Help - my cakes won't rise

[JessieBee]

Hi all,

I'm hoping all you cake making ladies (or anyone that likes to bake) can help me.

I've got my daughters birthday coming up soon and I'm planning on making her a birthday cake, only trouble is I can't seem to be able to bake a decent cake, a pancake yeah but a nice well risen sponge no lol.

I tried making my sisters cake for her 30th but every one I done just came out so flat that I had to restort to getting some help from asda and just ended up decorating an iced fruit cake (that part came out really nice as I put all sugar paste flowers on etc) but I just can't seem to bake a cake and it's driving me nuts! I was taught to bake cakes at primary school and I've got a few recipe books that I've follwed but it's just not happening :cry:

The only thing I can think it could be is that I haven't got an electric whisk? For some stupid reason when I was doing a spring clean in my kitchen I threw out my blender that had a whisk attachment with it so could this be it? Again though, I can't remember using one at school and the cakes seemed to come out fine.

Anyway if there's anyone that could give me a bit of advice I will be very grateful:green: no doubt I am going to have to make 20 odd before I turn out a decent one lol

 

[Noodle]

One of our fellow geeks, ladybgemini, is a whizz at celebration cakes (just check out her gallery ).

Send her a PM ... I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you with your questions.

 

[The Guild]

You shouldn't need an electric whisk, but do make sure your oven is the right temperature. I know it's a stupid question, bit are you using self-raising flour?

I've got a great recipe for chocolate fudge cake if you want to give it a try? You need:
200g dark chocolate (preferably 60/70% cocoa solids)
1 tpsp cocoa powder
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
120g Soft brown sugar
175g Butter
150g Self-raising flour
100g fudge
(you can also add some almonds if you want to).

Preheat the oven to 160°. Break up the cohocolate, and melt it over a pan of hot water. Add the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and the salt, and mix until smooth. Crack your eggs, one at a time, into the bowl and add the flour. Mix again until smooth.

Butter a baking tin really well and pour the cake mixture into the dish, using a spatula to scrape it all out of the processor. Break the fudge pieces and sprinkle them over the top of the cake mix, pushing any larger pieces down into the mixture. Pop the baking dish into the preheated oven and cook for about 20 minutes.

Although lovely when hot, my OH, who considers himself an expert on matters of tasting, assures me that it is at its best when it's been in the fridge for a couple of hours, as it goes more like a giant soft brownie.

Hope that helps, as it's really easy. :hug:

 

[nick]

Here is a simple recipe
4 oz s/r flour
4 oz marg
4 oz sugar
2 eggs
if you want more mixture just double it as long as you stick to this basic you will be okay

MEASURE OUT ALL INGREDINTS IN SEPARATE BOWLS FIRST SO YOU KNOW EVERTHING IS THERE

1=put marg in bowl (big bowl)
2=put sugar in bowl
4= with a spatula cream together
(it should go a light coulor)
5=add 1 egg and a little flour mix well
6=repeat this untill all eggs have gone but leave a little flour in separate bowl
7= the little flour you have left gently fold in
( DO NOT MIX FAST THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART AS YOU DONT WANT AIR BUBBLES
GOOD LUCK IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS JUST ASK NICHOLL you do not need a ele whisk by hand will be fine

 

[JessieBee]

Noodle - thanks, I did look in her gallery the cakes look lovely and big lol, I will pm her soon and see if she can give me any advice.

That recipe sounds delicious thanks, I absolutely love fudge and so do the girls so I know that would go down a treat if I got it right lol.
Yeah I always use self raising flour, I did try once using plain and then adding baking powder but it didn't make much difference.

I have a fan assisted oven so I never really know what temp to have it exactly as I know you have to go a certain amount or degree's lower than what is stated in the book but how many I don't know.

Funnily enough my eldest want's to make and design wedding cakes when she's older, she won't anymore if she sees too many of mine lol:lol:

 

[The Guild]

Well my OH said it was my chocolate fudge cake that made him propose! I'm guessing that means it's good :lol:

 

[ladybgemini]

:lol:

The quickest, simplest recipe and the one I use for my birthday cakes is

8oz S R Flour
8oz Castor Sugar
8oz Marg (stork)
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
(for chocolate cake add 2 tbsp cocoa powder)
vanilla essence.

Stick everything in a bowl together and beat well.

cook in oven in either 2 sandwich tins for 30 mins or one larger tin for 45-60 mins on gas mark 3-4 (170-180)

You dont have to use electric whisk but I would suggest a trip to asda for one, they are less than 5 quid, the ones with two beaters are best.

Make sure you grease and line the big tins with greaseproof or grease and flour sandwich tins.

Turn out 30 seconds after you take it from oven and put on wire rack to cool.

HTH

Rachel xxxxx

 

[ladybgemini]

Forgot to add that this recipe I would do two in a large tin for a cake like the ones on my album, they are 8inch square tins. This would give about 35-40 small servings.

This recipe split into two sandwich tins makes a nice large 8" round cake suitable for about 10-15 people depending on portion size.

