Problems with rising sponge in larger tin
For years I've made classic 6/6/6 and 8/8/8 Victoria sponges (and many variants) in two 7inch tins, with good results.
Now I've tried to bake the same recipe in one 8 inch spring form tin, and had to almost double the cooking time as the centre remained uncooked. Eventually the middle was still moist, while the edges were almost brownie-like in texture, and the cake hadn't risen much at all.
The same result occurred with damp towel around the tin edges, to even cooking pacing, and extra baking powder, so I'm concluding that somehow either something is fundamentally wrong with my approach, or the tin is cursed. Any insight would be much appreciated.
Best Answer
I see nothing wrong here. The two 7 inch tins have a total area of almost 310 square inches, while one 8 inch tin has a total area of 200 square inches. So your batter is 1.5 times thicker in the one tin.
Baking time does not increase linearly with thickness, so a doubled time is not out of the ordinary. Time is not a prescription in baking anyway, you have to bake it until done and not until the timer goes off.
The "hard on the edges, gooey in the middle" is a classic sign of too high oven temperature. Reduce the temperature to bake the thick cake.
Alternatively, make only 2/3 of the batter, or find a 10 inch tin (314 square inches area).
Pictures about "Problems with rising sponge in larger tin"
What happens if you use a bigger cake tin?
"If the pan is too big, the sides shield the batter and slow down the baking," says Levy Beranbaum, explaining that the resulting cake will be drier and paler than intended. "If the pan is too small, the batter will run over the sides and the cake will collapse from inadequate support."Why does my sponge cake not rise properly?
Too flat/didn't rise If your cake failed to rise, check you put the raising agents in it. Also, check your raising agents are in date as out-of-date ones won't have the same oomph. It could also be a symptom of it not being cooked enough, in which case, pop it back in the oven for a few more minutes.Why is my sponge cake not light and fluffy?
Room Temperature Butter / Don't Over-Cream Most cakes begin with creaming butter and sugar together. Butter is capable of holding air and the creaming process is when butter traps that air. While baking, that trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake. No properly creamed butter = no air = no fluffiness.Why did my sponge not rise in the middle?
Oven Temperature Using proper oven temperature is important to allow the cake to rise before the structure sets. If the oven is too hot, the cake will set too fast before the air bubbles have formed. If the oven is not hot enough, the cake will rise too much, then fall in the center before it is set.Converting your cake recipes for any size cake tin or cake pan
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