Is there a secret I'm missing?

[QueenOfIce]

I love baking, I follow the recipes to the letter and yet my bakes are usually rubbish. They don't taste great, I have no idea why I just don't have the 'knack' I guess

Is there a secret to baking cakes I'm missing?

I trick I usually use when baking cakes is to create a bit of a steamy atmosphere so the cake is moist and not too dried out. This involves nothing more than putting another rack above the one that the cake is sitting on (not forgetting to allow room for the cake to rise) and placing a large baking tray on it. This creates a sort-of roof but still allows air-flow, and just traps enough moisture.
I second the Delia suggestion, she's usually foolproof.

Try one recipe and stick to it until you are happy with it. A plain cake is best as you can dress it up in different ways once it's cooked so you don't get bored.

Once you've made it following the recipe, then depending on how it turns out you can tweak the things mentioned in previous posts until you arrive at what works for you and your oven.

Anything that doesn't work can be turned into a pudding with custard or by being drowned in alcohol and covered in fruit and cream.

For sponge cakes beating the crap out of them is key. Beat the butter and sugar until it's really light and fluffy. Beat the eggs well before you add them.

Apple your final para pretty much describes my approach to baking. Sponge rarely goes so far wrong it can’t have the overdone bits cut off, be drowned in sherry and reincarnated as trifle.

If you’re looking for a good book of basic recipes, the Peyton & Byrne “British Baking” (currently available second hand on Amazon for less than a fiver) is excellent. I’ve not cooked every last recipe, but among the ones I have tried, there isn’t a single dud. Discovery Apple Cake, Elderflower and Poppyseed loaf and the flourless Rich Chocolate Cake are three of my favourites.

My bakes usually go down well. I always use butter, never margarine, and I make sure everything is light and fluffy before going in the oven.

I agree some people seem to have a natural flair for baking and it probably has to do with having a good eye to judge when things are the right consistency or doneness. My dd is good at cooking and I've noticed she has a good eye for judging other things too such as measuring things and colour. Of course this would also improve with practice if it doesn't come so naturally.
The sponge flour mentioned does give good results, and I also think it's a good idea to stick to perfecting the simple sponge recipe, that you can decorate differently or turn into trifle, before moving on to another cake. Once you get it right you can vary it in so many ways from cupcakes to a big layered cake and different flavours. Be careful each time you change it of course.

Decided not to bake after all, too hot! Besides I'm going to sit and inwardly digest some plain recipes as suggested. To be honest I'm a put all ingredients on the top and open book follow instructions type of person.

I had no idea there was a sponge flour!

If you want super fluffy light cakes- separate egg yolks and beat them till they have a "ribbon" consistency- when you drop bits on top of it it stays and holds its shape. Then gently fold into cake mixture

Egg whites sorry! Not the yolks

Have a look at CupCakeJemma on YouTube I've never had one of hers go wrong!

I agree with the oven having to be good. I had an Aga (actually an old Rayburn!) and could bake anything first time. I managed all kinds of complex things. Moved, brand new run of the mill oven, and it’s hit and miss now!

I think my oven leaks. Cakes rise on one side so I have to turn them.

Try the Be-Ro Home Recipes book. I had a copy and used it to learn to bake from the age of 12. It has really simple basic recipes to get you started, but I also seconded the suggestion of Delia. Delia is always my go to for recipes as it's always simple and straight forward no messing recipes.

I used to be rubbish at baking then we got a new oven and suddenly my baking is much better. I think my previous oven was too hot.
ive also got better at taking stuff out the oven when its done and not leaving it a few extra minutes

You are all brilliant thank you so much, I feel a little more confidant now and now just a crappy baker.

Ooh! I have just sent DSis a list of things she could try to make her cakes edible - she makes really good rock cakes from all sorts of recipes

Get an oven thermometer and check your oven.

Pick one recipe - Victoria sponge is probably the best as it is very edible as a biscuit, as others have said, custard is a great cake saver. In this weather cream and chopped fruit works well too!

Delia's recipe for a Victoria sponge, and her all in one version, are easily found and work well.

Check your tin sizes, actually measure them, see what you really did buy.

Consider getting a packet of sponge flour, see if that makes a difference. About 15 years ago something changed in flour production. I had to modify a lot of recipes. For basic sponges the sponge flour could make a difference.

Don't use eggs from the fridge. They don't need to be kept in there anyway and the coldness of them can stiffen your mix.

Beating the sugar and eggs... that can be overdone, read Delia's instructions / description and don't believe anyone who tells you an extra 5 minutes give a better result - it doesn't, it 'cooks' the egg protein and can inhibit the rise, make the crumb very dense.

