To get nice high-sided cakes (you need 3 inches for carving Lindy’s wonky cakes) try wrapping the outside of the cake tin with newspaper (just like you would for a fruit cake). This slows down the cooking of the outside of the cake allowing time for the sides to reach the right height. You may find that this increases the total cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes but just keep checking the cake near the end of the cooking time to see when it’s done. Don’t forget you can cover the top with a loose bit of foil if the top of the cake starts browning too much
A tip for baking deep Madiera cakes
Another tip with Madeira cakes is to create a hollow in the middle of the mixture before baking. You can literally leave virtually nothing in the middle of the tin, pushing it all out to the sides. This will give you a lovely flat cake rather than domed. Unfortunately, you can’t really do it with the chocolate cake mix as it’s slightly runnier and doesn’t stay where you put it!
Hope these tips help
Happy Baking
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Jacqui says
A friend has asked me to make her a wonky cake for 200 people for her 40th birthday. I have made a much smaller wonky cake which turned out great – I followed the steps from Lindy’s Cakes to inspire. My problem is the measurement guide in the book only goes up to a 10 inch cake and I am going to have to quite a lot bigger, also should a wonky cake not go beyond three tiers – I dont I have seen anything larger. I am really looking forward to making this cake for her – would you have any advice for me. Many thanks
Lindy Smith says
I have made a few 4 tier wonky cakes over the years, this is one example:
4 tiers are perfectly possible to create, my only problem is lifting them once stacked, especially if one tier is fruit cake! Regards the chart in my Cakes to Inspire and desire book this is just a general guide, so if you look in detail you will be able to see the general trends e.g. the larger the cake the lower the lowest point becomes. Look at each column and see what is happening – you will then be able to work out the slight adjustments that you will need to make.
I do hope that helps – don’t forget you always have a cutting cake option!
Good Luck
Lindy
Andrew says
Hi Lindy,
I am an avid fan of your books and love the cupcakes you have made to complement the wedding cakes. My only question is that I have a chocolate cake recipe that I use for the cupcakes, some of them turn out great but others crack at the edge near the case and pull away – can you please advise what I could do so they all turn out uniformed ? or what I doing wrong.
Many thanks, Andrew
Lindy Smith says
Hi Andrew
When baking cupcakes you actually need a softer batter than you would for a standard cake, so try adding a little milk or another liquid that you use in your recipe to soften it. You’ll have to experiment a little with the quanity of liquid needed, good luck.
Lindy
Maura says
Hi Lindy,
My chocolate cakes are very dry when baked, I was wondering what I was doing wrong. Any tips I would greatly appreciate.
Thanks, Maura
Lindy Smith says
Hi Maura
There are many chocolate cake recipes so its very difficult to give you specific advise as there are so many variables. I suggest however that you try out a number of different recipes to see which ones work the best for you. Many people really like the chocolate cake recipe that I use in my books, which should turn out both moist and dense, but I guess its not for everyone. Tip: Whatever the recipe you choose, use good quality chocolate – one with a high cocoa content – you’ll really notice a difference to the flavour of the finished cake.
Hope this helps & have fun experimenting
Lindy
Andrew Smith says
Hi Lindy,
Thank you for your tip above to add more liquid to avoid the cupcake cracking, I have tried this out and it has worked a treat. I have one more question regarding the cupcakes, I sometimes find that the cupcakes rise nicely and when they are ready and i take them out of the oven they sink in the middle and when cut open the mixture looks as if it has not risen…is the oven too hot ? I sometimes even put in two trays at a time – could this be a problem also ?
Many thanks
Andrew
Lindy Smith says
Hi Andrew
Cakes usually sink when the cake batter is not completely cooked, everyones ovens are different so you need to find the optimum baking time for your cupcakes.
