Faults in Cake Making GCSE Revision

MUST, MUST, MUST REVISE!! It is often the case that cakes are made which are not up to the required standard. When this happens, it is important to be able to identify what went wrong in order that you do not make the same mistake again. What follows is a list of the most common faults and their causes.

Cake sunk in the middle Most of the causes for a sunken cake are concerned with recipe imbalance. The most common causes are as follows: Too much baking powder Too much sugar (this will be apparent if the cake also has a crisp, sugary crust) Too much Fat/Margarine Flour too soft Cake was knocked in the oven before it had set

Cake collapsing at the sides Most often the cause is too much liquid in the batter inhibiting the batter from rising evenly.

Cakes too small A very common problem, and again one with a number of potential causes, the most common of which are as follows: Insufficient aeration (from under mixing or not enough baking powder) The batter is too stiff Flour is too strong Batter toughened (from over mixing or from recipe imbalance) Oven too hot (which leads to the cake being 'gripped' and stunted)

Other Common Faults Badly cracked tops The cause of this is that the oven is too hot, and the crust of the cake forms while the cake is still rising, leading to the crust 'bursting'  Peaked top Usually caused by a tough batter, which is caused by over mixing, and is often accompanied by a long hole in the cake. Wet streak at the base of the cake This is caused by too much liquid, with the excess liquid in the recipe left as residue at the base

Sugary tops or white spots on cakes The causes are as follows: Too much sugar Not enough liquid (to dissolve the sugar) Sugar too coarse (to be fully dissolved) Cakes standing too long before going in the oven. This allows moisture to escape from the top of the cake, and leaves sugar residue in the batter.

Fruit sinking in the cake A very common problem and one which can have a number of causes, either to do with the fruit or the batter. The most common causes are: The flour is too soft The batter is too soft The batter is too lightly aerated (either from over mixing or from too much baking powder) Fruit is wet and therefore heavy (especially cherries)

Cake staling quickly Oven too cold so the cakes are in the oven too long, and the crumb dries out Too much baking powder Not enough liquid in the batter to keep the cake moist

Curdled cake batter Curdling will occur if: The eggs are added too soon before the fat and sugar have been creamed The eggs are added cold, as this causes the fat to harden again, and accept no more eggs. Egg temperature should be approximately 21c The eggs are added in too large amounts. Eggs should always be added slowly and gradually. Cakes often have faults but they can usually be avoided by taking basic precautions and ensuring recipes are balanced.