Please help me - my cakes never EVER rise and I'm fed up!

[runner2]

I used to bake victoria sponges in 2 small sandwich tins and they always came out evenly baked, lovely light texture and flavour...and woefully flat. So today, following my mum's advice, I bought a 20cm/8" diameter deeper, loose-bottomed tin and did the 6oz marg, 6oz caster ugar, 6oz s.r. flour, 3 egg recipe. Baked it for 43 mins at 160 in my Neff fan oven, by which time it was nicely browned on top, shrinking from sides of the tin, skewer came out clean. Couldn't believe it when I took it out the tin - sponge is about an inch deep! Gutted. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong! The only thing I can think of is that the "medium" size eggs I use for baking are pretty small - would that have an impact on the rise?

Are you making sure the oven is fully up to temperature before you put them in?

Do you have a non-fan option on your oven? Mine's gas so not an issue, but a friend says her cakes rise far better when she has hers set to non-fan.

I have a neff fan oven. I do a deep sponge at 170, for about 40 mins, would do a shallow one at 180. for much less time.
Check your oven seals, and hinges, to be sure the door shuts properly, possibly even try an oven thermometer.

The milk is at the end to get a better consistency for getting the batter spread out.

One other possibility could be that you have beaten it too much. That can be as much of a culprit as beating too little.

Yes, definitely don't over-mix the batter. Also I've found that using eggs as fresh as possible can make a difference. I wouldn't add baking powder to SR flour as I'm paranoid about that yucky aftertaste, but I sometimes use plain flour with baking powder instead of SR.

It's the fan oven. I have a Neff fan oven too. I used to be able to bake cakes, but I can't now. If I had my time over, I wouldn't consider an oven where you can't turn the fan off.

If you can't turn the fan off, try putting a lid on or cover the tin.

I use 4 eggs as well.

Always cream the butter and sugar until it's changed colour and fold in the sf flour. You are using self raising flour yes?

Agree don't use baking powder. Sf flour means you don't need to.

I have a Neff fan oven and my cakes are fine!

I use the equal weight method - plain flour and add baking powder with a fan oven (reduced temp by 10deg C from recipe temp).

Baking powder deteriorates over time (with the humidity in the kitchen) so SR flour and a tin of BP can "go off" if it is old.

Adding extra baking powder is only necessary for the all in one method.

6" = 2 eggs and 20mins
7" = 3 eggs and 25 mins
8" = 4 eggs and 30 minutes.

All in pairs.

I cook them all at 170/180 C

I used to produce biscuits for years, trying to fit a 2 egg mixture into a 7 inch tin, so now I just use more.

As others have said, oven temp may need checking. I have a fan oven (rangemaster) and find it is better for cakes.

Yep agree with others - tin is too big

Using 3 eggs in a tin that size is not going to produce a very deep cake. I use 3 eggs when splitting between two 7 inch tins and that makes an okay depth.

This goes against other answers, but my husband's aunt could never get her Victoria sponge to rise and asked what I did differently. I use Mary Berry's recipe, which advises putting everything in all at once. I've never had a problem with my cakes rising, and since DH's aunt tried it, she's been successful as well.

You need a plan here.
In scientific fashion, change one parameter at a time. For example:

1. Double batter see what happens.
2. Beat egg whites separately and fold. See what happens.
3. Do both.
4. From initial conditions, put lid on tin.
5. Do 4 and double batter.
6. Do 4 and fold egg whites.

And so on...

Having said that, the cake should rise to at least 2-3x the initial batter hight. Check if that is happening or not.

Lots of good tips - thank you! Yes I use SR flour and I don't think there's a problem with my creaming/mixing. Although it's a fan I can't turn off on my oven I really don't think I can lay any blame at its door! Next time I will try the weighing eggs/equal quantities method and see if that helps; it does look as if it's going to be a (long) process of elimination of potential errors though. Any other thoughts or theories, please do keep them coming!

I think you need to measure the depth of the uncooked batter and the depth of the finished cake. I really don't see how it can have a lovely light texture, as you say in your OP if it doesn't rise. My betting is still that it does rise but your tin's bigger than you think it is.

you need a light hand with cakes. I do mine by hand and spend probably no more than 5 minutes making a sponge mix. 43 mins is a long, long time. and I think 160 is too low, even for a fan oven. I would expect my cakes to be dry if baked them this long at this temp. I stick to 180, and use only butter, flour eggs and sugar.

I don't think your using enough ingredients for two 8" tins. I like the Mary Berry recipe:

4 Eggs
225g/8oz Baking Spread (I like stork) or butter - softened
225g/8oz Self-raising flour
225g/8oz Caster Sugar
2 tsp baking powder
Vanilla essence if you like

Heat oven to 180 degrees C

Mix all ingredients together just until mixed, don't over mix. Divide into the two prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins and check if baked.

I beat the sugar and butter until creamed, except I now use stork because it's easier to do by hand. I whisk my eggs up in a separate jug to try and get air in without overdoing the mixture. I then fold a bit of egg in at a time with a bit of flour to prevent curdling, and then lightly sieve the flour in from a great height and gently fold as much air in as possible before spooning into the tins.

Daft question, are you preheating your oven? Always stick it on before you do anything else.

Oh and I weigh my eggs as well before hand to make sure I have equal ratio.

I beat the butter and sugar with the mixer (or flora buttery sometimes - higher fat content than other spreads). Then lightly combine the eggs in a small bowl, and add these in 1 egg/2 oz portions mixing quickly with the electric whisk, cleaning the edges with a spatula each time. My friend always does this and her cakes are fine, so I decided life is too short to faff about folding stuff in.

I use the all-in-one method and it never has failed on me.

Bung 10oz s.r. flour, 8oz sugar, 8oz marg or butter, teaspoon baking powder, 4 eggs and a splash of milk into a mixer. Whisk until light and fluffy. You can see the change of colour as the air gets incorporated.

Sometimes I hold off on the milk until I've whisked the eggs in then just add some til I get the right consistency.

One cake, 160c for 45 mins.
Two smaller cakes, 170 or 180 for 25 mins.

You need a 4 egg mix for a pair of 8 inch tins.

BBC recipe

Mary Berry recipe.