However other things can be the problem, here are a few:
Over beating the batter and incorporating too much air – the air can then cause a collapse
Temperature of the oven is too high causing the cake to rise too rapidly
Opening the door to check on the cakes before the batter is set can cause the cake to sink, as can closing the oven door too sharply in the early stages of baking
Placing the baked cakes to cool in a drafty place
Poor recipe, baking is a chemical reaction so the proportions have to be correct
But generally most cakes sink because the outer edges were fully cooked but the centre was not
Hope you find this helpful
Lindy
lena says
Hi Lindy I am making a three tier wedding cake in a couple of weeks the top tire is marbled plain and chocolate, the middle one is chocolate which I am using your recipe and the third is going to be madiera but I can only find a recipe for a 10 inch square cake and I am need a recipe for a 12 inch square, I hope you can help it will be much appriciated.
many thanks lena.
Lindy Smith says
Hi Lena
The recipe for a 12in square madiera is in my “Cakes to Inspire and Desire” Book. You obviously have one of my books so can I suggest that take the recipe for my 8in round/7in square (6 egg) madiera and times it by 3 – this way you will have the correct volume of cake mixture. For future information, adapting a recipe charts are published in both my “Cakes to Inspire and Desire” and “Celebrate with a cake” books.
mandi says
Hi Lindi just recently I have been making 10 and 12 inch square Madeira cakes and often when I cut them open they do not seem completely cooked inside the midlle looks damp I’ve tried leaving them in longer and this just seems to make the outside more dark and crispy please help what am I doing wrong p.s. this dosent seem to happen on smaller cakes.
Lindy Smith says
Hi Mandi
When baking large madeiras, you need to protect the sides of the cake whilst it is baking to prevent crusting. I do this in the same way as I would a fruit cake – I fold up newspaper and wrap it around the outside of the tin, securing in place with tape or string. You can buy strips that do the same job but they are quite expensive, so a bit of an investment. Another method that some people use is to use a heating core in the centre of large cakes – I’ve not tried this myself but it may be another option for you.
Hope this helps
Lindy
Christine Pitt says
Hi Lindy,
I’m in Australia and would like to use your Madeira cake recipe but I’m not sure about the difference in egg sizes. What weight are the large eggs from your Madeira recipe in the UK?
Here they are around 52g – Large and 60g – Extra large and 68g – Jumbo. Could you advise on the best weight to use please.
Also i need to make it an 8 inch sq so would a 8 egg recipe be too much ( i see you use it for a 9 inch sq tin) or would it be better to convert to a 7 egg recipe?
Thanks Christine
Lindy Smith says
Hi Christine
As you may realise I’m also in Australia at the moment – I’ll take a look at your egg sizes in the next day or so and let you know what I think. In the meantime is there anyone in the UK that can weigh a large UK egg for Christine please?
Regards which recipe, I’d advise going for the 8 egg recipe – if the cake rises too much you can always cut the top off!
Lindy
Cat says
Hi – I have made the madeira recipe in a 6″ ball tin today for the first time. When I folded the flour in the batter was very thick and claggy (a bit like porridge) though the lumps weren’t flour or anything. I cooked it anyway as I was afraid of over mixing it and knocking the air out. The resulting cake seems ok I think though very solid and the crust on the top isn’t firm it is hard. The bit underneath seems OK but I am scared it will be heavy and dry once I slice it. Have I made a total disaster or is this what it is supposed to be like?
erica says
Hi Lindy,
I have been asked to do a 2 tier wonky cake, but am concerned that it won’t work. Have you made any 2 tier wonky cakes? i’m just worried it wont look intentional and will look like its wonky by mistake. Would you angle the cakes so the top of the top tier is flat? Or should i just talk them into another dummy tier???
Love your work by the way, its very inspiring.
Many thanks,
Erica
Lindy Smith says
Hi Erica
As it happens I’ve just spent today teaching a wonky cake class and they were all 2 tier! I will be putting photos of this class on this blog shortly but in the mean time why not take a look at my blog posts for previous classes:
May 2009 wonky Class
April 2009 wonky class
Click on each class title for the link
Regards the top, either way works
Good luck and enjoy
Lindy
sue says
Hi I have just been browsing the problems and read the bit from a lady whos madiera cake went mouldy the day after it was cut, what would be the correct way to wrap it up after it has been iced and then cut.
cheers sue
Lindy Smith says
Hi Sue
Once a cake is cut it is no longer being protected or preserved by the sugar in the icing, so I would remove any decorations from the cake that are to be kept eg sugar models and then wrap the cake or sections of the cake in greaseproof paper and or foil (don’t put fruit cake in foil) then place it in an airtight container or pop it into a freezer if the cake has not already been frozen.
