Bah, why do my fairy cakes never work?!

[notamumyetbutoneday]

Grr, just made a batch of fairy cakes with yet again disappointing results. 5 year olds make these- where on earth am I going wrong?!

I followed the recipe to the letter. the raw cake mixture tasted delicious - they were chocolate ones.

But after having taken them out of the oven and let them cool- they are all cracked on the top, they havent risen at all so are the most shallow fairy cakes in the world and they have no flavour at all, even though the mixture was lovely!

Will someone please take pity on me and tell me where Im going wrong? The fairy cake is my nemesis!

These work well for us and rise ok, we do fill cases quite full, but they are lovely and fluffy.
We usually double quantity for 12 normal size cases.

(Says for 8 but I would say 6)

50g SR flour,
1/4 tsp baking powder,
1 med egg,
50g caster sugar,
50g soft marg,

Sift flour and BP.
Break in egg and mix in.
Add sugar and marg.
Stir together with wooden spoon, until creamy, (really stir).
Use small spoons to 3/4 fill the cases.

190.C for 16-18 mins.

Could it be the quality of the ingredients Im using? Im using 'value' SR flour and stork margarine rather than butter- could this be the problem?

what recipe are you using? Did you open the oven at all while you were cooking them? Was your flour fresh?

Thanks skramble- mine didnt have baking powder in- do you think that would make a difference?

Maybe value flour. Margarine has always been fine for me.

I use cheap flour too, maybe the BP makes the difference it is SR flour but maybe that is the key to fluffyness.

Let's see the recipe.

Chocolate needs a little salt to bring out the flavour - was there any in your recipe?

Did they rise and then fall once they were out of the oven? If they have sunk in the middle it may be because you over-filled the cups.

Is your oven running hot/cold? Your baking soda/baking powder old/expired? Baking is a fine science, so could be a number of things....

Using a recipe from the guardian 'baking with kids' guide - I thought going back to basics would help!! The flour was only opened last month. I didnt open the oven til after 13 mins.

Chocolate ones are the hardest to make IMO, they often come out dry. If I want chocolate I make brownies and keep my cupcakes plain or with lemon or cherries.

Cheapo flour is fine, but how old is your flour?

I use 43p tesco cheap flour and stork and mine are lovely - well I think so and so do my work friends.

I use 6oz butter
6oz sugar

put in food processor and hit the bitton

add two eggs

hit the button

add 6oz self raising flour

hit the button

add three teaspoons of milk and hit the button for three seconds.

Put fairy cake cases in a muffin tin and add one dessert spoon of mixture to each case and put in the oven on the middle to toppis shelf and leave for tweny five minutes.

Gas mark 3

They nevwer really rose at all- although in the past, I have had them rise then fall.

No- there was no salt in this recipe but thank you I will def remeber that in future- a good tip.

I dont know about the oven- everyhting else I dont really time as such, when its done, its done kind of thing, so Im not sure.

Baking is hard! i can make a three course meal without breaking a sweat, and I cant make a fairy cake.

I was beating them by hand rather than food processor- this was what recipe said to do- do you think that would make a difference?

Could be your oven - not running hot enough, or having a bad seal around the door.

I would use BP too.

I've never made a cake with a food processor as I think they are too hard to control. Do what the recipe says, I reckon.

Oh, and I never use SR flour b/c I find so many recipes differ with quantities of raising agent. But also it could be b/c I'm from the States and we don't have it there.

I'm making a batch of chocolate cupcakes tomorrow and will report back with results.

ooh yes please JFly- would love to hear of someone else's baking successes, sob!

I do hope its something simple like the BP rather than the oven!!!not so easily fixable.

I will try another batch of plain ones, using skrambles recipe, on sunday. I will report back!!!

Can I just add a disclaimer then.

Skramble will not be held responsible for the fluffyness of any cakes made using this recipe.

Well there ain't much point in having a food processor and keeping it in the cupboard or box, I use the recipe that came with the processor and that states sr flour, I have made some really lovely cakes this way. Dont seem to have any trouble being able to keep it under control, it sits on the work top and does as its told

Tee hee. Good little food processor. I like an appliance that knows its place. My Kitchen Aid is a bit of an upstart.

My new recipe is weigh the eggs and add the same ammount of SR flour, sugar and butter to the bowl plus 1 tea spoon of baking powder and mix with the electric mixer for a couple of minutes. Put into the oven and wait - eat whilst warm

I just wish it was self clean like the oven

If you are using cocoa powder, you have to add extra BP.

6 oz sr flour, 6 oz soft margerine or butter, 6 oz caster sugar,4 eggs. I tsp baking powder - or 1.5 tsp if you're using a food processor.

This makes 12 muffin sized cupcakes and is infallible (in my experience - don't sue me!)

Chuck the lot in a bowl and beat like crazy with an electric mixer. I understand that they work even better if you use a Kitchenaid - particularly a red one.

i use a basic victoria sponge mix,
for 12 cases i use
4oz marg
4oz sugar
(creamed together)
2 eggs
4oz sr flour
all beaten up together
bake for 15 +/- mins on 180oc

mmmmm

I made plain ones toady so not sure about the chocolate version but my ingrediants are mainly value and always turn out lovely.

To get them to rise, cream your butter and sugar with a wooden spoon if you don't have a food processor as this creates air bubbles. Do this until the mixture is light and fluffy. Use a whisk when adding the eggs, a little at a time so the mixture doesn't curdle. Then fold in half your flour this time with a metal spoon as it cuts through the mixture better and doesn't destroy the air bubbles you have created. Well combine it and then fold in the rest of the flour.

Make sure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature and when puttting the cakes in don't slam the oven door as this will make them fall. Don't open the oven door to check them until at least ten minutes have passed.

It seems to work for me so hope it helps.