Topic started by rajju (@ sj-natpool-220.cisco.com) on Wed Dec 4 15:13:28 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hai I do my cakes as per the recipies, but still it is rough and hard. It is not as soft. Sometimes it rises and when after the correct time I open the oven it goes down and it is not cook. Has any one have some comment

Responses:

• From: Rimi (@ dsc02-aui-tx-2-180.rasserver.net) on: Wed Dec 4 16:33:53
  
  Hi rajju,
  There are some helpful tips for baking moist cakes on this site. http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00093.asp
  
  
• From: Chitra (@ user-0ccsvp3.cable.mindspring.com) on: Wed Dec 4 16:56:50
  
  Thanks Rimi for the very useful information!
  
  
• From: Lavanya. (@ dhcp-0-2-e3-5-ca-b1.cpe.townisp.com) on: Wed Dec 4 19:25:24
  
  Hi Rajju,
  
  There are a lot of factors which can cause a cake to flop. You said that your cake was not soft enough, for this you could try using cake flour in your recipe. If the recipe which you are following calls for creaming of the sugar and butter together, then I guess that's where your problem lies. If batter is not creamed properly then the texture of the cake will be coarse. If you are using eggs always try adding them to the batter only at room temperature. If you have been using baking powder which you had bought more than a year ago , buy yourself a new box. Cakes usually go down only when cold air hits it when its not finished rising properly. So, if you can then go out and get an oven thermometer and check that your oven works properly and according to that adjust the baking time. Hope this helps!!
  
  
• From: rajani (@ 12-235-193-160.client.attbi.com) on: Fri Dec 6 14:27:18
  
  Thanx for these tips lavanya. I think the creaming part is where I am wrong. I don't creame it very well. The sugar does not melt while I cream it. Is it good if I add powdered sugar
  
  
• From: Revathy (@ 195.229.241.235) on: Sat Dec 7 14:03:19
  
  Hi Rajani,
  For perfect cakes it is extremely important to measure the ingredients accurately. Also the oven should be pre-heated (at least 10 mins.) to the temperature specified in the recipe & only then place the cake inside the oven. Do not open the oven door during the initial 20mins. of baking.
  A collapsed cake which is dry could be due to excess baking powder; so it is best to use self-raising flour (which already contains baking powder).Even a little excess of butter could lead to collapsed cakes. Keep these in mind next time you bake & you'll get great cakes.
  
  
• From: rajani (@ 12-235-193-160.client.attbi.com) on: Sun Dec 8 12:31:38
  
  Rimi and lavanya your adive where very useful and the cake was soft. There is still two problem. When the time is over I remove the cake from oven. But it is not still bake. When I poke a knife it is still liquidy . So I bake the second time. And then my cake has a bad smell(though eatable).Maybe it is egg smell. Pls advice.
  
  
• From: rajani (@ 12-235-193-160.client.attbi.com) on: Sun Dec 8 12:32:00
  
  Rimi and lavanya your adive where very useful and the cake was soft. There is still two problem. When the time is over I remove the cake from oven. But it is not still bake. When I poke a knife it is still liquidy . So I bake the second time. And then my cake has a bad smell(though eatable).Maybe it is egg smell. all the ingrediants are just purchaed.Pls advice.
  
  
• From: Mini (@ adsl-33-141-31.asm.bellsouth.net) on: Sun Dec 8 13:12:21
  
  Hi Rajani,
  
  I got that bad smell twice while baking the cake. I don't know the reason. After that I gave up making the cake for long time. I am too waiting for the responses in this thread because I get good cakes very rarely.
  
  Thanks.
  
  
• From: Rimi (@ dsc02-aui-tx-3-28.rasserver.net) on: Sun Dec 8 15:15:25
  
  Hi rajani,
  Sorry to hear about your persistent cake-baking problems. I found this website with a lot of great tips for baking great cakes. Hope this will be really helpful.
  http://www.chefrick.com/html/cakes.html
  
  
  
• From: Lavanya. (@ dhcp-0-2-e3-5-ca-b1.cpe.townisp.com) on: Mon Dec 9 00:44:22
  
  Hi Rajani,
  
  You should actually check for 3 things before you take the cake out of the oven. Firstly towards the end of the specified baking time sweet smell of the cake fills the kitchen. Secondly check the cake when there are about 5-10 before the specified time. If the cake is done then the way to find out even before poking something into it is that watch the sides of the pan. If the cake is done, then the sides of the cake will no longer be sticking to the pan. There will be a small gap between the two. Thirdly take a clean tooth pick and insert it into the center of the cake. If the pick comes out clean then it means that the cake is done. If the cake is under cooked then leave it inside the oven for a couple of mins and check it again.
  I've really never come across the bad smell that you ppl are talking about. So, I can't help you out in that matter. Hope this info is of use.
  
  
• From: Mrs.Mano (@ 195.229.241.233) on: Mon Dec 9 15:20:12
  
  hello Rajani!
  The bad smell may be due to the quality of the eggs. here I am giving a simple recipe for 'soft cake'.
  SOFT CAKE.
  Self raising flour or plain flour-25ogms
  butter-250 gms
  sugar-250gms
  eggs-4
  Any essence-2sps
  Baking powder-2sps
  Before preparing the other things, take out the butter from the fridge and keep it in the room temperature for one hour. So it will be fluffy when we beat it with the sugar.
  seive the flour,and the baking powder together for three times so that the air will go inside and make the cake spongy.
  Grind the sugar to a fine powder. seperate the egg whites and the yolks.Be careful not to add even a little drop of yolk in the egg whites.
  Now beat the egg whites in a food proccesser at a high speed with a egg beater/cake mixing blade until it becomes like a thick curd and very stiff. remove it from the food proccesser and keep it in a bowl. Then pour the egg yolks in the food proccesser and beat well for a few minutes. Pour it in an another bowl. Now place the butter and the sugar in the food proccesser and beat well for a few minutes. then add the yellow eggs,and the essence, beat for a few minutes and add the egg whites. Beat for a few minutes. Pour the batter in a big bowl. Add the flour little by little and mix well with your hands very delicately. Then pour the cake batter in the cake tin and bake at 160 C [Gas mark.4]approximately for 30 minutes. Do not open the oven's door upto 20 minutes. After that, you can check with a toothpick. Ovens vary with one another. So, if there is a nice aroma, then you can check whether the cake is done. Because, if we wait for the end of the timing mentioned in the cook book, sometimes it will get burnt. Sometimes, for some cake recipes, the temperatures will vary.But it is always safe to maintain the temperature at 160 C.Happy BAKING!
  
  
• From: rajani (@ sj-natpool-220.cisco.com) on: Mon Dec 9 23:53:36
  
  Thanx all for all your responses. And I will try these things and let you know. Thanx again
  
  
• From: Anu (@ 202.88.238.139) on: Mon Jan 20 06:16:56
  
  Hi, I am having Microwave oven only....how to bake cake in this?
  
  
• From: Tanya (@ cache-rb06.proxy.aol.com) on: Thu Dec 25 19:19:52
  
  Hi Mrs Mano
  I tried the recipe of the cake u had given and it came out really well.It was very soft.I'm a novice in cooking.But when this became a hit I was proud of myself.Thanks to u .
  
  
  
• From: s (@ 61.11.78.144) on: Fri Jan 2 13:08:11 EST 2004
  
  Hi,
  
  You can visit the new website on CHEMBAI at http://www.chembai.com
  
  

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