(January 16, 2018 at 8:14 am)Cod Wrote:

(January 16, 2018 at 8:11 am)mh.brewer Wrote: I think just the holes. 

Wonder why he let mayo off his list?

What type of cakes have you been eating?

I think they are called "better than sex" cakes. Definitely over rated name.

(January 16, 2018 at 7:52 am)pool the matey Wrote:

(January 16, 2018 at 5:34 am)Little lunch Wrote: I was a chef for many years and I always stayed clear of cakes and pastries if I could.
I'm a master of sauces, a pro at the grill, can have twelve pans cooking twelve different dishes at the same time, non-stop for hours and hours, never burning or spoiling a dish, sending meals out to large tables at the same time, all piping hot and delicious with only one or two complaints a year.
But get me to bake a cake, soufflé or just about any pastry and you will hear yelling, swearing, pots and trays being thrown around the kitchen.
I can barely melt chocolate.
So, Pool, I feel your pain.

I know how to make chicken curry, sambar, fish curry, beef and chicken roast, chicken tikka, chicken 65, avial, rasam, rice, briyani...etc etc but baking I'm clueless😕 I think the ratio of the ingredients have to be just right because I get greedy and put a little more sugar and chocolate into the mix to make it taste better.. Wish I had pics of all the failed experiments, had to dig a hole and bury it or Rambo will eat it lol

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(January 16, 2018 at 7:46 am)pocaracas Wrote: If it's made at the edges and gooey in the middle, your oven is too hot.

So preheat the oven to like 150? I usually preheat up to 180. While baking it's usually 110 degrees and that's the lowest it goes

Kitchen chemistry is usually pretty forgiving with the ratio of ingredients.

And yeah... 140 to 150 sounds more like the right temperatures for baking cakes.

I always wanted to make muffins one day to be honest.

Do keep in mind that the container you use to bake also makes a difference.
If you use aluminum, it will get very hot....Nowadays, you have those silicone moulds which should make it easier to keep from overdoing the outside.

I made a Swiss roll once... I pushed him down a hill.

(January 16, 2018 at 10:18 am)pocaracas Wrote: Do keep in mind that the container you use to bake also makes a difference.
If you use aluminum, it will get very hot....Nowadays, you have those silicone moulds which should make it easier to keep from overdoing the outside.

Actually what I do it with is a plasticy kind of container that I got with when I bought that oven. I thought it'd melt of something, but it has not...yet..😀

(January 16, 2018 at 9:31 am)Roberto Wrote: I always wanted to make muffins one day to be honest.

"You ain't seen nothing till you're down on the muffin"....... OH WAIT....... Nothing to see here, moving on. 

I would use melted butter instead of olive oil. Makes it taste better.

For cakes I keep the temperature in the 325-350°F range, never any higher.  Letting ingredients warm up to room temperature is supposed to help, although I've had success using eggs straight out of the fridge.  (Butter I usually soften by putting it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.)

Check recipes for suggested amounts of baking powder and baking soda.  Easy on the soda.  IIRC, soda works better in the presence of something acidic so you could try using sour milk with it (add a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes).

Standard procedure:

• Preheat the oven and get the pan ready.  I like to use a parchment paper liner, and sometimes a bit of margarine or butter to get the paper to stay in place.
  
• Put butter, margarine or shortening into the larger bowl.
  
• Add sugar to the butter and cream together with spoon until combined.
  
• Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add them to the sugar/butter mixture.
  
• Add any flavouring extracts and combine well.
  
• In a separate bowl, mix the flour together with any baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, or other dry ingredients.  Stir well (you can also sift it all through a sieve if you want to combine it really well).
  
• Measure out any liquids (milk, oil, etc.) in a measuring cup.
  
• Add flour mixture and milk mixture to the bowl with the butter.  Order is dry-wet-dry-wet-dry.
  
• Put into pan and put into pre-heated oven.
  
• Test for doneness about 5 minutes before estimated finish time.  Do not open the oven door before that.  When you can smell cake, it's time to think about testing.
  
• Take finished cake out of oven, put it on a cooling rack, and leave it alone for a minimum of 10 minutes before trying to take it out of the pan.
  

(January 16, 2018 at 9:31 am)Roberto Wrote: I always wanted to make muffins one day to be honest.

That just has to be a euphemism.