A present for Freke!!

[Gailey]

If you bake me a cake Freke, I''ll tell you who makes them and where you can get them!!

Enjoy

Gailey

 

[FrekeChild]

Oh my! You do have my number don''t you?!

Where did you find them?!

 

[Gailey]

OK now a trade is a trade right!

http://www.net-a-porter.com/

The boots are by Roberto Cavalli

Now please help me! I''m English and I love Victoria Sandwich: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1997/classic-victoria-sandwich

I''ve been trying to bake one in Canada for the last 11 years and I''ve tried every possible combination I can think of and my sponges constantly sink in the middle. People mutter "Ah, that will be altitude baking", but no-one has ever really explained it to me.

My Yorkshire Pudding also fails to rise.

My husband is about fit to kill me as I convinced him if I got a Gaggeneau double oven it would solve all my baking problems. Many, many thousands of dollars later, my Yorkshires are fit for nothing but to be used as doorstops

Help!!

 

[FrekeChild]

Lol. Those are sex in a boot! Unfortunately, totally and completely out of my price range.

So what was the altitude you were making them at before and what's the altitude you're making them at now? That looks like a lovely yummy cake! I want one...

 

[Gailey]

Yeah, me too! But just like some of the beautiful jewellery and gems, I can just save the photo and take it out and look at it from time to time, maybe stroke it a little ......

Canadian altitude is 1,048 M (3,438.3 FT)
UK not much above sea level

BTW I think everyone else has gone to bed! It''s late.

 

[FrekeChild]

Lol. Including me apparently! Have you tried adding a bit of flour? About a Tablespoon or so?

Ok, let me just ask this: what have you done to the recipe to try to make it work?

 

[Gailey]

Hey Freke

I tried adding a tablespoon of flour or so when I add the beaten egg to the creamed butter/sugar mix. It stopped the mix from curdling, but didn''t make any difference to the cake sinking.

In the UK, I always used McDougalls self raising flour in a basic 4oz butter (or margerine), 4 oz sugar, 4 oz flour & 2 egg mix.

Here I have tried using a couple of different brands of flour, both self raising and just regular cake and pastry flour. I''ve tried not using any additional baking powder, I''ve tried adding baking powder. All permutations are the same. Cake sinks in the middle. Can''t get Yorkshire pudding to rise either.

I''ve all but given up - you''re my last hope!!

Thanks for your advice.

 

[FrekeChild]

Does it sink during baking or after it comes out of the oven? And how long have you been baking it for?

I''m tempted to make it myself and see what happens. We''re at around 5,300 feet, so I''m guessing if it''s an altitude thing, it''ll do the same thing here. My only issue is the self rising flour. If I''m honest, I''ve never even used it before, so that could be interesting.

 

[Gailey]

Evening Freke

The sponge sinks while it is still in the oven.

That would be awesome if you tried it. But I warn you, you''ll be hooked!

 

[~*Alexis*~]

Try using a light whipping cream, by the refridgerated stuff and whisk it then add it to your mix. Sometimes they will keep it from falling....

 

[FrekeChild]

Hmmm...sounds like it''s an altitude thing. Have you changed how you mix it at all? And are you using cake flour exclusively? What kind of flour is the self-raising stuff?

I''m wondering if the protein content is different. And what is the weather difference between the two areas?

 

[FrekeChild]

Bumpity bump bump!