Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi, I’m new on here. I just wondered if anyone knows why, sometimes – but not every time – I end up with a pool of melted butter in the bottom of my oven when I bake a basic sponge cake ? This has just happened today, baking four 8″ cakes in one large oven. I think, though I can’t swear to it, that this only happens when I bake in this oven, the other one doesn’t seem to do it. Any thoughts, and better still solutions!, gratefully received. Thank you.

This might be due to under creaming the butter and sugar or if the ingredients are not all the same temperature. If the larger oven bakes hotter it is possible the butter, if under creamed is separating from the batter. Next time you bake in the offending oven try turning the temperature down slightly and see whether that makes a difference.

Thanks for that. I think temperature definitely played a part though as my kitchen was incredibly hot – I am in South WEst France and it was 34 outside today and about 31 in the kitchen, so the butter was very very soft, becoming even softer – almost sloppy – when I creamed it. I cooled the butter down for the next cakes and didn’t have the problem, even in that same oven. Could the butter have been over soft?

Oh definitely this will happen if the butter was over soft to begin with. Creaming will have rendered it into an oil since the beating of the paddle causes friction and warms it up even more. I would be surprised if the cake rose to it’s full height ?? I hadn’t realised from your initial post that you were suffering challenging atmospherics. Thankfully, it appears that you’ve managed to resolve the problem.

When I make a gluten free Christmas cake the butter always seeps out when it’s baking. I use an 8 inch loose bottomed tin and always follow the instructions. It never happens when making the same recipe using flour with gluten! Please help. Thanks

Hi chrisandmarywestwood

I don’t really know enough about gluten free baking to say why this has been happening to your gluten free Christmas cake.

In normal circumstances, it may be due to ingredients being different temperatures or as a result of under creaming butter and sugar if that method is used.

I think I may be tempted not to use a loose bottom tin and reduce the temperature slightly and bake longer.

As you haven’t mentioned which recipe has been used, perhaps try a recipe specifically formulated for gluten free Christmas cake. Dove gluten free flour has some really good recipes on it’s website.

I hope other voices will chime in with their experience and opinions. 🙂

Edit:

Just had another thought that it may be to do with absorption. Gluten free flour does not absorb liquids in the same way as non gluten flour so you may need to change your flour mix.