I have tried twice now to make a marble cake in 2 round pans and I can't get the layers more than 1/2 inch thick. Thought it was the recipe..tried a different one....still didn't work. Thought maybe I can't do marble in 2 round pans, but looking at the ingredients of the other cakes, the same amount of the ingredients are used, so there won't be a size difference. I used to be really good at making cakes and am quite dissapointed. I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Could it be my baking soda or baking powder....they're kind of old...can they go bad? Anyone have any suggestions....I'm trying to make a home made, from scratch, cake for my son's 1st birthday.
Thanks everyone. I am going to buy new baking soda and powder today and try again...also thanks for the tip on the PAM. Just so happens I was using that to grease my pans as well....
I would highly recommend the cooking book 'Cookwise' by Shirley Corriher.
http://www.amazon.com/Cookwise-Cooking-Revealed-Shirley-C...
Old baking soda, and powder can cause this also if you are using too small of eggs this can happen. I would also like to mention that there is no sin in using a box cake and many times they turn out just as good if not better than home mixed. Really the big taste diffrence comes in the home made frosting. Hope you all have a wonderful time at the birthday party!
you can definetly have bad baking soda/powder!!! Just go out and buy some new stuff.... It will help alot...
My mother in law had the same problem when making cookies. She went out and bought new flower, baking soda and baking powder. Yes they can all go bad.
Good Luck.
any spices or things like that as they get older lose some od their omph as it were so i would sugest replacing those types of things.
Same advice--it's the baking soda. I just read it is only good for about a year. I realized have been using mine for at least two! I just got a new box last week. No wonder my cookies were flat. :-)
Hi T.,
Yes, baking powder and baking soda can lose their effectiveness if they are old. The pan shape shouldn't matter. I would suggest getting new ingredients and make sure you don't over mix the cake batter.
Hope this helps!
J.
Hi T. -
I would definately try different baking soda & baking powder. Also, I know when I use "Pam" or similar products to grease my pans, my baked goods seem to be flatter. You may also want to try a different type of pan. Good luck!
T.
As all of the PPs said definately replace the soda and powder. Also, I read somewhere to preheat your oven to 500, then right when you put the cake/muffins/cupcakes in, lower the temp to whatever the recipe calls for. I've tried it and my muffins are always tall and with rounded tops now. (They've always been flat before) Hope this helps!
Everyone is giving great advice - but I would also be checking the temp of my oven as well. 25 degrees can make a big difference. Buy a thermometer and place it in the oven - then check the temp. Adjust as necessary. Good Luck to you!
Check the date on your baking powder. The cake won't rise if the baking powder is old.
both baking soda and baking powder have experation dates on them and they won't work if they are old. i'd throw them out and get some new stuff!!!!
When I buy I new container of a baking product I always write the date of when I should toss it on the side before I put it away. No more remembering! :) I hope your cake and party are a success!!
I had the same thing happen with a bunch of batches of cookies I made for the holidays last year. Turned out my baking soda was too old. Once I bought a new box things puffed right up. Hope that helps!