Hope this answers your question
Lindy
Debbie Oliver says
thanks for the tips lindy, i’ll wrap the cake tin in some newspaper while in the oven, you are a diamond thanks very much xxxxx
Lindy's Cake Team says
Hi Cat
Sorry that you are worried about your Madeira cake mix.
The resulting cake mix is very thick so that is normal. However, you should not have lumps in it. I sift all the flour first into a separate bowl and then when I have to add it to the cake mix, I do so in small bits, sifting for a second time as I go. That should result in a smooth but thick mixture.
As for cooking time, you should watch the cakes carefully and test towards the end with a skewer. When it comes out clean, the cake is cooked
Hope that this helps
Kind regards
Andy
Helen says
HI Lindy,
I have just started baking & decorating cakes as a hobby, & have found your website fantastic.
I have been trying to a make deep square carrot cake, I’m using a 20cm square tin. The first time I used a recipie recomended for the tin size. It came out ok, but once I cut the top off to make the cake flat I was left with quite a shallow cake. The second time I decided to increase the ingredients .Almost the same thing happened, the cake coming out slightly deeper. Thus creating quite alot of waste. Is there anything I can do to stop the cake rising so much in the middle?
I hope you can help.
Thanks in advance.
Helen.
Lindy Smith says
Hi helen
If your cake is doming then I suggest you try wrapping the sides of your tin as suggested above, this will slow the baking time of the sides allowing the mixture to rise up the sides of the tin. Another idea is to simply turn your cake over so it is upside down and fill any gap at the base with a little icing as you would when icing a fruit cake.
Hope ths helps
Lindy
sue says
Hi Lindy if you freeze a Madiera cake does it last 2wks from being thawed? or has it a reduced life after thawing
cheers Sue
Lindy's Cakes Team says
Hi Sue
Using a previously frozen Madeira cake does shorten the life. We would suggest assuming a shelf life of 10 days rather than 14 days.
Hope that this helps
Andy
Angela says
Hi Lindy & team
Firstly I’d like to say that this blog is fantastic, I’m so glad I’ve found it, very interesting tips and ideas, and brilliant to get feedback from the master herself!
Something I read recently in a patisserie book (I’m in the very early stages of training to be a patisserie chef … so haven’t tried it out yet), is that by creating some steam in your oven will assist with the cake not overcooking/browning/caramelising/hardening on the outside before it is properly cooked in the middle, which can lead to the volcano effect with the top cracking and the insides spilling out. Do you know if this works? The general science around it sounds like it should so might give it a try!
Thanks
Angela
Lindy Smith says
Hi Angela
Yes it does work, for large cakes I often put a dish of water on the bottom of my oven whilst the cake itself is baking. Why don’t you give it a try.
Lindy
Lesa says
Hi Lindy,
I have recently been making my own madeira cake as opposed to using madeira cake mix, which I always used until recently. I am having a nightmare the recipe I use which is out of one of my cake books doesn’t ever seem to come out right. It is dry and seems to overcook on the outside. Have you got a godd recipe that I could use and any tips on the best way to bake it so it is not dry and does not overcook on the outside
Thanks Lesa
Glynis says
Hi Lindy,
Unfortunately I don’t have a ball cake tin but I do have 0.5 Litre, 1 Litre and 2 Litre pyrex bowls. Could you possibly tell me what size madeira cake mix (how many eggs) I could use in these bowls to make ball cakes please. Thanks for your help this blog is brilliant!
Kindest regards
Glynis
Lindy Smith says
Hi Glynis
The best way to see how much mixture you will need in a oven proof bowl or irregular shaped tin is to fill the bowl or tin with water and then tip it into a tin, say an 8in tin and compare the volume. You will then be able to see how many times you will need to multiply or divide an 8in cake recipe.