 

[hippy-chick]

I used to be a professional cake decorator, and the recipes stated on here are fine.

To prepare your tin, butter the tin, add a circle of greaseproof on the bottom and butter, then shake a little flour into it, shake tin to coat, tip out excess.

When you beat the sugar and butter ensure that it is really really whipped up well, if the colour turns from yellow to white, its mixed enough.

Add the egg, G R A D U A L L Y, beat well with each addition of egg.

IF the mix looks unstable/curdled, add a spoonful of the weighed out flour.

When you add the flour, stir it with a metal spoon and gently turn the mixture over, NEVER EVER EVER EVER bang the spoon on the bowl to clean the spoon, use your finger to do that, by banging the spoon on the bowl you are knocking the air out of the mixture.

When putting the mixture into the tins, level off, but leave a little hollow in the middle as this ALWAYS rises. You could place a cover over the tin to stop this happening so much.

Place mix in PRE-HEATED oven at correct temperature, put the timer on and don't guess.

To test cake, press the middle, if it has a bit of a spring to it , its ready.

Take out and leave in tins to cool for good 20 mins. Only then turn out to cool.

 

[hippy-chick]

to decorate:

take alittle apricot jam, sieve it, add a few tsps of water and heat it up, use this mix to paint the sponge cake, this seals in all of the crumbs.

I would then apply buttercream and pipe or cover with sugarpaste. REGAL ICE is an excellent make.

 

[LBR]

I haven't read all this thread but just wanted to add that my mum tried to figure this out for a work colleague when she worked as a cook. They did everthing together and my mum couldn't believe that the cake did not rise. It turned out the girl she was helping had greased the tins herself and she used far too much marg/butter in the tins.

Could this maybe be your problem?

 

[JessieBee]

Thanks everyone for your replies. They're really helpful.
I'm going to go buy an electric whisk today just incase, plus it does my shoulder in trying to mix it all in well (I'm a bit of a whimp lol).

It's probably all the little things that I'm doing wrong, like tapping the spoon on the bowl (I know I do that, I think it's one of those unconscious things I automatically do), not flouring the tin (I can't believe I'd forgotten to do that ) etc that when added up help them come out wrong.

Ladybgemini - I have a 9" round tin and a 7" round tin, would the recipe you've suggested be ok in the 9" or would it be better in the 7"? The eggs, do they have to be normal size or large?

Also, do you know what temp it should be for a fan assisted oven?

Hippy-chick - I plan on covering it with Regal Ice, I bought some ready made and coloured it pink (that was a messy job) so now I just need to get the cake right lol.

It could be that I'm greasing too much added with the fact that I haven't been flouring, I don't know.

Deary me I really am terrible lol

Anyway, I'm going to give this ago this afternoon and see how I get on.

Thanks again everyone for your help :green:

 

[ladybgemini]

Ladybgemini - I have a 9" round tin and a 7" round tin, would the recipe you've suggested be ok in the 9" or would it be better in the 7"? The eggs, do they have to be normal size or large?

The recipe I gave you up above would be ok for either tin as you will prob need to do two to get the height.


I use large freerange eggs.

Rachel x

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Fan assisdted ovens should be about 20 degrees less than normal ie if the recipe says 180 degrees then use 160. Main things I find is really beating the butter and sugar as already said so it goes almost white (this means there is loads of air in it!), and use all ingredients at room temperature. Also make sure you use the right size cake tins as stated in the recipe.

 

[ladybgemini]

The good thing with the recipe I use is you dont have to beat/cream the butter and sugar together. LIterally throw it in a bowl and beat well. Good ole delia!!!!!!! It's a one bowl, no fuss sponge cake.

 

[nailzoo]

Firstly ......... What kinda cake do u want to make?
Secondly ..... what cake have you tried that hasn't worked?

I was a chef, well before dong nails.

Cakes can be quite fussy things, (sponges the most difficult, as they have so may eggs they can end up more like a sweet omelette if not done correctly)an electric mixer will get you better results.

Make sure you don't have ancient flour (people tend to have 3 year old flour i the pantry). I know I do Also many put their flour in containers (Tupperware) and think they are using self raising flour, when they may be using plain flour accidentally.

Castor sugar works better than normal sugar.

Really fresh eggs, really clean bowls, whisks and spoons.... (make sure they are not only washed really well, but rinsed really well before drying) residual detergent is a bitch... Stainless steel bowls are the best.

Just to add, make sure your oven really works ...... (and don't be tempted to open the door).

 

[JessieBee]

Nailzoo - I would like to either make a plain sponge, victoria sandwhich or a chocolate sponge.

I always have fresh ingredients when I "attempt" to make cakes as I write a list of what I need, go buy it all and then find I've got most of it in the fridge or cupboards lol.

I went and bought an electric whisk for only a few quid yesterday, bought my large freerange eggs yesterday too.

All my bowls, spoons etc go into the dishwasher, I don't have any steel bowls though.
Oven is only a couple of years old

I must admit, I do open the oven door to check on the cakes :smack:

I didn't get to try and make one yesterday so I'm now going to give it a go.

Thanks again all