I swear I followed the recipe, but my husband's red velvet birthday cake is more reminiscent of a giant hockey puck. Any ideas? 
Why did my cake collapse?
UNDERCOOKED in the middle, was cooked at too high a temperaure and cooked and acted cooked but infact a lower temperatuer and for longer might have been better. Not enough air in the cake? Too many eggs.
Somteimes cakes just collapse putt extra icing on the top to fill the hole, or cut off a layer
Somteimes cakes just collapse putt extra icing on the top to fill the hole, or cut off a layer
Originally Posted by mirabelle:
“UNDERCOOKED in the middle, was cooked at too high a temperaure and cooked and acted cooked but infact a lower temperatuer and for longer might have been better. Not enough air in the cake? Too many eggs.
Somteimes cakes just collapse putt extra icing on the top to fill the hole, or cut off a layer”
“UNDERCOOKED in the middle, was cooked at too high a temperaure and cooked and acted cooked but infact a lower temperatuer and for longer might have been better. Not enough air in the cake? Too many eggs.
Somteimes cakes just collapse putt extra icing on the top to fill the hole, or cut off a layer”
Woe is me. I wonder if not enough air was the reason. I was worried about working the mixture too much for fear of over-developing the gluten in the flour and ending up with a chewy cake. I really don't get this baking thing.
Originally Posted by mirabelle:
“DOn't worry about it. I'm sure it will taste great regarldess of sinkage”
“DOn't worry about it. I'm sure it will taste great regarldess of sinkage”
You're very kind.
Originally Posted by mirabelle:
“DOn't worry about it. I'm sure it will taste great regarldess of sinkage”
“DOn't worry about it. I'm sure it will taste great regarldess of sinkage”
Exactly! Just need to cover it in more cream.
did you put baking powder in it?
was the baking powder out of date?
what brand of food colouring did you use?
was the baking powder out of date?
what brand of food colouring did you use?
Originally Posted by JamesParkin:
“did you put baking powder in it?
was the baking powder out of date?
what brand of food colouring did you use?”
“did you put baking powder in it?
was the baking powder out of date?
what brand of food colouring did you use?”
I just used bicarb of soda and I used Dr. Oetker food colouring. I'll check the date of my bicarb!
Originally Posted by mirabelle:
“I never used baking soda or bicarb unless its banana cake. Ooops”
“I never used baking soda or bicarb unless its banana cake. Ooops”
Damn!
And it apparently expired in December... would that really make a difference?
Oh well, back to the drawing board.
Originally Posted by Georgemcneil:
“It got kicked in the Dough Balls!”
“It got kicked in the Dough Balls!”
I am a menace to all baked goods. I don't know why I even bother.
You probably just overworked the batter. I don't think the bicarb being out of date for 2 months is going to make any difference.
Originally Posted by whoever,hey:
“delia says the door was opened.....”
“delia says the door was opened.....”
Yeah, I did that too. This cake was doomed from the start.
Originally Posted by epicurian:
“Damn!
And it apparently expired in December... would that really make a difference?
Oh well, back to the drawing board.”
“Damn!
And it apparently expired in December... would that really make a difference?
Oh well, back to the drawing board.”
apparently so
the wife fell foul to this 2 weeks ago, she was not happy
Bicarbonate of Soda is the same thing as Baking Soda. Baking Powder is a mixture of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. I've used baking powder that was more than 2 months past it's best before date and still had excellent results so I wouldn't put it down to that. If you have used Bicarb instead of Baking Powder, that might have caused it...
Did you leave your mixture sitting around for any length of time before putting it in the oven? That could have contributed to the collapse... Also it's advisable not to open the oven door within the first half of baking (depending on the cake mix).
Could you maybe make another and just add another layer - make him feel extra special...
I hope he enjoys it either way.
Did you leave your mixture sitting around for any length of time before putting it in the oven? That could have contributed to the collapse... Also it's advisable not to open the oven door within the first half of baking (depending on the cake mix).
Could you maybe make another and just add another layer - make him feel extra special...
I hope he enjoys it either way.
Originally Posted by mirabelle:
“DOn't worry about it. I'm sure it will taste great regarldess of sinkage”
“DOn't worry about it. I'm sure it will taste great regarldess of sinkage”
Originally Posted by analogueagent:
“Exactly! Just need to cover it in more cream.”
“Exactly! Just need to cover it in more cream.
”
Bits tongue
Originally Posted by epicurian:
“Woe is me. I wonder if not enough air was the reason. I was worried about working the mixture too much for fear of over-developing the gluten in the flour and ending up with a chewy cake. I really don't get this baking thing.”
“Woe is me. I wonder if not enough air was the reason. I was worried about working the mixture too much for fear of over-developing the gluten in the flour and ending up with a chewy cake. I really don't get this baking thing.”
That's why many (most?) sponge cake recipes have you fold in the flour gently at the end. In that way you avoid overworking the gluten or knocking out the air that you have lovingly incorporated. My mother always just bunts all of her ingredients in the foodprocessor at the same time and blends to a batter, whereas I use the electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, then mix in the eggs, then fold in the flour and other dry ingredients using a metal spoon and a gentle touch.
Consequently, my cakes rise better and are lighter than my mum's!
in this case, though, I do agree that your sinkage sounds like cooking too quickly at too high a temperature.
