birthday carrot cake didn't rise... what did I do wrong?

[sansouci]

Attempted a carrot cake for dh which didn't seem to cook! All those grated carrots! Anyone who's good at cakes know why this could happen? Was my baking powder stale? Carrots too wet?

Did it not cook, or not rise? I don't think my carrot cakes rise much, but they're still tasty ...

agre with nqc, they don't rise a huge amount.

lol. mine's like sludge! more flour, maybe?

This is our house carrot cake. Done for every child's birthday party, goes down a treat. Bit of a hassle, though, all that grating.

meanwhile, I'm feeling sick from all the cream cheese icing I've been sampling. urk.

Did you follow a recipe?

Maybe just not cooked long enough? They do take ages, I don't watch clock, just keep cooking until a toothpick comes out dryish from the middle.

NQC, I cooked it until the top was almost burnt. And yes, I did follow a recipe, except I put in only 1 cup of sugar instead of 2.

The recipe looks great but I haven't any pineapple. All the recipes seem to call for it & there's no way I'm going anywhere near a shop this afternoon! (btw French on holiday today for Veteran's Day & all come flooding over the border to shop in Switzerland. Nightmare!)

Hmm, what temperature? Is your oven good?

ooh that looks nice NQC - I've saved it

Oven is a Siemens fan oven. Maybe 3-4 yrs old.

Very strange. Is the recipe from a good source? Recipe might be just not right, are the ratios similar to the one I linked to?

Oh, was the sugar granulated? Removing a cup of sugar would make the mixture more wet, which might explain problems?

did you turn the temp down to take into account it's a fan oven?
it may have needed a longer slower cook

Debating whether to try again with cake or go to see The Devil Wears Prada. B'day party tomorrow plus I have to make the main course, which is a prune, beef & stout recipe from good ol' Nigella. Don't feel like cooking but probably should stay in & do it!

Could I use applesauce instead of pineapple? Or too risky?

Applesauce might work. The pineapple isn't that much of the recipe, iyswim. Maybe use slightly less applesauce than pineapple, to avoid excessive wetness ... the cake is moist in the end, ideally, and the top is often a bit brown.

Film or cake, NQC?

I'm ill, freezing to death, and have both DSes, as they watch youtube flight videos. I have no judgement for anyone I'm afraid ...

Good God, NQC! you poor thing. why freezing? no heating?

Freezing because I'm ill. A cold I guess? The heating is ok, it's probably 18C or something in here. But I'm wearing layers and shivering.

Here is a carrot cake recipe I use all the time. I use wholemeal self-raising flour, but you can use normal self-raising. I made it the other night, actually. It is easy peasy and lovely!

6oz light muscovado sugar
6fl oz sunflower oil
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
5oz grated carrot (about 3 med. carrots)
4oz chopped dates/raisins/nuts - whatever you fancy!
grated zest of 1 large orange
6oz self-raising wholemeal flour
1tsp bicarb of soda
1.5 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon and nutmeg)

1. Lightly mix sugar, oil and eggs in large bowl. Then stir in the carrots, orange rind and dates/raisins/nuts.

1. Preheat oven to 180'C/Gas 4/Fan 160'C and oil & line a 7inch square cake tin.

1. Mix flour, soda and spice, then sift into the bowl. Lightly mix all the ingredients.

1. Pour mixture into tin and bake for 40-45 mins, cool in tin 5mins, then turn out onto wire rack.

I have a dilemma, I was making a carrot cake and I had to sieve the wholemeal flour and a lot of grain was left in the sieve am I supposed to use it, if so why should you sieve it? I would be grateful if someone could tell me what to do

Sieving adds air (helps rising and more thorough mixing with the other ingredients) and gets lumps out. With wholemeal flour I'd tip the meal left in the sieve in with the rest of the flour.