Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi
Please can anyone tell me if flour needs to be at room temperature before using it to bake a cake? I have recently had about 3 cakes that turned out over moist, sounds better than soggy! So If anyone can help please I’d be grateful..
xx

Hi bellscakes

Yes, it’s a good idea to have the flour at room temperature so it blends well with all the other ingredients which should also be at room temp. Why do you think your flour is responsible for the ‘over moist’ cakes.? Usually if a cake is on the wet side it’s because it contains too much liquid. The liquid could be anything from milk, buttermilk, sour cream, water or even the size of the eggs. If there is more liquid than the recipe calls, for the cake will not bake through properly. Oven temperature is also very important. If the temperature is on the low side, enough heat will not have been generated in the oven thus preventing the cake rising properly and baking through. You can check the internal oven temp with the external dial reading by placing an oven thermometer inside the oven. Both temps should read the same. Hope some of this helps.

Thanks madeitwithlove

I will try using the flour at room temperature next time I bake a cake. I had just wondered if cold flour, like cold eggs, could delay the rising of the cake.

I do use an oven thermometer and always measure any liquid very carefully but sometimes end up with a heavy or slightly wet cake. I then have to make another one and end up freezing the one that didn’t turn out so well. I am beginning to wonder if my cooker is needing to be checked. It’s a Rangemaster and has two ovens. I always use the fan oven for my cakes but have to set oven the temperature sometimes 10 – 20 degrees lower, to so that it matches the temperature on the oven thermometer if that makes sense.
Also where a recipe doesn’t state sixe of eggs I always use large eggs, though the large ones don’t seem as large as they used to be. Perhaps this has been causing a problem too. Cheesed off! xx

Could you say which recipe you are using. If your eggs are too big it may be tipping your recipe off kilter. Would you like me to have a look at the recipe and set the ratios?

HI madeitwithlove
Sorry for delay in responding. It’s been one of those weeks!
Yes please I would like if you’d be able to work out the rations for me regarding egg size to ingredients. Here is the recipe:

Classis Victoria Sandwich:
8oz butter (softened)
8oz castor sugar
4 eggs beaten
8oz S.R. flour
1tsp baking powder
2 tblsp milk. – Bake at 170C Fan oven for around 20mins in 2x8inch sandwich tins.
This is an all in one recipe and sometimes it has turned out really well and other times it has been heavy and hasn’t risen very well.

The other recipe I have recently had a problem with is Jane Hornby’s Rich dark chocolate cake. It has always worked really well in the past so it’s really strange. However this recipe does not specify what size of eggs to use either, like the Victoria Cake recipe above. Hope this is sufficient information for you and many thanks again. xx

P.S.
I found headrabbit’s chocolate mud cake recipe in my documents thanks.
x

Hi bellescakes

Your eggs in this recipe should be medium. Weigh the eggs all together in their shells and they should come to 8oz/240g or a little over. Try that for the Vic sandwich. I use large eggs ( 65g-69g in the shell) for Jane Hornby’s chocolate cake. I really think this problem is due to your oven, it might help if you can get someone to have a look at the calibration. Another thing to check is the oven door. The catch on my oven door used to pop making a gap enough to let the temperature in the oven drop. I couldn’t understand why I kept getting suken and wonky cakes until one day I actually heard it pop! that’s when I realised the problem. Have another go at the vic sandwich and let me know how you get on. xx

Thanks very much madeitwithlove. Yes I will need to think of getting my oven checked. Have a good weekend. xx