Cooking forgives a bit of improvisation; baking is chemistry and needs more precision. The good news is that most baking problems come from a handful of causes, and they’re easy to fix once you know them.
The five rules
- Weigh, don’t guess. Digital scales are cheap and far more accurate than cups or spoons.
- Know your oven. Many ovens run hotter or cooler than the dial says. An oven thermometer will show you the real temperature. Always preheat fully.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Soft butter and room-temperature eggs mix together smoothly and trap more air.
- Don’t overmix after adding flour. Fold gently until it’s just combined. Overmixing makes cakes tough and dense.
- Keep the oven door shut for at least the first two-thirds of the baking time.
Troubleshooting
- Sank in the middle: usually underbaked, the oven door was opened too early, or there was too much raising agent. Check it’s cooked with a skewer before taking it out — it should come out clean.
- Dense and heavy: the butter and sugar weren’t creamed long enough, the butter was too cold, or it was overmixed after adding the flour.
- Dry: overbaked or too much flour. Start checking five minutes before the recipe says.
- Domed and cracked: the oven was too hot, so the outside set before the middle finished rising.
- Stuck to the tin: grease the tin and line the base with baking paper, and let the cake cool for 10 minutes before turning it out.
A foolproof Victoria sponge
The classic uses equal weights of the main ingredients, which makes it easy to remember:
- 200g soft butter, 200g caster sugar, 200g self-raising flour and 4 large eggs.
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line two 20cm round tins.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoon of the flour if it starts to look curdled.
- Gently fold in the rest of the flour, plus 1–2 tbsp milk if the mixture is stiff.
- Divide between the tins and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden and springy and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool completely, then sandwich with jam and buttercream or whipped cream.
Fresh raising agents matter
Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda lose their power over time. If a tub has been open for ages, test it: a spoonful in hot water should fizz straight away.