Baking questions

[Kai1977]

I want to make an oil based cake rather than the usual butter method. Everytime I make these types of cakes, the oil seems to gather on top and the cake looks greasy. Any ideas why?

Also the recipe calls for a syrup mixture to be poured over the cake rounds while warm. If I am making this a day ahead, do you think it will be safer to pour the syrup on the day so it doesn't get too soggy. Or will it be OK to do ahead of time? Here is the recipe:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/toffee-apple-cake?amp

the point of pouring syrup over as they are done is so it infuses with the sponge straight away and the warmth aids this.a bit like you do in a lemon drizzle cake the drizzle needs the warmth and just cooked-ness to work properly.

You definitely want to pour the sugar syrup or whatever the drizzle is over the cake when it's warm. The warm cake will soak up the syrup and help it stay moist. Wouldn't do it over a cold day old cake, I think that would make it soggy.

Not sure about the oil, are you mixing it in thoroughly enough?

Thank you. As you can tell I'm a bit of a novice! I guess it will be OK for a day or two once soaked?

I thought I was mixing it well but will try mixing it more this time. It's a different recipe to the ones I made before so maybe this one will be OK.

When I sub oil for butter in a cake I don't do it weight for weight. Butter is approx 80% fat, whereas oil is 100% fat, so I use about four-fifths the weight. Eg recipe calls for 150g butter, I use 120g oil - or less, never more.

The cake mix will be runny. You can't bake it in a springform or loose-bottomed cake tin unless you line it with a shaped single-sheet silicon paper liner.

Thanks. The cake (BBC Goodfood Toffee Apple cake) worked out perfectly in the end. Everyone loved it! Perhaps it depends on the recipe used or as suggested before, I didn't blend well enough before.

OH my goodness that looks awesomely good! I am so going to try it. Did you do the toffee apples?

I would have loved to try them but didn't have time (and have had various mishaps with caramel before)! I was trying to find some in the shops as a cheat but it's not the season.

It's really delicious either way and really moist because of the grated apple and ground almonds. Turned out working quite well for an alternative Christmas cake because of the spices and sultanas too.

Someone at work made it and won the bake off. She said there is a ginger and toasted marshmallow cake on the site that was also a bit of a showstopper.