Make sure you know the difference between beating or whisking and folding. I still use a large metal spoon for folding, out of habit as I have a folding spoon my great grandma used, flat on one edge. But be sure you know how to fold and don't rush it.

Also stop and consider 'dropping consistency' - Delia explains. It is worth getting this right as it forms the basis of a lot of cake mixes.

Don't push the cake mix into the cake tin, it barely needs smoothing, don't bang it to level it. Some cakes need a dipped or domed finish, but they come later

Pop it into the oven, I don't use a middle shelf, too tricky to get to to test! 5 minutes before end of cooking time test it: does the cake rebound when you gently push it? Is the cake coming away from the cake tin - small gap round the edges? Does a skewer come out clean?

Use all 3 methods, you'll fund the one you like. You can work the timing back and forth until your cake is just cooked, not dry, not soggy.

Once you have a perfect Vicky sponge you will automatically know what makes a good cake batter and all your other cakes will get better - I promise!

You really need to know your oven. My old one was a little too cold and the new one is too hot. The manufacturers never get it exactly right ime.

Thank you curious! We have a new oven I think it's too hot. Will get a thermometer to check, it's got to be the oven right and not my rubbish technique

faff about less

Not all recipes are that great, what sort of cake do you want to make. A recipe for a dense, chewy brownie will be very different to a sponge cake. One thing common to all baking is to get everything ready and work as fast as you can to get things in the oven, once you mix the wet and dry ingredients.

PP already mentioned, weigh everything in advance, prepare the tins, preheat oven, use oven thermometer, do not open oven door once the cakes are in there, until they are read6 to come out. Know how to tell when they are ready.

Nigella Lawson's recipes always work for me, I love reading Nigel Slater's but i take them as a general guide. Oh, and enjoy. If you are in a bad temper, or anxious, the cakes won't taste so good.

I've been a bit disappointed in a few Mary Berry recipes! I tried the cookies from her Baking Bible and they were more like soft biscuits that just fell apart. I like her blueberry muffin recipe though and I've played around with it successfully.

Hang in there, I was awful at baking but after quite a bit of practice I'm edging towards competent now!

I second the poster who had trouble with Mary berry's recipes. I'm a pretty experienced baker but somehow I struggled to get hers to work for me.
Going slightly off at a tangent....the old saying about nor baking if you're in a bad mood. There must be something in that even though I suspect it translates as grumpy= heavy handed. However, after my DP died suddenly 22 months ago my baking went to shit. Oven was the same, tins, recipes all the same. The only thing that was different was me. I am sure that there is another element to creating things that comes from a spiritual/psychological place. My grief seemed to be blocking my usual "flair". It was the oddest thing. And it is only now that my cakes etc are returning to their pre-bereavement yumminess. It's a weird process to go through. I just ate more chocolate instead 😁

Baking is a funny thing.

I made an apple cake this weekend, I’ve made it dozens of times and it’s always great.

This time it came out different, nothing like before. Same ingredients, same technique, same oven.

It’s an utter mystery.

It’s just loads of trial and error I’ve found. If a recipe says 180 fan oven I always bake the cake at 160 for the same time as recommended as the cakes come out so much better.
Really really whisk the sugar and butter in the first step. When one arm gets tired swap. When you think you’ve whisked enough whisk some more!
Mix all the raw egg together in a cup and add really a little bit at a time while the whisk is still going. Just enough to mix it in, don’t over whisk at this point. Then sift in flour and fold in.
Once you’ve started really crack on and get it in the oven ASAP.
Here is the recipe I use for Victoria sponge which I’ve pretty much perfected
8oz butter 8oz caster sugar. Whisk manically as previously described.
4 large eggs added very little at a time. Keep whisking to a minimum.
Either one level teaspoon of vanilla extract and one of almond extract or two of vanilla
One lever teaspoon of baking powder
8oz of the premium sponge sr flour sifted in and folded
Pour into two lined 8 inch tins and bake next to each other in the middle of a pre heated oven at 160 for about 25 minutes.

Oh and I’ve never got on with those fancy cake tins that long open. Just a sandwich tin lined at the bottom and smear of butter round the sides work best for me x

I've made a banana and chocolate loaf, no refined sugar. I'm surprised it's turned out so well!!

Don't be surprised Op, you're just releasing your Inner Baking Goddess. If you see mine please will you point her in the direction of Hertfordshire?
Enjoy your lovely sounding cake. I love a banana and chocolate loaf .