't want to just bake for longer....?

With this recipe you bake as a whole then split and fill... I was wondering, what would happen if I divided the mix between two 9 inch tins to bake instead? What would the result be and what would I have to do differently? Reduce the baking time?

Any help appreciated......

OP posts:

nannycook · 05/02/2014 18:19

Alba, I makes cakes on a regular basis and I always struggled making one one large deep cake so now I make two thinner ones and they always turn out fab, in fact I made one this morning ready to ice tomorrow , its sitting in the fridge all crumb coated, I made a 9 inch using a 3 egg mix in each tin on gas 3 for 40 mins, as light and fluffy as you can get, I use the same recipe for all my cakes and I have 6 to make in Feb, cracked it now and would never do it any other way, it works for me and I'm not changing it.

nannycook · 05/02/2014 18:36

The quantities for a 9 inch square in the book I use States a 5 egg mixture so I thought I'd work to a 3 egg mix in each and honestly they turn out great, not sure what method you use but again I always put it all in my mixer and beat for 2 mins ( Mary Berry also does it that way) .

Last year like you I made a 12 inch OMG , it was dense heavy greasy took ages to cook, now I make it in two stages, perfect, if you want quantities just let me know.

Soon I have to make an owl then a birdcage, abut fixed on the quantities for those two, will work it out though.

nannycook · 05/02/2014 18:38

Abit foxed I meant, duh!

dannyboyle · 05/02/2014 18:43

Interesting as I've used the exact same recipe this week to make husbands birthday cake. I needed it larger to instead of doubling I made two cakes, each in a 25cm square tin. Sandwiches these two together. Came out fine. Think the recipe said 1hr 20, however as I did a much larger tin than suggested they only took 45 mins (skewer coming out clean). Not sure if that helps as I'm ok at baking but only just started doing the bigger birthday cake style!

nannycook · 05/02/2014 19:19

Ingredients cost so much Danny I hate it if it turns out wrong, also before I moved last yr I was used to fan assisted electric oven so when I found I had a gas I wasn't happy, I messed up a fair few cakes last yr until it came to a 3tier wedding cake which i was not gonna ruin, I experimented and found this worked for me and its what I've done ever since.

nannycook · 05/02/2014 19:20

nannycook · 05/02/2014 19:30

Sorry finger slipped.

dannyboyle · 05/02/2014 22:04

What's your full recipe then, would love to give it a go!

nannycook · 06/02/2014 07:59

Danny its only a 3 or 4 egg mix its all I ever use and Beat it together for 2 mins, thats it really.

Flip