Best of luck
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Hi Lesa
There is a madeira cake recipe in all but my cookie book, so I suggest you buy or borrow a copy of one of these – I’m afraid the recipe is not on my blog yet.
Remember to follow the directions carefully, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, use all ingredients at room temperature, wrap the tin to protect the sides of the cake and may be add a bowl of water in to the base of your oven to add steam whilst the cake is baking. For more tips and comments from others see our post on why I use madeira cakeandwhy do cakes sink in the middle
Good luck
Lindy
Cat says
Hello – am doing the cake on the cover of the “Celebrate with a cake” book next week as a birthday cake for a friend’s dad, only she wants it to be a chocolate cake and I am going to cover it in the Renshaws belgian chocolate sugar paste and decorate it with stars (very exciting but very nerve-wracking too!!). I have a couple of questions though please – as I need two 6″ square cakes for this “project” and only have 1 tin, please can you advise on how long I have from baking the first cake to finishing the whole thing. Is it the same as for the madeira? Also, does the chocolate cake freeze well if I made it a bit in advance? Don’t want the first cake to seem not so fresh you see. Also, have you used the chocolate paste and if so any tips? I have heard that it can get a bit stickier than regular sugar paste. Thanks as always for your help – very much looking forward to the course on Dec 1st!!
Jane Dolder says
Hello Catherine,
If you are using Lindy’s chocolate cake recipe, the cakes will keep for 2 weeks, or you could freeze them. When rolling the chocolate paste you will need to use a lot of icing sugar as it can get a little sticky. We haven’t used the Renshaw chocolate sugarpaste so can’t comment on that one, but Lindy has used Tracey Mann’s chocolate paste which is really delicious. Her website is http://www.traceyscakes.co.uk.
Good Luck
Jane
Cat says
Thanks Jane, that’s great – takes the pressure off a bit!! Also, just out of interest, I noticed someone on one of the other blogs talked about using a syrup on madeira cake to help make it more moist and Lindy agreed she sometimes did the same. How do you make and use a syrup? I quite fancy giving that a go.
Tracy Piper says
Hi
My madeira cakes seem under cooked in the middle. When I’ve tested to see whether its done my skewer comes out clean, yet when I cut into the cake it looks very moist. I’ve been using the newspaper method around the outside of the tin to help to sides rise and stop it drying out around the edge. Do I just need to increase the baking time?
Lindy Smith says
Hi Tracy
A madeira cake should be moist but not solid!! Try baking for a little longer next time and see if this improves the texture. Jane, my workshop co-ordinator, is going to write a post about her madeira cake experiences shortly so keep watching the blog.
Hope I’ve been a little help!
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Sugar syrup – 1 part water to 1 part sugar – In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
Jackie says
Hi Lindy
I have just made my first ever xmas cake and sent into my partners place of works so collegues could try it and give me feed back.I was more than happy with the comments that I got as they were all good.I did get a couple of people say that the cake was slightly dry but I have put that down to not feeding the cake with brandy of the weeks.One comment that I also got was that it wasnt rich enough ???? and that cherries would make it richer.I s this right ? and what does make a cake richer ? I personally found the cake yummy and maybe a tadge dry. Can you please help
Lindy Smith says
Hi Jackie
Well done for making your first ever Christmas cake, I don’t think you were using my fruit cake recipe as this contains cherries, so I can’t comment on the recipe itself. Regards richness, I think what is being refered to here is maturity – traditionally fruit cakes are left for at least 3 months to mature, this also helps with the carving as well. Regards Brandy, the best time to add this is actually when the cake is still warm rather than feed it for weeks!
Hope this helps
Lindy
Jackie says
Thankyou for the help and quick reply,I am using your recipe and it does have cherries in it I think I must have chopped them a little to fine haha.How much brandy can you add to the cake while it is warm ? what other reason could the cake be a little dry ? personal taste I didnt think it wasIt was a 10″ square
claire_g says
Hi
I froze my first madeira cake to make the “flower power elephant” from your Party Animals book. The cake looked fantastic – but when we cut it, was incredibly dry. I froze the cake the day I baked it for 24 hours – then it was covered and eaten within 2 days. Any advice?
