Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi looking for cooking times on a square 12x 12cake tin, vanilla sponge it seems to take me an age! Gas mark 4 takes around 1 hour 20 mins! Does this seem right. If I turn it up it tends to crips around the end, any help would be fab

Hi denice

There’s a lot of batter in a 12 x 12 cake. The centre will take time to get warm and start to cook, so your time is about right. I bake mine for 1hr 45min very slowly on 140c fan assisted oven. Might be worth baking in two halves rather than one big cake which would take about 45 minutes.

Thanks made with love, sometimes you doubt yourself don’t you! Cheers

Don’t doubt, just bake!! You know you’re good xx

Aw thanks I sometimes think I have the wrong recipe. If you could help this would be great I use 800 g or sugar flour and butter and around about 10 eggs more or less if needed. Always taste ok but not sure If I use too much ingredients or not enough . 🙂

Hi Denice

I usually weigh my eggs and use the same weight in flour, sugar and butter. I do the creaming method rather than the all in. It’s a big mix and takes ages to get all the eggs in without too much curdling. Just lately I’ve been using Mrs Jones’ vanilla cake recipe from the tutorial. I’ve only done the same size as her’s and don’t know how a 12″ square would be with the corn flour which makes the cake lighter. If your cake tastes ok you must be doing something right! If it aint broke, don’t mend it, would be my philosophy. Weigh your eggs and see what they come to, I use large. I think your ingredients are ok, some Victoria sponge recipes 12″ and over ask for additional flour above the weight of the eggs. I have that information in one of my books, but can’t find it, which is a pain! It would have been a fuller answer to your question, sorreee x