[Closed] caketrackworld - rising sponge

how are you beating the butter and sugar? I start with room temp butter, and beat that very well before adding the sugar, then beat again. it really should be as light and pale as double cream before you add eggs...

hmm ok, I throw it all in a bowl together and whisk it!

Hope you're beating the sugar/butter with a wooden and spoon and not an electric mixer?

Whisk the eggs together before you add them - and then add them a bit at time.

Then [b]FOLD[/b] in the SR flour into the mix a bit at time with a wide, flat metal spoon. This will retain all the air you've just beaten into the mix.

Here's one I made earlier:

[img] [/img]

Chocolate sponge should rise more, incidentally.

Ah ha, ok thanks guys - electric whisking appears to be the culprit then.

Also don't open the oven too often to check on them, can cause deflation too!!

Forget beating the butter/sugar with a spoon, that's a complete waste of time. Nothing wrong with electric mixer for this!

But folding the flour in is best.

Nope, regularly use an electric whisk on mine & they still rise. Just made a nigella coffe cake, a 'throw it all @ once' recipe and it rose just fine (just eating he last bit, mmmmmMMM). My issue is more about deciding if there baked enough & not having them drop when cooling. Try other recipies & decent ingredients, I prefer recipies that use baking powder/bi-carb rather than self raising flour (do not mix, in the hope of 'guaranteing' rise).
Also I find oil over butter based recipies, are more likely to work, for some bizarre reason

Edit: the main issue with an electric whisk, maybe that you over working the mixture, try to minimise working the mixture (when/if) you mix in the flour as the last 'step' in the process

Wooden spoon - all the way.

[img] [/img]

Using any baking powder in the mix? If so it might be old and past it. And a metal spoon for folding in the flour not wood.

electric mixers fine but they do rise better if the butter is room temp when beating, and beat for a long time, it needs to be v pale.

Also I find oil over butter based recipies, are more likely to work, for some bizarre reason

Probably because you keep the oil in the cupboard and butter in the fridge.

Add the eggs really slowly to the sugar/butter, and watch for curdling, if it curdles then it won't rise, if it starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of the flour.

I reckon the best thing I've bought is a Kenwood Chef, not having to whisk by hand means you're not tempted to not whisk it enough.

Freshly bought flour is better than stuff that's been sitting for months, Value own brand is rubbish. You are sifting and letting it drop a good distance to aerate it?

Wooden spoon or rubber spatula for the creaming stage and give it some ooomph. This is your chance to get some air into the mix so get yer guns into it! Arm pump at this stage is a good sign.

Then add beaten eggs and flour a bit at the time, folding, and generally keeping it gentle.

Do this and you can't go wrong 🙂

I make 'all in one cakes' and the 'cream butter with sugar first method'.
However I always slowly whisk the eggs in and also fold in the flour with a metal spoon.
Never open the oven door until cooking time is over.

Nice cakes everyone ^^^^

Cheers all, a few things that I haven't been doing (or incorrectly have in a few cases).

chvck - all you need now is an apron 🙂 http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/calling-stw-male-chefs

Thurman, are you making a cake every time you post ?

scaredypants - Member
Thurman, are you making a cake every time you post ?
Posted [b][u]56 minutes ago[/u][/b]

Ah ha, ok thanks guys - electric whisking appears to be the culprit then.

Nah, not at all. I always use one. I think it is important to beat the eggs and add separately but there's no science in my cakes. Everything is straight out of the fridge, the flour is cheap basic stuff but the eggs are good free range ones.

I think the oven is more important than anything, and more specifically temperature. The recipe I use which you might be able to see in the pic below is an old one, from an old 70s cookery book, and is pre-fan oven. I cook mine for longer than it says below at a lower temperature - 160*c for about 1/2 hr.
Mine used to rise, then sink again but too much watching the Great British Bake Off gave me the answer to that. 🙂

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8490171746_ebba62b007_o.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8240/8490171746_ebba62b007_o.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_atkin/8490171746/ ]48/365[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/peter_atkin/ ]PeterPoddy[/url], on Flickr

Sorry for the hijack - why is my chocolate cake not moist?
Even after using several different recipes, it's always slightly dry around the edge. However all my other cakes are yummy.

Needs beetroot adding.

(Vegetable matter helps retain moisture, colour is masked as well.)

i make lots at work , 2 or 3 kg of each ingredients at the time .

mix the butter and sugar together first , then add the egg and the flour .

make sure your oven is hot , and dont open the door .

make sure your oven is hot , and dont open the door .

Too hot makes it rise too quickly then sink as it cools though, as it's not properly cooked inside. And you have to open the door to check if it's cooked with a skewer near the end of the time. Too long and it goes too brown on the outside 🙂