Why does this keep happening?!

[Bakingdisaster]

Hi, I baked a cake today, and this is the texture, it is too moist/wet and rubbery.

What has caused this? I don't think I overmixed, and it was a vanilla cake with oil and buttermilk, so no butter/creaming.

Oops forgot to attach picture

I'd appreciate any advice, forgot to add my raising agents were fresh.

What was the recipe?

This is happening when the dough isn't baked through.
Also lack of raising agents.

Thank you, there was plenty raising , and measured correctly as per the recipe. The cake was golden on outside top and bottom, no sinking, would this still be undercooked?

It was a one bowl recipe:

https://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/one-bowl-vanilla-cake/

The rubbery wet texture is all over evenly, no glue streaks or anything.

Are you using metal baking tins? I gave up on silicon because my cakes just swam in their own grease rather than toasting as they cooked.

Are you using a wooden spoon to mix it?

@Sgtmajormummy I use light metal baking tins lined with parchment paper. I bake a lot and never have any issues with chocolate/ginger/banana cakes, brownies, scones, cookies, bread. It seems to always be vanilla cakes! I haven't a clue what I'm doing wrong. My go to recipe for a vanilla cake either comes out perfectly or rubbery like this one. I was looking for a more consistent so tried this one!

No wood, just whisk/rubber spatula

The recipe says add water why on earth do you need water in cake batter? No wonder it’s wet.

I'd say the recipe was duff.

Sounds like a very liquid recipe

I'd agree the recipe is crap. I'd just use a normal recipe for sponge (and, ideally, use an electric whisk - don't underestimate the amount of mixing). It looks like the cakes my DS makes at nursery which aren't mixed enough.

Thank you so much @orangegato @KirstenBlest @dementedpixie I know, I thought it was alittle strange for a vanilla cake. I add coffee to my chocolate cake but haven't ever added water to a vanilla cake before. The only thing is the recipe has so many good reviews; I just don't understand.

@mynameiscalypso that is interesting, because I was so caution not to overmix, I could have very well under mixed, maybe that in combination with a rubbish recipe. It didn't taste great either with little flavour (probably a result of the water).

It's a weird recipe, I have seen equivalent types of recipes for chocolate cakes which are quite dense which is no bad thing for a chocolate cake. But for a vanilla cake, you presumably want it light and airy so you need to get air into it. I think it's really missing not having the butter + sugar + eggs whizzed around to get air into it.

Two things immediately strike me as wrong with that recipe.
1: hot water? In fact any water at all?! Just no!
2: the bake time is too short. Your cake looks underbaked and I’m not surprised if you stuck to the time on the recipe.

Thank you @mynameiscalypso I thought a one bowl vanilla was too good to be true! My usual recipe I find inconsistent, and it comes out beautiful or rubbery. Maybe in that instance it is user error!

You need Nigella's Victoria sponge recipe. It's a classic and it works every time I've made it. I usually go for cramming butter, sugar etc And the extra teaspoon of raising agent just to be sure.

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/victoria-sponge

Mary Berry's Victoria sponge cake recipe - BBC Food

Thank you, I'll give that a go. Will it __be suitable for birthday cakes? I usually need them to hold decorations too for dcs.

Now I find this recipe a bit dense unless I add a couple of tablespoons of milk.

School Sponge this basic recipe is my go to. I’m sure you can adjust to a round cake tin.

Ive never heard of putting water in a cake batter before and in my experience they should be thick and airy when going in the tin.