I have used your madeira cake recipies many times and had lovely cakes with no problems being dry – is it freezing that causes this?
Claire
Lindy Smith says
Hi Claire
Freezing a cake usually add moisture as does keeping it, I think a madeira cake is actually at its peek after about a week. However if you are usually sucessful with my recipe I think you need to try and identify what you did differently this time….Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Jane, my workshop co-ordinator, is going to write a post about her madeira experiences next week so look out for that as it may give you a few tips.
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Hi Jackie
I tend to just pour the brandy directly out of the bottle, so I’m afraid I’ve never measured how much! The reason I pour the brandy whilst the cake is warm is that the cake will absorb much more than when it is cold. However don’t over do it, otherwise your cake will become like a sponge and the brandy will seep out of the bottom once covered! To keep cakes moist, I always place a bowl of water in the bottom of my oven, wrap newspaper around the sides of the cake and place a baking sheet on a shelf above the cake to protect its top.
Lindy
Jackie says
Hi
Can you tell me where I can get or how I make SILVER colured sugarpaste
Thanks
Lindy Smith says
Hi Jackie
If I want to create silver on a cake, I colour the icing a light grey and then use metallic edible silver lustre dust to cover the paste. There are a few ways of adding the dust, you can simply mix it with water and paint over the icing or you can rub or paint white vegetable fat over the icing and dust the dust on with a soft brush – think blusher brush and you’ll be on the right track!
Yvonne says
Hi I am reading your helps hints and tips for the first time and finding them all very interesting and helpful.
I have a question about chocolate cake for weddings, I made one just a few weeks ago for a friend but I found that I had to make two as they had sunk incredibly in the middle, I did double line the tin and cover outside with brown paper but they still sunk, I was using a 12″ invicta round tin, can you maybe give me some tips on using these tins especially the square ones as my cakes always seem wrong in those.
many thanks
Yvonne
farzana says
dearest lindy,
iam one of yr die hard fans of yr cakes and techniques…i can never find a perfect chocolate cake recipe..i have tried yr madeira cake receipe turn out brilliant u r a legend. wht my question is can i put cocoa powder in madeira recipe to make it a chocolate cake? please advice me.
many thanks
Farzana
Lindy Smith says
Hi Farzana
You can certainly add cocoa powder, just replace a little of the flour, however for a really chocolately recipe I suggest you have a go at the chocolate recipe that’s in many of my books. If you don’t have one then another option is to try the chocolate mud cake recipe or Kiwi’s quick chocolate cake here on this blog.
Happy Baking
Catherine says
Hello all – just wanted to ask another question about the madeira. Don’t know if you remember me but I am the one with the aga saga when it comes to cracking the madeira! My results are definitely getting better – I now wrap the tins in a double layer of damp newspaper, put a container of water next to the tin to create steam and use the cold shelf to control the temperature. However, when I came to the mini christmas cake course Lindy also mentionned substituting a bit of flour for ground almonds as this can make for a more moist cake. Please can you advise on quantities and do I replace the plain or the SR flour? Also, does this affect how long the cake lasts etc and can the cake still be used to stack the same as the regular madeiras? Many thanks (again!!), Cat
Jane Dolder says
Hello Cat,
For a 6 egg cake you would need to substitute 3tbsp of ground almonds for 3tbsp of plain flour. Lindy also likes to add 1tsp of almond extract to give it extra flavour. This should not affect the length of time you can keep the cake and will be OK to stack.
Jane
Tina says
Hi Lindy
I’m about to make a wedding cake for my sister-in-law. It’s for 180 people – please can you advise how many tiers and what size each tier should be. Also, each tier will be different, one fruit, one madeira and one chocolate (all your recipes)- would you cover the madeira and chocolate cakes with marzipan before icing, and if so what would you use for someone with a nut allergy? Sorry, one more question, not sure yet if each tier will sit directly on top of each other or be separated by columns – if it’s with columns do you recommend I assemble all 3 tiers and then transport to the venue, or assemble it at the venue?
Thanks very much!
