mine tend to rise ok then sink into a dense cake when taken from the oven.not cooking long enough! Skewer comes out clean.
cookessentials,
Jun 10, 6:33pm
How do you mix your cakes!
michelle145,
Jun 10, 6:35pm
Elec beater for creaming butter/sugar/eggs, hand mixing in the dries.
indy95,
Jun 10, 6:42pm
Michelle145, it's really annoying seeing your creation sink before your eyes, isn't it ! It can be caused by several things - either having the mixture too soft, or putting in too much raising agent, not having the oven hot enough or sometimes having it too hot. Have you perhaps opened the oven door to have a quick peek too soon ! This can cause a cake to sink because the batter hasn't had enough time to " set " and the air in the mixture escapes. Do you mix your cakes in a processor or with an electric beater !
michelle145,
Jun 10, 6:53pm
Indy, i use an elec beater for the creaming, but hand mix in the dry ingrediants, yup its pretty gutting!
Tastes yumm but cake is half the height and really dense, not nice smooth and fine (if that makes sense)
indy95,
Jun 10, 7:57pm
Yes, it does make sense. I see the quantity of baking powder given is 3 tsps which seems rather a lot for 1 1/2 cups of flour. Perhaps this could be reduced.
michelle145,
Jun 10, 8:00pm
I just checked, and the Edmonds is pretty much the same recipe, wondering if i dont cream for long enough, but i did for a good 5-6 minutes. All my cakes turn out like this lol
sarahb5,
Jun 10, 8:04pm
Beat the butter and cream until it's virtually white - regardless of whether that's 2 minutes or 6.And fold the dry ingredients in with a metal spoon rather than mixing because that way you keep the air in the mixture.I wouldn't beat even when it tells you to do so.I would add a tablespoon of flour with each egg.
Oooh ok cos the mixture does kinda look a tad curdled when the egg goes in so i just beat it some more til it comes together.and i mix with a rubber spatula :)
sarahb5,
Jun 10, 8:19pm
Rubber is for scraping, metal for folding because it's cold.Adding a spoonful of flour with each egg with stop the mixture from separating/curdling.
michelle145,
Jun 10, 8:45pm
Would that curdling cause the density/coarseness!
sarahb5,
Jun 10, 8:50pm
Not sure - do you use caster sugar and sieve your flour/dry ingredients!
michelle145,
Jun 10, 8:55pm
yep and yep :)
sarahb5,
Jun 10, 8:57pm
Well I guess the proof will be in the baking next time
michelle145,
Jun 10, 9:25pm
Tempted to try another one now, just with the beating (like creaming it heaps) and adding flour with the eggs.
elliehen,
Jun 10, 9:26pm
Top 10 Causes of Cake Failure: (Googled)
1. Cake Falling:
Too much shortening or sugar Too low an oven temperature Insufficient baking Too much batter in the pan Moving cake during baking
2. Undersized Cake:
Too large a pan Too hot na oven
3. Moist, Sticky Crust:
Too much sugar Insufficient baking
4. Thick, Heavy Crust:
Over baking Too hot an oven Not enough shortening or sugar Too much flour
5. Peaks or Cracks on Top:
Too hot an oven Over mixing Too much flour
6. Soggy Layer or Streak at Bottom:
Insufficient mixing Too much sugar or baking powder
7. Heavy, Compact Texture:
Over mixing Too much sugar, shortening or liquid Too low an oven temperature Insufficient baking
8. Dry Cake:
Not enough shortening, liquid or sugar Too much flour Overbeating egg whites Over baking
9. Tunnels or Large Holes:
Over mixing Uneven distribution
10. Uneven Shape:
Uneven heat of oven Cake not level Pan warped
buzzy110,
Jun 10, 9:55pm
Questions like this pop up often in Recipes. Here is my solution.
CREAMING: I always cream the butter by itself first, until it has a nice whistish, soft consistency (yes - just like cream, only heavier). THEN I add in the sugar, 1/3rd at a time and beat in, along with any vanilla or whatever else.
ADDING EGGS: Do it one at a time. Keep beating until the mixture returns to a creamlike consistency before adding the next. I've never had to add anything here to help the process.
ADDING IN THE DRY: Pre-measure and sift all the dry ingredients - twice or 3 times is better than once. Again I do it 1/3rd at a time and I just use my mixer unless the recipe specifically calls for folding in. If that then use a metal spoon.
ADDING IN LIQUIDS: Depending on your recipe it will usually be added in in stages along with the dry - e.g. 1/3rd dry, mix in well, 1/3 liquid, mix, etc.
COOKING: If in doubt, long and low is better than short and hot so try and keep to the stated recipe temperature but if your oven appears to over heat (A separate thermometer is always a handy gadget to have) then lower the temperature a few degrees.
Once you take your cake out of the tin put it on a rack to completely cool and allow steam to escape naturally.
This is how I've always done cakes that have required creaming and never had a problem. However, I really learnt to appreciate cakes where everything is thrown in the food processor and whizzed up or into the mixing bowl and beaten till smooth. So easy to make and they are always perfect and light and stay fresher longer imo.
michelle145,
Jun 10, 10:12pm
thanks buzzy i think too i whip it out of the oven too soon, the skewer was clean but it was 6minutes under the recipe time. Do your cakes come out fine, or coarse!
buzzy110,
Jun 10, 11:46pm
They usually come out exactly how the recipe intended. One more thing I forgot to mention was the flour. Use pure, rather than high grade for cakes.
I also failed to say that there should be no evidence of sugar grains in the creamed butter. Beat until it is smooth again.
michelle145,
Jun 11, 12:02am
Ooh ok thanks interesting tip about the flour!
michelle145,
Jun 11, 3:04am
any one else notice their cakes changing depending on plain or high grade flour!
lyl_guy,
Jun 11, 3:12am
Use caster sugar, and don't overbeat the mixture.No big long lists of do's and don't's here, lol. my cakes always come out moist but light.
sarahb5,
Jun 11, 3:15am
I use high grade for everything - I only buy one type of flour due to limited pantry space and that's it - if I need self raising I add more baking powder but don't have any issue with my cakes falling flat, etc.
holmsies,
Jun 11, 3:16am
Right on the money Michelle . NZ's next hottest home baker!
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