Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi, I’ve been asked to make a record player cake for a birthday and plan to use a 30cm square cake . Struggling to find a large enough sponge recipe – although I can scale up a smaller cake recipe. What I can’t work out is how long to bake it for and the temperature . Can anyone help? Thanks!

Hi jennybaxendale

This is the recipe I use all the time http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10860/easy-vanilla-cake
Quite a few members have also used it with good results. This is not a Victoria sponge and not a madeira either, however it does contain some plain flour which makes it a nice carving cake with a good shelf life.
The same recipe and timing for 30cm round cake can be found here http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11278/simple-elegance-wedding-cake. To scale up to 12″ square you’ll find a ready reckoner and cakeometre tools here http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/how-to-work-out-what-size-cake-tin-to-use
I usually bake for 2hrs 30mins at 140c fan before checking then bake on until done. It can take longer as each oven is different so I would recommend keeping an eye ( and nose) on it. I double line the tin with lining paper approx 2″ above the rim of the tin to protect corners from burning and also use wet toweling strips wrapped in foil as home made baking strips to ensure an even bake. Secure strips with a couple of dress makers pin.
The recipe has mixed reviews, the positives far out weighing the negatives. Hope this helps.

Thanks very much! I was hoping to avoid a madeira as it’s not my favourite so I will try this recipe. Thanks so much for your tips.

Hi madeitwithlove,
Just wanted to update you – we made a small 15cm taster of this cake first to try it and thought it was really tasty. Have just made our huge 12 inch cake using the same recipe (scaled up to the 30cm qtys and then multiplied that by 1.3 for a square cake ) and followed all your tips and it turned out brilliantly. Cooked in 2 hrs 30 mins, no burnt bits, not dry. Really pleased with it. Thanks so much for your help!

Hi Jenny

Thank you for this lovely update. I’m so pleased you liked the cake and that it turned out well for you. I use a lot of Jane Hornby’s recipes, haven’t had a single one fail on me yet. x

As well as using towelling strips for large cakes, I also use heating rods. These are like giant drawing pins and a few pushed through the cake tin liner before pouring the batter in (they get baked sticking up into the cake) help to distribute the heat evenly. They’re easy to remove after baking and really help to get an even bake in a large cake.