Tina
Jane Dolder says
Hello Tina,
Lindy’s books have all the cakes sizes/approximate portions in them (try “Cakes to Inspire and Desire” or “Celebrate with a Cake”). To save you making three large cakes, why not have an extra “cutting” cake for the caterers to have behind the scenes.
If you have people with nut allergies you can cover the fruit cake in two layers of sugarpaste instead. I wouldn’t cover the sponge cakes in marzipan – one layer of sugarpaste is enough, and assemble the cakes at the venue.
Hope this helps.
Jane
Sophie E says
hi lindy, absolutely love your books – they have become my bible over the past few months! I have been getting on very well with your madeira recipe but find I have to cut the cakes down quite a bit in order to get rid of the thick crust. This quite often leaves me struggling to produce a symmetrical cake! Do the crusts have to be removed from the sides and base of the cake (levelling them is not a problem)? I have a fan oven, and I don’t wrap the tin in newspaper. Would the newspaper produce a thinner crust that won’t need to be taken off? I have four big projects coming up over the next month or so and this is my only concern. Many thanks and keep up the good work! xxx
Emma Smith says
I made a 12 egg madeira from Lindy’s book last week but there was too much mixture to fit in my kenwood chef so I ended up having to split the creamed butter and sugar and make two lots of 6 egg mixture and pour them both into my 10″ square tin. How do other people mix the ingredients for the bigger cakes? I was considering buying a new washing up bowl/bucket and using my hand mixer in that!
melie says
Hi Lindy,
invested in 4 of your books and looking forward to receiving for new ideas, a wholey inspiring lady…
how long would you bake wedding cakes (sponge) before the day?
ive never frozen my cakes before, and i know your wonky cake requires it, but when i make a wedding cake for say a friday i would start it on the wednesday, as not sure how long the cake would last once iced….. i dont use cake mix, its all fresh ingredients
kind regards mel
Jane Dolder says
Hi Sophie,
Try our blog post. It’s got all the tips you need. Give it a try!
Jane
Jane Dolder says
Hello Emma,
You can split the mixture or use a large bowl, Lindy used to use a jam preserving pan. I wouldn’t use a hand mixer. The mixture is to thick – I broke mine doing this!
Jane
Jane Dolder says
Hello Melie,
We use a Madeira recipe not a sponge as the Madeira is dense enough to hold up the sugarpaste. We say one week to decorate, one week to eat. Also it is not essential to freeze the Wonky before carving.
Jane
Farhana K says
Hi Lindy,
I have just found your website and can honestly say that the hints & tips you share are absolutely helpful. I am a keen baker and love making cakes but havent found a good medeira cake receipe as yet so really looking forward to trying your one. I have a son who will be turning 1 this Sept and I am hoping to make his birthday cake. I am thinking of making a jungle themed cake. A 10″ square cake with an 8″ hexagonal cake on top – topped with fondant and jungle animals. Do you think i would need dowels to hold the cakes together? Would this cake feed around 150 people? I just bought a 10″ cake dummy to practice the fondant laying – was that a good idea? How long can you keep a fondant iced cake for and would the animals or icing dry out?
Sorry for too many questions and i hope you can answer all of them if poss. Thanking you so much in advance.
Kelly Stilwell says
Hi Lindy
Ive been asked to make a 3 tier wonky wedding cake for a wedding in June. The bride wants it to feed 120-130 people. Can you recommend what size tiers to use for these servings?
Dawn says
Hi Lindy
I’m making the musical cake for my brothers wedding. I’m finding that the crust on the Madeira cake is too thick. I’m losing a lot of cake on calving and the cake is actually falling apart rather than holding. Please help.
Thanks
Lindys Team says
We recommend a 3 inch differential between the tiers on a wonky cake.
The number of portions produced by the cake will vary depending on whether you are making a sponge or a fruit cake.
If you made a 7 , 10 and 13 inch cake in sponge – this would produce 120 portions pre-carving.
You can lose between 20% and 30% of cake in the carving process depending on how you carve the cake.
I would recommend making the cake as sized above and having some spare cutting cakes out back – this also makes the job of cutting cake portions on the day easier!
