I can't bake cakes, so why do I keep trying?

My late MiL praised my scones - so they must have been good. I have always been successful with pastry, but the last time I made it, though it tasted lovely, it was ultra crumbly and would have made a great crumble topping. Realised, far too late, that I had left it to form a ball in the food processor and forgotten to mix it with water...
As I'm on my own, I rarely make cakes, but I don't remember ever having any complaints.

I was taught by my Nan to make sponge cakes using the eggs as the weight for other ingredients, so I use the old style scales and put the eggs on the side where weights would go and that's my measure for flour/marg/sugar. Never fails.

Yorkshires, use two identical glasses to measure - again using egg as starting place. Break them into one glass and use other glass to measure plain flour to same level of eggs (transfer to jug or bowl) then do same with milk. Add it all together, beat to mix. Very hot oil/tin important too.

Just made an apple and cranberry cake and cheese scones, so my OH will be happy for a day or two lol.

Well what do you know! My cake got better with keeping. DH has just about got to the end of it!!! I'm not a cake fan, I prefer a biscuit if I'm honest. I'm quite good at those.

Why not just use Wrights cake mixes, they're really simple, taste home made and come out perfect every time.

Lemon drizzle never fails for me and it tastes delicious.

Don't put yourself through it hildajenni life is too short. There are lovely cakes in M & S, the time you save you can enjoy a few chapters of a good book.

I have had more disaaasters darling with baking than Craig Revel Horwood and have happily given up. DH and Jnr are on permanent diets and I prefer savoury, so what's the point. I am good at starters and main courses so have no hang ups. I can manage a fresh fruit salad and cheese board if we have guests with an M and S dessert or Waitrose.

Try Mary Berry's Lemon Drizzle. Put all ingredients in the bowl, mix and bake. Then drizzle over the lemon syrup. It never fails.

The two things that transformed my baking life were a decent set of electronic kitchen scales and a stand mixer. I used to have massive baking fails and now if I stick closely to the recipe and measure ingredients accurately it works out well most the time. I find Mary berry, Delia and nigella recipes the most reliable. Another useful tip was when a friend told me that an egg weighs around 60g and that for a basic sponge you need equal quantities of egg, self raising flour, butter or Marg, and sugar. I know eggs vary by size so sometimes I even weigh the amount of egg going in to be sure of getting equal measure. Having tried and failed for years, baking now gives me such pleasure and satisfaction and astonishingly people think I'm a good baked now. My other tip is to not do it under pressure - mine tend to go wrong if I am baking for a special occasion so I practice at other times when it doesn't matter so much if it doesn't turn out quite right.

I think it will be a treat for the jackdaws, and the pheasant.
No, I didn't tell them about the cake!
Thank you all, I'm glad I'm not alone.
I do make a fabulous Pavlova, I'm really good at those, and get requests for them at large family gatherings.

I put my bananas in the freezer for a few hours to blacken them up and only used them when they were soft and pulpy. Still got a cake that was like a breeze block though.

Just to say, with banana cake you have to make sure the bananas are very ripe, you can even microwave them slightly to soften, and they must be thoroughly mashed up otherwise the cake WILL go lumpy and stodgy.

Bridgeit

DH usually looks forward with anticipation, he never learns!

Hilda we could all come round and test various ways to make your cake more palatable.
The creme anglaise (or even just custard) sounds like a good idea. And cream?

Btw Maple leaf thanks for the tip re scones.

Hildaj pour over hot crème anglaise
-- custard--
it will soften your cake and make a lovely pudding

I too am not good at yorkshire pudding ; and as for meringue...... absolutely hopeless every time. People have given me so many detailed never fail recipes and they've always failed.
And I also have a fan oven. Is that the problem? It certainly tends to burn things even though I use a lower temp and less time than recipes say!

I used to bake, cook meals from start, rarely bought pre made food...life has changed that about 6 months ago.... I do some meals and cakes from scratch but I need it to be easy now and you know what NO STRESS....

You are not alone, my family dread it when I say ‘ I think I will bake a cake! they never turn out right, despite my efforts ?

If your sisters are anything like mine they've had years experiencing my baking disasters. They probably agreed between themselves whose turn it was to be on a diet and who would have to refuse cake because of too much sugar before they even knocked on your door. It's great you had a good time with your sisters.

quiet!

Did you tell them about the cake? or just keep quite?

I'm glad you had a nice time in the end.

It's not you it's the oven, honestly.

My sisters came and have now gone home. No cake was needed. ? One is on a diet, the other is reducing her sugar intake!!! I had a lovely salad and baked some salmon in butter. One sister brought rice salad and the other brought a quiche. Lunch was a success and we had a super sisterly chat.

Jam tarts and flapjacks - what could go wrong?

jacq10. I've seen your post re choc cake and would like to try making for GCs birthday. It doesn't mention what size cake tin and as I'm rubbish at baking haven't a clue what to use?

I am tempted to practise making cakes but someone from the Frugal February Thread may be reading this one