My cakes are rubbish please help me.

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They just don’t rise enough. No one else seems to mind. They say they taste great. I don’t eat cake but am endlessly making them for dc/ family birthdays. My heart sinks when I am asked to make one.
I can cook well in all other areas but have NEVER been able to make a light and fluffy sponge.
Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of methods - nothing works.
I had a friend at secondary school who could make the most amazing sponges. We all had the same ingredients and used the same equipment- mine were rubbish, hers were huge.
Can anyone give me tips?

If people are asking you to make them then I doubt that they are actually delicious and lovely!

What recipe and ingredients do you use? What method? Mixer? Hand?

Sorry. Poor punctuation!!

I bet they ARE delicious and lovely.

Have u checked the temp with an oven thermometer?
Even if the temp is correct, it’s probably still your oven. I have 2 electric fan ovens, same spec; cakes in the Seimens oven don’t rise, cakes from the Neff rise beautifully.

I don't get it. You don't eat them, the people who do eat them like them, why is there a problem (other than you making something you don't eat which seems a bit crazy to me)

You are using metal tins I assume?

Do you sieve the raising agent (bicarb or baking powder) in with the flour and stir gently so it's well combined? Maybe sieve from a height?

Are you opening the oven door too frequently?

When you stir in the ingredients are you using a big metal spoon and a figure of eight motion so you preserve the air in the mix? Don't bash it together with a wooden spoon!

When you pour mixture from bowl in to tin, do you do it carefully, preserving the air, rather than dropping it in from a great height?

Those are the only things I can think of!

It could be your oven and nothing to do with technique.

Are you over folding, not creaming them enough? What oven, is oven at right temperature to start with.

I honestly wouldn't worry if everyone still eats it

Thanks you are all very kind.
I detract from the woeful heavy sponges with lots of icing and decs.
I use a hand mixer, all in one method, go by the old school recipe of say 4,4,4,2. Never sure if my old cake tins are too big though?

Interesting regarding the oven temp issue. Does that mean it’s not getting hot enough? Do I need to turn it up?
My oven produces good sourdough bread though.

@EnidFrighten

I don't get it. You don't eat them, the people who do eat them like them, why is there a problem (other than you making something you don't eat which seems a bit crazy to me)

I just always wanted to be able to make a light fluffy sponge and I have never been able to.

I still cream the butter and sugar first, add the eggs then spoon sieved flour in and add a bit of milk if it's too thick. What do you think is wrong with them, what ingredients are you using .

You are probably over mixing them.... and your oven is too hot

So try this

X2 20cm tins lined and greased

Room temp ingredients:

Weigh 2 eggs eg. 192g

Butter/marg 192g
Flour 192g

I teaspoon baking powder
Dash vanilla

Beat until just mixed! Doesn't have to be super smooth
170 fan
Or 190 no fan

If you want a bigger cake weigh 3 eggs or 4 etc

Check oven temp, the right tins, in date flour and ignore my user name.

Yes I agree about sometimes adding milk to slacken the mixture. Sometimes you need to add more liquid if the eggs are small.

@Tangledtresses you've missed out the sugar!

To answer your question, yes the right sized tin is really important.

Ha yes I did!! And same amount of sugar 😬😬😬😬

My phone rang I got distracted

It’s all in the recipe. Just keep trying til you find a light and fluffy one

Yes, all in one can get claggy due to overmixing

I use equal amounts (in weight) of self raising flour, eggs, butter (proper real room temp butter) and caster sugar.

First cream butter, then add sugar, then eggs. Now flour (bit by bit without over-mixing)

A secret ingredient is a spoon full of plain yoghurt or a squirt of lemon juice, as the acidity helps activate the baking powder (in the self raising flour) for a more fluffy rise and improved texture.

Thanks😃
Can someone help with the tin size/ ingredients ratio please.
I used to do the folding in method- I remember it well from my school days. I try and be really careful to incorporate air and not over mix- not good.
I have better success with the all in one. Maybe I am over beating.
Maybe my oven is shite.

When you say you use 4 4 4 2, are you only using 2 eggs.

I love Jane's Patisserie, I discovered her on Instagram. Somehow all of her recipes seem to work for me.

www.janespatisserie.com

She wrote recently that you should weigh your eggs in their shells, and then use equal weights of sugar, self raising flour, butter/stork. So if your eggs are 178g for example, then use 178g of flour, 178g sugar, etc. Add a splash of milk if the mix looks too thick.

I personally prefer to cream butter and sugar together first (for longer than you think) until really creamy and pale, add gently beaten eggs slowly, bit by bit,, then sieve in the flour and gently fold. I get a nicer texture this way. Don't over mix.

As others have said, the size of tin helps. Always use a very deep tin and line it well - shallow tins seem to produce flatter cakes for me.

Lower temps for longer make a flatter top (I.e. not a domed cake) but give a nice rise and good texture. More like 140-160 degrees, ish. Get an oven thermometer. Don't slam the oven door or keep opening it to check progress.

The fresher the eggs, the better, too. We have lots of fresh roadside eggs around where I live, they produce really yellow and rich cakes!

Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start.

I'm happy with butter, but lots of people do say that stork spread or similar make better cakes.

But as others have said, if people are requesting the cakes, they're probably really good!

Ime, don't use real butter. Or only use 25g of it for flavour. Stork makes a lighter, fluffier cake.
And don't use all in one method. Cream sugar and fat together until the yellow butter or Stork turns almost white. Then add eggs and flavouring, then fold in the SR flour (special sponge flour is way better than cheap own brand I find). Add a level tsp of baking powder too if you like.

Bake in middle of the oven.

Also, I find 3 parts sugar, butter and eggs to four parts flour makes a lighter cake, especially if you are adding rich butter cream.

For2 x 8 inch tin I use 8oz sr flour, sifted from a height, 8oz butter, 8oz caster sugar, 4 eggs, tablespoon milk, drop of vanilla essence.

Oven 180
Grease and flour 2 x 8inch tins
Cream butter and sugar with whisk till fluffy
Add one egg followed by a tablespoon of flour until all mixed in
Add tablespoon of milk and drops of vanilla essence, ribena makes it a light pinkish colour
Cook 25 30 mins and test with a knife if they are cooked
Tip out upside down on rack, cool, fill with jam and cream, ice, eat.

Marks do a cake butter

The right size cake tins is crucial. For a 2 egg mix then your tins should be no bigger than 7 inches diameter. Personally I'd use 6 inches for that quantity.

You could also consider using spreadable butter - the added oils make for a lighter mixture whilst still giving a buttery taste.