Calling cake experts..why do my fairy cakes go pointy in the middle?!

[chocolatepig]

That's it really, what am I doing wrong??

do you mean they rise more, try putting a slight hollow in the middle of the mixture before baking

oh mine do that too

like a peak? makes me v mad as then my icing runs

I use Nigellas recipe,it never seems to do this.

they all do don't they? I've never seen a fairy cake that rises like a souffle, you either ice them pointy, slice them flat or make butterfly buns.

The flat ones in Nigella look pretty with the flowers on.

makesure you don't over fill them, that seems to reduce peaking

Maybe that's why Nigellas don't seem to do this. Even she says that it doesn't look like enough mixture but it is.

I thought my Nigella book recommended chopping the peaks off. Handy if you are peckish but can't afford to lose a whole cake!

mine always rise flat in a souffle stylee, I never get peaks

do you cream the butter & sugar first or use an all-in-one method?
butter or marg?
do you add milk? baking powder?
gas or electric oven? fan?

so which of those options garuntee a souffle style then, MrsB?

Use baking powder as well as self raising flour. this stops the volcano look.

not all-in-one
marg
no milk
no baking powder
medium eggs
other ingredients weighed in ounces
preheated oven (type has never made a difference)
do not leave mixture hanging around once mixed
heaped teaspoonful per case

I think some pointyness is due to too hot an oven - the outside ring sets before the centre rises. Lower temp means it all rises at once.

Mrs B is obviously the guru of non-pointy fairy cakes.

hmm, I do all that except use butter and large eggs and it's peaks all the way. What marg is is, Stork?

Mrs B, I have tried a variety of methods - thanks for the tips. So Marg over butter then?

My mum said it's too hot if they peak. Mine somtimes peak, sometimes not (will check re overfilling cases next time...)

All my cakes peak! I have the hottest oven in the world, even if I turn it down.
They are perfect for butterfly cakes though. Cut the middle peaky bit out, and cut it in half. Fill the hole with buttercream and put the two halves back on as wings at a jaunty angle. Sprinkle with icing sugar. They look great!

use creaming method

no baking powder

reduce amount put in case

oven too hot.

i bet butterfly cakes were invented because of this very reason

I use Nigella's recipe and they still peak. Last time I made them I turned the oven down but they still weren't flat.

I think it must have a lot to do with the oven then, although if I use other recipes they tend to peak, strange!

Oven too hot.

Mine never used to do this, now I've got a new oven and they're like it every time, can't get it right.

I'm going to try MrsB's list today and if I still get peaks then it's my oven

though I don't care about peaks that much, but I will be interested to see some souffle styles

decrease oven temp by 20º too

I just made my very first fairy cakes yesterday, so feel excited to be able to comment on this. I used nigella's recipe but did the "By hand" method as I don't have a mixer and I got peaks, but was still very pleased! Nigella said cut the peaks off for a flat surface for icing, but I did this with one and it made the icing all crumby. Rubbish. I think peaks are fine if your icing is thick enough. I made water icing (several types, and some butter icing, was experimenting for cakes i have to take to a wedding) and when I was very careful to add just enough water and not too much it didn't drip.

I'm just bragging here, as a very hesitant baker who is gaining in confidence!

Slice the tops off (and eat them) before icing them.