I am going to bake my DD's 1st Birthday cake - yet I can't bake - help!!

[HackerFucker22]

Prices for a cake are freaking extortionate so I am going to attempt my own.

Have a very basic sponge recipe (It's literally butter, caster sugar, eggs and flour) but my cupcakes taste OK?

Do I just buy a mould and amend my quantities?
Shall I go for a silicone mould?

Any tips appreciated

[SavoyCabbage]

It will be fine, you just have to follow the instructions. It helps me to think of it as science rather than art. And remember you are doing it for your own child. Not anyone else.

Get a tin, or a silicone mound if you want. And then find a recipe that specifies that tin. That's easier than adapting a recipe to fit the tin I think.

[ouryve]

Metal tins taste better than silicone, IMO, but need a little more prep.

The quantities you need (and timings) depend on the size of your tin.

Make sure everything's at warm-ish room temperature. You need the butter to be nice and soft and you need the eggs to not set it hard, again.

Don't disturb the in the oven until about 80% of the cooking time in your recipe has elapsed - then you can check they're not on course to burn and rotate them, in the oven, if they're coking a little unevenly.

To check they're cooked:
They should be springy in the middle and not sound like bursting bubbles when you press down
A cocktail stick should come out clean - covered in crumb rather than dough, if anything sticks to it.
They appear to start to come away from the sides of the tin (I use this as a clue as to when to start prodding)
They smell cooked!

This recipe is a really good guide. Do what you like with the filling - it doesn't have to be that one.
www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/aclassicspongecakewi_9406

[MaisieDotes]

I just did a banana bread for DS's 1st birthday. I know that sounds super boring but he had never had sugar and I was afraid of him going mental on an ordinary cake.

I had another cake that I gave to guests.

[MaisieDotes]

Whoops! Just noticed this is Baking and not Chat.

You're looking for specific instructions. Ignore me.

[noblegiraffe]

www.deliaonline.com/home/Print-Recipe.html?PID=2990&ampCID=979 this link tries to print but I can't find one that doesn't!

I use Delia's instructions but for a 7 inch birthday cake do 6oz of everything and 3 eggs otherwise it's too small.

[DeepestDarkestRiver]

Or you can go the no-bake route for laziness ease! I made this for my DS' first birthday: www.annabelkarmel.com/blog/no-bake-train-cake-step-by-step-cooking

I substituted a couple of things, but it otherwise turned out pretty much just like in the pic. It was fab, and I got lots of compliments .

[DeepestDarkestRiver]

Or you can go the no-bake route for laziness ease! I made this for my DS' first birthday: www.annabelkarmel.com/blog/no-bake-train-cake-step-by-step-cooking

I substituted a couple of things, but it otherwise turned out pretty much just like in the pic. It was fab, and I got lots of compliments .

[DeepestDarkestRiver]

Apologies for the double post!