For a fruit cake of similar size, you would end up with 241 portions pre-carving so as you can see the type of cake you are baking is key to your calculations.
I hope this helps.
Lindys Team says
Hello Farhana,
Glad you like the website. We would recommend using dowels to secure your hexagonal cake to your square cake.
A 10″ and 8″ cake would provide 75 wedding cake portions (small slices of 2″ by 1″).
Have you thought of baking some extra cutting cakes to make sure you have enough cake to serve everyone on the day?
Even sizing up to an 11″ and 13″ cake would still only provide you with about 130 portions. Going any larger becomes very cumbersome!
A fondant iced cake can keep for up to 2 weeks – Lindy usually recommend one week to decorate and one week to eat. The animals will be fine for up to 2 weeks as long as they are stored in a cardboard box out of direct sunlight so the colours do not fade – in an airtight box they may go soggy.
Good luck!
Farhana K says
Thanks Lindy team for answering my questions.
Nicola Richardson says
Hi, I’m very new to baking, it’s my sons 3rd birthday on Sunday and I’ve decided to try and and make my first birthday cake (I usally make cupcakes) I’ve been and brought an 8 inch round 3in deep cake tin… my question is how much cake mixture will i need to fill the tin and can you suggest a recipe
thank you
nicola
Lindy Smith says
Hi Nicola
How about a maderia cake here’s the recipe and how to bake it also my books contain a very good chocolate cake and we have mud cake and carrot cake recipes also here on our blog
Happy baking
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Hi Dawn
Try reading our post on baking the perfect madeira tips in this post should slove your problems
Lindy
Jaysune says
Hi Lindy,
I bought a copy of your very helpful wonky cakes DVD and was able to make a 3-tier wonky cake in June! I have now however been asked to make another 3-tier cake, but this time with double depth tiers!!! (At least 5 inches high)
There are no instructions for how to deal with this in the DVD – the dowelling / stacking. Can you help please.
Thank you very much
Jane says
Hello Jaysune,
We have never attempted a 5″ high Wonky cake. It changes all the dimensions for carving the cake into the “wonky” shape. You may find some information on the web. Try looking at sites in the US – whimsical cakes. Their dimensions are different and you may find a 5″ version.
Good Luck
Jane
Sam Thomson says
Hi
Great blog, lots of very very useful tips!
I am making a 4 tier wedding cake and the 2nd tier is going to be a 10 inch chocolate cake. I have a couple of your books and wondered if the chocolate cake recipe would be dense enough to support a 8 inch fruit cake and a 6 inch madera cake? I will have the cake on a thin cake board and will be using dowels
Thanks
Sam
jo says
HI Lindy
just want to echo everyone else. Fantastic site. I have been making madeira cakes for a while now but have decided to follow some of your tips. Just about to take an 8″ square cake from the oven and it looks perfect! NO dome in the middle at all! Cant wait to cut into it to see if its nice and moist (have added glycerine and put bowl of water in the oven, paper around tin).
I shall be on this site more often now.
thanks again
JO
Lindys Team says
Hello Sam,
This should work provided you use a 3mm cake board – a flimsy cake card will bend.
Sam Thomson says
Thanks :o)
Belinda Abreu says
Hi Lindy, I have a 50th Birthday cake to make for my sister’s birthday surprise party on 13th Nov 2010.
Her daughter’s have picked a wonky cake – I am worried on how to place the wooden stick dowels and stop the cake from sliding off. Am willing to pay for your advise.
Plus your cakes are fantastic and love the colouring, patterns.
As I am in Western Australia – I would love to order your books but scared of giving my card No over the internet.
If there another way of ordering from you>
Most of all love to know how to place the wooden dowelling into the birthday cake for a 2-3 tier cake. Thanks Belinda From aussie land. 26/10/2010
Lindys Team says
Hello Belinda,
Many people find it hard to believe that the wonky cakes can be stable.
Believe us the stacking of the cake does work.
Full details of how to stack wonky cakes is detailed in Lindys book Cakes to inspire and Desire.
