Why didn't my cake rise?

[moomoo]

I open the oven, it's about when you open the oven thats key

When should you then?

 

[aqua]

did the butter split? even so that wouldn't have caused it not to rise but to have fatty spots through the cake

I think you've probably used flour past it's best (has it been opened a while?), and the door opened, or the oven not hot enough when you put the cake in etc etc etc

in other words, too many factors

 

[aqua]

When should you then?

not halfway through I know exactly how long my cakes take to cook, so I know that I'm not going to open the door when they're rising all I open it for it to check whether its cooked through or not - never just to see how it's doing

 

[geminisnake]

The above factors are why I make cakes in my breadmaker. Just mix, pour in, walk away, open when it beeps at you

 

[aqua]

depends what cake I'm making - breadmaker ones are fine but I rarely make them as I decorate so many

for a tea loaf etc they're great

 

[WouldBe]

The above factors are why I make cakes in my breadmaker. Just mix, pour in, walk away, open when it beeps at you

What happens to the whisk / beater thingy? Do you end up with a loaf / cake on a stick?

 

[aqua]

yeah it leaves a hole in the bottom the same as when making bread

 

[moomoo]

did the butter split? even so that wouldn't have caused it not to rise but to have fatty spots through the cake

I think you've probably used flour past it's best (has it been opened a while?), and the door opened, or the oven not hot enough when you put the cake in etc etc etc

in other words, too many factors

Probably all of the above tbh. Plus the fact I was in a rush.

I might try again tomorrow. Never give up, that's my motto.

 

[spanglechick]

Let me consult Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany

yeah - like your culinary skills extend beyond toast and fried eggs...

 

[mentalchik]

This is why i don't do baking...........

 

[Y_I_Otter]

Old baking powder? It has a shelf life.

 

[Herbsman.]

This is why i don't do baking...........

Do you do herbs?

 

[selamlar]

I'm sure I didn't do anything differently. It was just a plain vanilla sponge but it hardly rose at all, and I did use self raising flour.

Tasted alright though, just looked a bit naff.

I dunno, but we had this happen this weekend. Baked 2 lemon drizzle cakes in sequence. First one came out fine, second one came out flat. Just one of those things, I guess.

 

[mentalchik]

Do you do herbs?

 

[Greebo]

I dunno, but we had this happen this weekend. Baked 2 lemon drizzle cakes in sequence. First one came out fine, second one came out flat.

In your case, IMHO there's a v clear reason the 2nd one didn't rise:-

The mixture waited too long between the wet ingredients being combined with the dry ingredients and the cake going into the oven. This meant that the raising agent started to work before the cake mixture began setting, therefore the bubbles weren't trapped, therefore you got a flat cake.

Next time, instead of mixing up a double batch that can't be baked at the same time, try mixing only enough for one cake at a time, and let the oven get back up to temperature before the 2nd cake goes in.

 

[selamlar]

Next time, instead of mixing up a double batch that can't be baked at the same time, try mixing only enough for one cake at a time, and let the oven get back up to temperature before the 2nd cake goes in.

That is what I did.

For practical reasons i.e. only one caketin and mixing bowl not big enough for double mix.

So stick your obvious reason!