Cake baking, where am I going wrong?

[hmmSleep]

Mainly chocolate cake, have tried various different recipes for a simple basic no frills attached chocolate cake, always turn out the same. A bit crispy, especially around the edges, a bit like cookie rather than cake. Any ideas where I might be going wrong? Oven too hot?

Might give up and stick to carrot and pineapple cake, seems to be the only one I can get right!

Sounds like the oven too hot to me. Do you have a fan oven? If so, turn it down tewn degrees. I tend to follow a recipe the first time I try it but then adjust it (nearly always a lower temp and for a tad longer) until I get it right.

Actually, some recipes never weork for me so I stick to ones I know do.

Yes, oven too hot. Remember, if you're making a sponge cake, you can always slice off the tops (esp if they've risen up unevenly) to make a flatter sandwich and loose the crispier bits. But lower the temp. I find that any cake with cocoa powder in it takes longer to cook than a plain sponge, so definitely make it a bit cooler.

Thank you, will give it another go next week with a cooler oven, fingers crossed as I do like a nice piece of chocolate cake.

Make sure you're using the right size tin as well as checking the oven temperature. (An oven thermometer can help there) If your tin is too wide the mixture will be too thinly spread and then it'll cook too fast and go crispy.

Cadbury & Chil1234 seem to have covered almost all bases. The only other thing I would add is that the type of cake pan you are using could also make a difference.

Most recipes are timed around steel pans (non-stick coated or tinned). An aluminium pan will cook a sponge cake slightly more quickly as it conducts heat faster than a steel pan. If using aluminium, cut your temperature AND watch the time. Don't worry, you will get there. You can always eat it with custard or make a chocolate trifle with those cakes that don't quite make the grade. You wll get there after a couple of

As for silicon, I cannot comment.

Who'd have thought there was so much to consider! I think I'll be making a fair few chocolate trifles before I get it right silverwood!

Nah, it's a piece of cake!