Cake making

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Basil
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:12 pm

Cake making

Post by Basil »

Hi
I am trying to make for more than an year following a simple recipe but was not successful in making a good cake. So I would like to know whether anybody available in West Reading who can teach me how to make cakes? I desperately want to make good cakes with good decorations so please somebody help me to find a trainer / good book and where I can buy items necessary for making cakes?Please :D
Thank you v much
Basil
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: Cake making

Post by yoyo123 »

have you looked at your local adult education classes?

It may be worth asking at the local library and they can help you find where classes are held.
hermanmunster
Posts: 12815
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: Cake making

Post by hermanmunster »

Basil wrote:Hi
I am trying to make for more than an year following a simple recipe but was not successful in making a good cake. So I would like to know whether anybody available in West Reading who can teach me how to make cakes? I desperately want to make good cakes with good decorations so please somebody help me to find a trainer / good book and where I can buy items necessary for making cakes?Please :D
Thank you v much
Basil
Have you got Delia Smith's books - I use the shortish - complete cookery course classic edition. I find if you do what Delia says then it will work, so don't change anything, size of tin or whatever - just do as she says
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Cake making

Post by mystery »

Basil, could you tell us about some of the cake baking disasters you have had in the last year. I have had some too.
Basil
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:12 pm

Re: Cake making

Post by Basil »

Many Thanks for all the replies!
I can list many disasters –only in making cake to be mention :lol:
Mostly when I mix the dough it will be hard , so I add a little butter( which I shouldn’t ) ..which then looks correct...but after I keep it in the oven I can see it running ..so either its hard ..need some thing to break it or it runs ...need a spoon to eat a cake. :oops:
Another disaster i usually make is burn at the top part but not cooked in the middle
Only good thing is it taste not v bad but nobody will be there to give it a try
:(
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Cake making

Post by mystery »

There are three advantages to the scenario you describe. The cake lasts longer as the burned bit is unlikely to go mouldy, and the uncooked bit will not dry out fast. It tastes quite good to you but not to others so there is all the more for you to eat. Without anyone else to eat it with you the whole cake can be consumed by yourself.

I find good results very disappointing. They get eaten fast before I have had a chance to tuck in.


You do sound as though most of all you want someone to test your cakes. I would offer but West Reading is a little far for me to travel for burnt cake. The uncooked part does sound OK though.
ausvic
Posts: 120
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:23 pm

Re: Cake making

Post by ausvic »

I find not following the recipes too closely often works. Go with your gut feeling. I always add a bit extra caster sugar and some milk to my fairy cakes and they always work. In fact just got batch in oven as we speak. Put some choc chips and fudge in last week and boys asked for repeat cakes today. Some days my baking fails but keep trying. If you relax and go with it you will find it will probably work out. Good Luck :)
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Cake making

Post by mystery »

I think perhaps that cake baking might be too precise a science for Basil, and he (or she?) might prefer a form of cookery of the more gung-ho variety. Perhaps soup making? Put everything in a large pan and boil up, and then see what results? So many different colours possible, thick or thin, hot or cold, lumpy or smooth, cheap or expensive. Of course it is better for you too. And if it's truly terrible you can freeze it in your chest freezer and give it to guests on bonfire night when it's so smokey outside they can't taste anything properly anyhow.
marigold
Posts: 656
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:14 pm
Location: essex

Re: Cake making

Post by marigold »

I agree with herman, follow saint Delia and you cannot go wrong. You can find most of her recipes on- line so no need to buy the book!

I make a lot of cakes ( evidenced by a slightly broader beam than I would like ) and find that putting all the ingredients in a food processor , while frowned on by the professionals also works very well. Well greased tins and resisting the temptation to have a look at the cake before it's baking time is up are also important.
Basil
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:12 pm

Re: Cake making

Post by Basil »

I am going to follow saint Delia ( am not sure whether I follow her recipe before) anyway will give a try soon .
Mystery: yes ...you believe or not I am a bit expert in making other things yummy! Ha ha! I am science researcher so may be due to that I can’t make good cakes! Yes I already make good soups ...so don’t want try that!
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