Cake Bakers - I need you're help please!!

[justbeme]

I've bought myself some really nice heavy round cake tins which I thought would last me years. However, after two failed cake making attempts Im wondering if they weren't such a good buy after all.

I've followed a recipe for victoria sponge which I've made in my Moulinex mixer thing, however both times the cakes have hardly risen, they are cooked on the outside but they look like they're not properly cooked in the middle (even after 40 mins). They end up being inedible.

Has any one else had this problem with thick heavy cake tins? Shall i give in and go and buy some Smartprice ones or something??

There was an article about this problem in the Times last week - I think the solution was not to use a mixer to make Victoria sponges as it messes up the gluten in the flour (or something like this) so you end up with these heavy cakes.

The solution is to mix by hand, or to use nuts instead of flour. I did this on Sunday, made an almond and orange zest cake and it was just lovely and rose just fine.

I mix with a whisk ... including [gently, mind] with the flour. I think the trick to this one might be to do with your eggs. if using "medium" eggs, which these days are getting smaller and smaller I plonk them in a jug and see what they look like, I also have a friend who weighs the eggs like other ingredients... dunno what to make of that, though! We also have them at room temp, never refrigerate.

Gist is, more egg makes lighter cake. See?!

btw, it would be worth reviewing where in the oven you place the cakes, as i find that our huge tins need to go lower, about two thirds of the way down our elec fan oven, otherwise they burn on the outside and are soggy inside. I also tend to turn the oven temp slightly lower than recipe, but this is more to do with advice for fan ovens.

Good luck, you'll figure it out as long as us lovely helpful folk don't confuse you. I would happily bow out to the info of a proper cook

try adding 1/4 teaspoon (extra) baking powder.

and apparently, if you happen to be a chicken-keeper, don't use laid-that-day eggs - they need to be a couple of days old

hmmm a VSC conundrum indeed.

After extensive research this is the collective mn wisdom on how to make a VSC

What temp are you doing them at? I'd reduce the temp a bit.....40 mins is a long time though........

What size are your tins?

What are the quantities for your cake Slubber?

Sorry. Just found it. am a fool

I always mix by hand and never have a problem.

Agree 40 mins soudna long time - and check your oven temp as it may not be even (has someone already said that?!)

maybe your tins are so thick that the top is cooking (crusting) before the sides have allowed the heat through to cook (and rise)the innards?

oohh this is like an episode of House.

bagsy be the hot lady doctor with the tight skirts and pouty lips.

I always use an all in one recipe by Mary Berry for Victoria Sponge and mix with electric hand whisk.

I have a fan oven and turn it down to 160 - they literally take 20 mins using two 8" cake tins.

recipe here

If this is an episode of House then you just need to look for the 3rd diagnosis - that is always the correct one.

Ohh thank you lovely ladies!

My cake tins measure 10 inches - so rather large according to yours!!

I made a 8/8/8 plus 4 egg mix and cooked at 160 on electric fan oven. BUT my Be-ro recipe didnt say to add any baking powder.

So... my next attempt I shall:

Mix by hand ( aghhh my aching muscles!!)
Possibly use 5 eggs??!!
and use 2 - 2.25 tsp of baking powder.

What do you think? or should I try 10/10/10 and 6 eggs as my tins are sooooo large? (crikey be enough to feed a small army! )

maybe do 10/10/10 and 5 eggs (mine are always large) and maybe 2.5 tsp baking powder and check after 25 mins?

sounds good justbeme. so does bella's idea. And no worries about feeding the army, come here and share it

sounds like you are on the right track anyway

[glad you think we're all lovely ]

If you are not sure about the size of your eggs,to get the quantities for a victoria sponge right, you weigh the eggs and then use equal weights of self-raising flour, sugar , butter.

lol @house analogy. obviously the op has 'mono'

OP - It should work fine with the 10 - 5 mix.

I have 8 inch tins and do the 8 - 4 and they come out perfect. So you definately need more mixture for the bigger tins.

Thank you - need to buy some more eggs and then will try again tomorrow as its Lo's 1st birthday on thursday!!

c'mon, waiting for cake an update
how did it turn out?

I am now the proud "owner" of an approx 5inch tall victoria sponge - it's massive!!
But......even after buttering my non stick tins, - the blardy thing stuck. So it's not perfect - hopefully it will taste nice though!
Should I line the bottom of the tin next time with baking paper?

Get some cake release from Lakeland - never fails.

definitely line with greased baking paper, round the sides as well as the bottom. Won't do any harm and I've never had a decent non-stick result from non-stick cake pans. Glad you worked out how to resolve the issue - it really is a case of making the right amount to fit your tins or the cooking times and temps just don't work properly.

I always line with greaseproof paper, you can lift the cake out with the edges of the paper then peel it off while cake still warm. This gives the outside edges of the cake an nice 'inside cakey' look. If I am doing a fruit cake I also put a disc of greasproof on top, it stops the top getting overcooked while the middle is doing thoroughly.

'Cake Release from lakeland'?? What on earth is that? Lakeland seem to exist solely to produce products to do a job that other things do just as well, but at 10 times the price.

I have those cake release tins from Lakeland - best thing ever. I also line the bottom with greaseproof paper and butter the sides of the tins.

Well done justbeme. Now all we need is a slice of the said cake