Why don't my cakes rise? WHY?!

[PrincessChick]

Just that really. I made a batch of muffins this evening, a Victoria sponge and a carrot cake a couple of weeks ago... All edible but a bit dense and brick like. I'm really dissappointed by the muffins.

Where am I going wrong?

I always follow the recipe, I use a kitchenaid with the beating attachment, I carefully fold in the flour with a wooden or metal spoon, i just don't understand?!

I'd love some tips!

Thank you ladies. I'm very much looking forward to baking tomorrow with my new found knowledge :)

Right, some more posts arrived while I was typing mine.

Food processors are not suitable for making cake mixture as they don't incorporate any air into the mixture.

I use Homepride or Bero SR flour.

Exit You don't need to beat the mixture for two minutes if it is all combined or you risk overbeating.

Princess you need an oven thermometer to check your oven, not any old thermometer.

No, sadly not - plain flour plus baking powder just doesn't seem to get the same 'rise' as SR plus baking powder.

I use a 3/6 ratio (I'm old school) - so 6ozs butter or baking marg, 6ozs caster sugar, 3 eggs, 6ozs SR, teaspoon of baking powder, vanilla, slosh of milk. You can reduce or increase that ratio accordingly, so 2/4, 4/8 etc.

Thank you bunbaker although rest assured I wasn't going to take the oven's temp with the baby's ear thermometer I'll try and pick up an oven thermometer tomorrow too.

Bun - I always use my food mixer (Kenwood Prospero) to make cakes and they come out perfectly

Is it a food mixer or a food processor? I use a food mixer as well.

Oh that's true, yes - food processor = not good, food mixer = fine

I've got a stand mixer and electric hand whisk... Which should I be using?

I never weigh anything, I never follow a recipe and I make different mixtures all the time. My cakes have always risen, always. I don't know where you are going wrong.

I use self raising flour and a teaspoon of baking powder. I usually use 3 eggs and add milk to the eggs. Sive the flour and baking powder in at the end when all the other ingredients have been mixed, not too much flour but enough so that the mixture is wet enough to drop off a spoon. If the mixture is too dry the cake will be dry when it's cooked.

I never use slf raising flour.

for a sponge I use the mn egg-weighing technique.

for a mid-size tin:
weigh 3 eggs (in their shell)
add same weight of butter, sugar, flour. baking powder as per instruction on the tin. pinch of salt. drop of vanilla extract.
mix all together.
greased tin. 160 conventional oven. 50 min (first check at 45 min)

Either, it doesn't matter. A food processor like this doesn't aerate the mixture properly. A food mixer will.

Either is fine - I've used both, the stand mixer is less messy (doesn't spray flour up your walls) but no real difference otherwise imo

I use nigellas recipe which iirc is 125g of butter, sugar and s.r. Flour, with 2 eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a tbsp of milk.

I made some cupcakes using this yesterday, the butter was soft and I made it by hand and the texture was the velvetiest I'd ever made. Cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs and then fold in the flour and then the essence and then add the milk.

I only have a remoska and I cooked them 8 at a time. Oven always hot before the cakes go in.

All scoffed by students today.

Which raising agent are you using? (self raising flour/bi carb/bread soda)

Sieve the flour over the bowl (this will trap air during the process).

Gradually and lightly mix flour (even in a processor use mix no. 1 or 2 as if you mix too quickly or for too long it makes the flour stiff in the mixture.

Beat eggs gradually, one at the time rather than pouring them all in to the bowl in one go

Pre heat the oven (even if it is a fan oven) so that you are placing the tin in a warm oven (the cake will cook more evenly). Keep the oven door shut while baking (resist the urge to keep opening it to check if they are rising! - every time you open the door you are letting out the warm air and this will alter the outcome of your baking)

Have you checked that you have the correct measurements of ingredients (gms/lbs/cups)

If you are using butter, make sure it is kept at room temp so it is soft when you are using it

I have used Pantry in recipes and it worked out fine(as good as any other brand but cheaper). As other posters have mentioned; check use by dates on your ingredients and use correct tins and temperature in oven. If you are using a fan oven you will need to reduce the temp/baking time. Check the oven manual instructions if you are not sure.
Baking is meant to be fun so practice makes perfect! I'm available as a taste tester of any cakes if there's any goodies going!! :-)

bunbaker

My cakes are fabulous I would have you know.

It's really important to have the eggs at room temperature not from the fridge this hugely effects the rise on the cake. Also don't have your oven too hot. If you have a fan assisted oven and the recipe states 180c you need to adjust your oven temp down to around 160c but cook for the time stated. This will ensure the centre of the cake cooks and not just the exterior crust, if the outside only cooks inevitably the centre collapses. Happy cooking hope it goes well and if it's any consolation my in laws laughed at my first forays into making birthday cakes for my dds, now I sell them!

I never use sr flour, just plain and baking powder.

Try adding another tsp of baking powder on top of what you have been. Or maybe you have a dud baking powder? Try a new one.

Princesschick, OK your probably confused more than Everton, if its any help at all, I make loads of cakes, made one yesterday, and today, and got one tomorrow, I always do the same method, its works for me, all in one,for an 8inch sandwich cake I use 8ozs of everything and 4eggs, 1 tsp of baking powder, never fails, bake and sell, so has to be right.

I use a Kenwood chef and beat for 2 mins, always rises.

I think Sainsburys sponge flour is brilliant

Always use Aldi's, absolutely no difference, and I have 5 cakes to make this week, on my 2nd one now, always rises, always turn out the same.

Everything at room temp makes a huge difference I find .

I use a food processor with no problems.... just saying..

In my defence the Kenwood mixer which I always used to use blew up though :(