So I made a mud cake on saturday, didnt come out so great but after i cut the top off and the sides it was actually quite a nice cake. but I don't really need to worry about the mud cake at the moment.

So today I thought i would try a chocolate sponge from a mix I got at a baking store (it's their own brand...) just to see what it would turn out like because i also got a vanilla sponge mix that I was thinking of using for a cake this weekend. So just made the choc sponge. I only have 3 pans, a 6", 8" and a 9". the 6 and the 9 are 3" deep and the 8 is 4" deep. I got these deep pans because i want to start making cakes that are just made in one pan. so I can chop the top of, split into layers and then I'm sorted. Plus the oven isn't very big...

It's quite difficult writing this and trying to include all the different bits! Basically I've just moved to South africa from London. Been here 4 months. Only have my decorating stuff, no baking equipment so I had to buy my 3 tins and also got treated to a new Kenwood stand mixer!!

So anyway, I've been trying to sift through the billions of recipes on the internet and it's just driving me mad.

I don't understand what the problem is, perhaps the oven? which is in pretty bad shape. The new pans? I haven't used shiny aluminium pans before. The batter? ahhhh i don't know! I used a rose nail for the sponge i made today which was meant for 2 sandwich pans but i dumped it all into my deep 8".

Somehow I need to find a nice vanilla sponge or pound cake for this weekend that I can bake in a single deep pan and will hold up underneath fondant and a gumpaste figurine.

I'm not taking orders until June so I just need to get through this weekend and then I can start sorting out all the other stuff!

Sponge type cakes just don't bake well in a deep pan. You'll have MUCH better luck baking in 2" pans.

I guess I'll just have to go and get some layer pans then, it's just at the bakery where I work (doing the figure modelling not the baking!) they bake in deep pans. But i can do some experiments at some point

Hi

Generally you need a different kind of sponge for a deep cake than a shallow one. I use a madeira recipe for deep or bowl cakes rather than a victoria which is lighter and doesn't like being in anything other than a sandwich pan.

Could you ask one of the bakers how to get a deep cake at home they may react as if you're trying to steal state secrets but more likely they'd be happy to give you tips so long as everyones work is getting done.

yours aye
susan

From one South African to another, welcome

I'm in Cape Town...whereabouts are you?

As for the pan issue, I agree it could be that some batters just dont go well in a deeper pan. You might also need to adjust cooking time (slower, I think) when going with deeper pans HTH

I'm also in Cape town!

I'm going to try a madeira cake by Lindy Smith:

http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/12/17/baking-the-perfect-madeira-cake/

It looks quite promising judging by the reviews etc.

When cooking a cake slower, how much do you lower the temperature in a conventional oven? And I read that if the cake is browning too quickly to put foil on top or a baking tray over the pan.