How to calculate how much cake batter I need

[BIWI]

I bought this silicone baking mould today, and I'd like to bake this cake for an early Christmas celebration we're having, with family who are coming over from Australia.

But it doesn't have any instructions or recipes with it, and so I don't know how much cake batter I need to make. (I'm not a baker, so don't really have much of a clue, and although I've searched online, I can't find any recipes or instructions).

The mould is 29cm long, 19.5cm wide at the widest point (i.e. the base of the tree) and 5cm deep.

Any help would be very gratefully received!

What sort of cake do you want though? If you find a recipe you like the look of it'll be easier to advise scaling that.

Do you have a measuring jug? Fill mould with water and top into jug to get the volume, then you can convert into a tin equivalent.

Recipies that call for a bunt tin should have enough structure to hold their shape well, but plenty of others will work too. And let it cool before turning out.

I'd estimate a 3 egg sponge, or something that calls for a 8inch round tin.
What I'd actually do though, is make too much and do cupcakes with leftovers.

Thanks @DancingRabbit

I was thinking just a simple, vanilla sponge. Possibly a chocolate one.

Yes, it'll be trial and error but I would make a 3 egg sponge - Nigella buttermilk cake would be a good choice - and fill 3/4. If there's lots of mixture left, make a 2 egg mixture next time. I'd cook a 3 egg mixture for 35-40 mins and a 2 egg mixture for 25-30 mins

I like the idea of filling the mould with water to get the volume - but do I fill it to the top, or to about 2/3 way up, as I know you wouldn't fill it with batter, as it needs room to rise.

Do you have a tin you know the recipe for like a 7 inch sandwich tin? Compare both full and you'll know the ratio then.

I don't, but I'm sure I can find one! Thank you. That really does give me a place to start.

I think I'll have to bake a cake as a test run

Oh, and another question (sorry!) do I have to grease/oil a silicon mould, or is it non-stick in its own right?

I would grease it, I've had stuff stick to silicone before.

If you don't have a tin then I would just do a test run with 2 egg sponge and see how you go. And I'd use Stork as butter is so expensive right now!

It doesn't really matter so long as you know which you're working with, I'd fill it (for testing not baking) but I'm not good at judging 2/3 full.

And yes, grease it. Probably should be non-stick but I wouldn't rely on it.

Not particularly helpful for a shaped mould but the bbc food sponge cake calculator is really useful for working out quantities including icing!
www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/sponge_cake_calculator

That actually is helpful, it's basically a triangle so you'd half the 12" x8" tray bake recipie.

If you are making a madeira cake every 750ml of water is 1 egg, so fill it up in 750ml increments to see how many eggs you need then 50g flour, butter & sugar for each egg. Imagine it is similar for other types of sponge but the ratios might be slightly different

I made an angel food cake in a silicone Bundt mould this week. Might suit you as it has very little flour in it compared to the amount of eggs whites!

It was really nice (better) the day after baking, so ideal for making a day ahead - it smelled quite eggy on day one, but was a lovely light texture that held its shape and was super tasty by the second day.

It came out of the mould ok without greasing it, but I think maybe a spray of oil would have been good.

You could always make one quantity of cake batter and then if it’s quite shallow you can make another batch and sandwich them together?

angel food cake recipe

If you use that recipe, I used 100g SR flour with 33g cornflour instead of cake flour, which is an American thing.

Thank you all!

I shall channel my Mary Berry next week and have a go.

For a standard sponge - first look at the tin and imagine how many fried eggs would fit in it without any overlap.

Weigh out that amount of eggs and add the same quantity of Self-raising flour, caster sugar and butter/Marge. Add a teaspoon of baking powder for each 100g flour.

As a guide small eggs are usually about 50g and large ones 60g

Mix together with an electric mixer and bake at 190 for about 20 minutes.