AHello all u luvly cakers. I have a poblem that I cant seem to fix with whatever size cakes im baking. Basically I have subscribed to a cake decotating magazine and I follow all the directions of the recipie so im guessing im doing it right. I made a 10" chocolate cake today and put all the batter in the tin and thought id cut it in half to fill it but when the cake csmw out of the oven it had shrunk from the sides to like an 8inch and the cske had risen to its max but it wss only about 3 inches high... What am I doing wrong? Ive now had to bake another of the same cake so that I can sandwich them together...

Please help!!

Thabks in advance xxx

Have you checked your oven temp with a separate oven thermometer?  Are you overbaking the cakes?   3 inches high is actually pretty high for a single layer of cake.  How high are you intending it to be?  I think you may want to consider not trying to get such a high cake and aim for a 2 inch finished layer and use two together with filling or icing in between.

What sort of flour did the recipe ask for? Does it have a rising agent incorporated, or do you have to add some baking powder?

If it didn't rise, usually I found flour with rising agents tend to go a bit flat if the pack has been opened too long. If the recipe has no rising agent in, then it could be that air is principle rising agent - as you bake, the heat expands the air bubbles in the mix. A rising agent does something similar as a gas is the product of a chemical reaction in the baking powder or rising agent.

If it is shrinking that much, it may mean your oven is set too high.

AHi. Thank you so much for yout replies. I used 338g sugar, marg (flora) 6 eggs and 338 cocoa 263 self raising flour and 75 cocoa. I set it to 180 degrees on my fan assisted oven for 45 mins. The cake shrunk from the sides by about 2 inches and only rose less than half way up the tin. Also when I was layering the cake there were holes incthe middle like an aero chocolate... Sorry to sound sill but im very new to baking... Thanks for your help in advance xxx

Sounds like your temp was too high and you baked a bit long. I would swap the marg for butter too as that seems to make a difference. 

AThank you for your reply. How long would you bake for and at whst temp? Which butter is best for cskes? Lurpack??

It is impossible to give you a definitive time and temp for baking , it is something you are going to have to work out with your own oven. Everyone's oven is different. 

It would be wise to get yourself an oven thermometer , to see what the true temp of your oven is and usually as a rule of thumb you wipe 20 degrees off a fan forced oven. 

I cook a cake until it smells right , but I have been baking since I was a small child . I usually use the recipe as a guide when cooking something for the first time and start checking my cake about 5-10 mins before the recipe says it should be done.  The recipe you have up there seems to be for a chocolate Genoise sponge . It is done when it springs back lightly to the touch . 

As for butter , I don't know the brands you have in the UK . I just use a supermarket brand here in Australia . I do like the Aldi one the best though. 

Hi Chocaholikk. Just a thought   Are your magazines from the US? I live in UK but used to live in America. I had some real disasters trying to bake tried and tested recipes from UK in the US. The flour and fats are quite different and from my experience recipes from other countries don't necessarily work out the same. 

I just re read your post and realised you said you were using Flora. It's really meant for spreading, not baking. Try Stork instead. 

Also, using bake-even strips, they are so helpful!  I make my own with towels.  Metal flower nails as heating cores might help as well.

Hi,

Thank you everyone for your replies.

The Magazine i have subscribed to is 'Cake Decorating' im guessing thats a UK magazine.

The reason i use flora is because it was suggested by a cake maker but i will definately try stork aswel.

all your replies have been very very helpful so thank you from a very new cake baker.

i have made a few cakes and i think for a beginner im doing pretty ok...what are your thoughts on my pictures? please be honest i wont be hurt if you dont like them infact your honest opinion will be helping me to improve in the future...

thanks a bunch! xxx

These cakes have been baked in this order. so i think im getting the hang of it...what do u think? any suggestions would be much appreciated xxx

Hi Chocaholic.... one or 2 points that MAY help....or may not...every oven and every cake is different.

Margarine....Stork is the best...and I now use the foil wrapped block following a tip from here and NOT the tub.  Sainsbury's do an own brand that is slightly cheaper, but I'm still experimenting with that!...For special cakes I always use proper (unsalted) butter.

Fan assisted oven, I always start my cakes at 160 degrees and then drop to 130 after about 40 mins.  Each of my cakes is different so I keep a record in a little kitchen note book, as sometimes the 130 stage takes 25 mins and sometimes 40 mins!!!  It really is trial and error (still!!) for me! I test them with a metal skewer to check for doneness.

I've never tried the bake easy strips, as I always put a shallow roasting tin with water in (about an inch deep) in the bottom of my oven to humidify it.  This gets placed in a cold oven  and THEN I heat my oven.  I find this especially useful for rich fruit cakes so they don't dry out.

Another tip from here is to line your tins with greaseproof paper so it sticks up around the tin so when it rises, it doesn't 'spill' over the edge and look like a muffin top!! I haven't tried this tip yet!!!

Happy baking and good luck

AThabk you spireit. All info taken on board. Thank you so much for ur help!