General Baking Guide

Trouble-shooting - Fruit Cakes

PROBLEM

POSSIBLE CAUSE

 

 

Fruit sinking to the bottom

Low oven temperature which may cause the cake to

 

take longer to set, allowing the fruit to sink. Or, too

 

much liquid, or raising agent. The fruit may not have

 

been properly washed and dried.

Cake sinking / dipping in the centre

Too much raising agent in the mixture. Too hot, or too

 

cool an oven. Or, not enough liquid or insufficient

 

creaming.

Surface cracks

Too small a tin, or too much mixture in the tin. Too

 

much raising agent in the mix, plus not enough liquid

 

or insufficient creaming. The oven may be too hot.

Hard outer crust with a damp patch inside

Oven too hot, therefore the cake baked too quickly.

 

Too much sugar, or insufficient liquid.

Burnt outside

Oven temperature too high. Oven too small for the

 

size of cake. Insufficient protection around the tin.

 

Cake baked on too high a shelf.

Texture with pronounced holes.

Too much raising agent. Flour unevenly mixed.

 

 

Texture too close and cake insufficiently risen.

Not enough raising agent. Not enough liquid. Too

 

cool an oven. Insufficient creaming.

Cake crumbles when cut

Not enough liquid. Baked for too long. Not enough

 

sugar. Too much baking agent.

Too dry

Over baking. Insufficient egg or liquid. Too much rais-

 

ing agent.

 

 

Trouble-shooting

- Sponge Cakes

Domed top

Insufficient creaming of mixture. Cake baked on too

 

high a shelf position, or at too high a temperature.

 

Paper liners can cause the outer edge not to rise and

 

the centre to peak.

Hollowed / sunken top

Too much raising agent. Oven temperature too low, or

 

incorrect shelf position. Cake removed from oven

 

before it’s cooked. Use of soft tub margarine.

Very pale, but cooked

Oven temperature too low. Baked too low in the oven

 

 

Overflowing tin

Tin too small for the amount of mixture

 

 

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Glen Dimplex Home Appliances Ltd 100 E manual General Baking Guide, Trouble-shooting Fruit Cakes