how do i bake good cakes?

Question

cakes usually turn out to be hard and thick in the inside...how come?

Answer 1

Sponge cakes are very easy to make. You can use either 6663 method or 8884!
This means....
6ozs of S/R Flour
6ozs Caster sugar
6ozs Margarine
3 eggs.
All in one method...
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until smooth and silky.
Divide the mix between two sandwich tins and bake in a pre heated oven at 180° celcius or gas mark 5 for 20-25 min's.
Turn out onto a rack to cool then spread one with jam and the other with butter cream. Sandwich together.
Voila! a lovely Victoria sponge.

Answer 2

I agree with Jenni D about the oven temperatures. An accurate oven temperature is vital for successful cake making, so if you don't have an oven thermometer it wouldn't be a bad idea to invest in one. Also make sure your using the same size tin your recipe advises, if your using a different sized tin the baking time changes, and place the tin in the centre of your oven. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature (especially butter) and ALWAYS sift your flour, when my grandma makes a spounge cake she sifts the flour 2-3 times to make the cake extra light. Lastly I know it's tempting but don't open the oven door until the baking time is up or at least until it's past halfway of baking.

Answer 3

Since you're having problems, I would stick to a box mix for now. Some brands are pretty good, and they're really hard to do wrong. You might want to check if your oven is cooking at the correct temperature, it seems either you're cooking the cakes too long, or your oven is too hot. Put an oven thermometer in before you turn it on. Set the oven to 350 degrees, and after it reaches temperature, wait another 10 minutes and check what the thermometer says. If it's off more than 10-15 degrees, you may need to have your oven serviced, or just adjust the oven to suit a recipe. Hope your next cake goes better!

Answer 4

The best way to bake cakes is this. Weigh the eggs, usually 4 eggs for a normal size cake then make sure all the other ingredients weigh the same as the eggs usually between 7oz and 8oz. Add a teaspoon on baking powder or bicarb soda to the flour. Beat butter and sugar until practically white. Add a little egg and flour alternatively. Beat mixture when adding egg and fold in flour. Cook in oven for around 45 min on low to medium heat. If outside starts cooking a lot faster then middle turn down temp.
Or save yourself a lot of hassle and make a choc cake. Melt bar of good quality choclate in a bowl over bowling water. Add 7oz butter and melt. Take off heat beat in 6oz caster sugar then 3 eggs then mix in 7oz flour and 2oz coco powder and teaspoon of baking powder. Then bake on low heat. Middle of cake should be a tiny bit gooey but not completely.

Answer 5

Baking is like chemistry. Read your recipe through before you start. Make sure you have all of your ingredients measured out before you start.

As with any chemistry experiment, you must follow the formula (recipe) exactly. That means to beat the ingredients for the correct amount of time and in the manner specified in the recipe. Add the ingredients in a specified order. Make sure your oven is preheated and that the baking pans are the right size and properly prepared with butter and flour or whatever the recipe says.

Almost any recipe you make will work if you follow the instructions exactly. Remember, not to improvise or make changes or substitutions until you understand the principles and techniques involved.

For the best information on baking read "Baking Illustrated"

Answer 6

This sounds really silly, but if you want a really easy cake, really delicious and really fast, there are only 2 ingredients. 1: a box of cake mix (I like duncan hines) and a 12 ounce can of soda. You can use diet or regular, they both work the same. I like using dark sodas for chocolate cake (cherry coke is awesome) and clear sodas for white and yellow cakes. Just mix the can of soda in with the cake mix until it's mixed through (don't beat the heck out of it, you want the bubbles) and bake according to the box directions. Best. Cake. Ever. :-)

Good luck

Answer 7

6ozs of S/R Flour
6ozs Caster sugar
6ozs Margarine
3 eggs.
All in one method...
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until smooth and silky.
Divide the mix between two sandwich tins and bake in a pre heated oven at 180° celcius or gas mark 5 for 20-25 min's.
Turn out onto a rack to cool then spread one with jam and the other with butter cream. Sandwich together.
this will help you.

Answer 8

With baking you have to be very precise measuring ingredients, oven temperature and time.

I advice you to get to your local library and get a book with cake recipes, just to make sure you're using a good recipe too. Sometimes recipes handed from person to person get a bit like chinese whispers: distorted on the way to the last person to receive them.

Answer 9

sieve the flour three times, whisk the ingrediants til its light and fluffy and use the exact amounts of ingrediants.....watch the cakes whilst baking and they should only take 20 mins at the most to bake... when you take it out of oven put a knife in to the middle of cake..if the knife is clear on coming out of the cake, its perfect!!! good luck xx

Answer 10

have a look at the best recipies you can find and follow them to the letter, you will find easy recipies to follow [which I suggest you to start with] on allrecipies.com or bellaonline.com
good luck