Why are my cakes flat?!

[ChampagneProblemsTS]

I've literally tried everything.
All in one
Creaming
Different recipes
Higher temp
Lower temp

But they just come out so shallow. They are baked nicely there's no issue there but I end up having to do multiple layers to make it look like any kind of decent cake.

Help please?!

What do you use as your raising agent and is it in date?

I usually add an extra teaspoon of baking powder compared to the recipe, so e.g. if it's a recipe for SR flour with no baking powder I add a teaspoon of baking powder.

Over mixing, old ingredients, opening the door during baking?

Incorrect measurements also lead to poor bakes.

What kind of cake are you baking?

Perhaps your baking tin is too big so the mixture is spread too thinly.

And a 4 egg sponge would do me a 2 layer 8 inch cake. Attached is an example, using Nigella's Victoria sponge recipe, the creaming method and an extra teaspoon of baking powder. I.e. I use the creaming method but the amount of baking powder she recommends for the all in one method.

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

I don't think this is quite the recipe I use as I'm sure mine involves SR flour.

Wrong size tins?

Maybe overmixing and being a bit heavy handed because if this happens to you with all kinds of recipes, the common factor is you?

I use plain flour with baking powder, as that cuts down on needing lots of different bags of flour that can go out of date.

mix and cream the butter eggs and sugar intensively to get as much froth and air in as you can but only lightly fold the flour in. Do not intensively mix again or you will knock the air out

Presuming it’s a vanilla sponge/cupcake mix, I always use the weight of the eggs in mcdougalls sponge flour, stork margarine and caster sugar.
cream margarine and sugar for at least 5 minutes until the mixture isn’t grainy then add one egg at a time mixing well, I add a teaspoon of flour before the last egg. Add the vanilla, sieve in the flour, fold in. Job done, never fails. 180 twenty minutes for cupcakes maybe an extra five if Victoria sponge.

Thank you. Maybe I'm not creaming it enough. I'm really careful with the flour. My usual recipe is 8oz of butter/flour/sugar and 4 eggs with baking powder in the flour. Two 8 inch tins. It's just the mixture seems so little.

I use the all in one method, weigh the eggs first, all other ingredients weigh the same. I also melt the fat (60/40 butter/Stork). Using a stainless steel mixing bowl was a game changer.

Maybe just ditch the usual recipe and try one with a bit more volume?

I'll happily try! Do you have a recommendation please?

Thank you. I'd give my right arm to have them look like that

The issue is I'm a fairly good amateur cake decorator so it's a pain that this is the bit that causes stress

200g of self raising flour, 200g of stork, 200g of caster sugar, 4 large eggs, one teaspoon of baking powder and a splash of milk.

180 degrees fan, 20 mins in two tins, perfect every time.

To cream the butter and sugar together fully it has to change colour from yellow to white. Takes a good few minutes!

Victoria sponge recipe relies on air for a light raised cake. Weigh your eggs and match their weight with the other ingredients, you can use up to one egg weight less in caster sugar. Sift the flour and 1tsp baking powder twice.

Preheat oven before you start, only drop the temperature if it's fan assisted. Bake in the middle of the oven. Keep oven door shut until 5 minutes before the shortest estimated cooking time and check cakes then.

Make sure you cream your, not too soft, butter and sugar until it is really pale. Add a tablespoon of flour in before you add eggs.

Beat your eggs with a couple of tablespoons of milk before adding them, one at a time.

Alternate with the flour and mix until the flour is just incorporated.

Preserve as much air as possible, it will look like the mixture is greater in volume and prevent flat cakes.

Hopefully some of that will help 😊

ETA I only ever use real butter, margarine adds oil which is not needed in a Victoria sponge.

This one is a good one . I suddenly started having problems getting cakes to rise a while back so used this one to the letter and it’s my go to now
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-chocolate-cake

My mum always told me that you need to take the eggs out of the fridge a while beforehand, so they are at room temperature when you make the cake.

Thanks so much everyone. I'll give these tips a go and report back!

This is one I’ve used on repeat and turns out well without anything fancy being done. It looks pretty similar to what youve mentioned though! If you scroll right down to a section with FAQs, she has a link to a page where you input the dimensions of your tins and the recipe automatically adjusts, so perhaps check against that.

https://charlotteslivelykitchen.com/birthday-cake-all-in-one-vanilla-sponge/

After many years of trial and error I've found lurpak spreadable is best for sponge, the taste of butter but lighter due to the oil in it. No extra raising agent required, self raising flour is sufficient🍰

Usually if I want a well risen cake I always preheat the oven.

SR is a must. If you don't have SR flour, normal plain flour works with baking powder. Light mixing does the trick because you need air for your lovely cake to rise. This is personal experience.

A tiny bit of acid in the recipe eg vinegar or lemon juice to activate the baking powder.

And preheat the oven to.

I follow a Japanese method: boil the milk and butter then add into the eggs and sugar

fluffiest cakes ever