Or if you want step by step visible instructions, then Lindy’s DVDis the ideal way to see Lindy at work stacking a cake before your eyes.
Follow Lindys instructions and you will end up with a truly special cake.
taslim says
fantastic blog could you give me recipe for 12″ and 14″ maderia cake please i think this blog has answered 99% of my questions thankyou
Lindys Team says
Hi Taslim,
This blog will help you make a 12″ and 14″ Madeira cake: http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/Blog/2009/07/27/how-to-i-change-a-cake-recipe-quanities/
Glad to hear that the blog is helping you and others.
Marina
carm says
I am making a wonky cake to serve 20 – 25 what sizes would you recommend i use? i was thinking maybe just a two tier but i could do three.
Also someone mentioned earlier in this post about syrup to keep the maderia cake moist, is this added once the cake has cooled slightly by poking holes in it and drizzling onto the cake?
Thanks
Lindys Team says
Hi Carm,
2 tiers would be enough to serve 20-25.
The madeira recipe is moist and shouldn’t need syrup added, however if you would like to do this, add it once the cake is cold by poking the holes into it and drizzling it in.
Lindy does not use syrup as she finds it very sweet.
Have fun with the cake!
Marina
carm says
would a 10 and 8inch be sufficient?
I was planning 8 and 6 but once the cake is carved it rather eats away at the servings!! thanks for your help.
also If you have an approximate serving guide for wonky cakes that would be great.
Lindys Team says
Hi Carmel,
A 10 inch round serves approx 35 and an 8 inch round serves approx 24. This is before any is carved off.
I hope this helps.
Marina
emma simpson says
Hi Lindy. Really need your advice. Making wonky wedding cake for friend and it is 4 tiers. was looking at your chart from book and noticed no 9 or 6 inch cake. The biggest tier is 11 inch what sizes would you suggest for the other 3? My other dilemma is that she wants 3 different flavours fruit, chocolate mud cake and carrot I am worried about timings. For the choc and carrot if freezing for carving once frosted do they then still keep for 2 weeks? Lastly can you freeze them with the buttercream in the middle? Sorry for all the questions. Stressing ever so slightly!!
Thank you.
davina says
Hi,a quick question. If I added blue food coloring to the maderia cake recipe would this affect the 2wk shelf life? 🙂
Lindy Smith says
I’ve never tried, but I wouldn’t of thought the colouring would affect the shelf life, anyone else experimented?
Lindys Team says
Hi Emma,
Here is the link to Lindy’s DVD page and on there is a pdf download with a chart for different sizes.
Carrot cake is at its best for the first 2-3 days! Maybe suggest to your friend having this flavour in a spare cutting cake behind the scenes, this can also reduce the size of the display cake you make.
The Chocolate Mud Cake will only keep for 2 weeks from the day it is baked, if you freeze the cake you are extending its shelf life however once it comes out of the freezer we would recommend eating it within a week.
Yes you can freeze them with buttercream in the middle.
Good luck!
Marina
Chantelle says
Hi there,
Would it please be possible to let me know what quantities to use for a 10″ round madeira recipe? I have searched the net but have not been able to find one! I have used your 8″ recipe which was fantastic and I would like to do the same with a 10″. Also, I am trying to decide on whether to cover my cake board in sugar paste first, then placing the cake on top (the madeira will be covered in butter cream first)and then covering the cake in sugar paste.Do you cover the cake in sugar paste when it is on the board or before you place it on the board? Or is it best to place the cake straight onto the cake board then cover the cake and board all in one go? Just thinking about the cake making the sugar paste on the board going tacky?? Sorry for all the questions!! Many thanks,Chantelle
Sue Mcilroy says
Hi Lindy
I’m making a Madeira wedding cake for a friend who’s wedding is 4 days after I leave for my holiday. Will it be ok to complete the cakes with sugar paste etc, freeze them and remove them from the freezer on the day I leave for someone else to transport?
Many thanks
Sue
Lindys Team says
Hi Chantelle,
Here is our blog post about changing quantities: http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/Blog/2009/07/27/how-to-i-change-a-cake-recipe-quanities/ there is a chart that will help you convert the sizes for your 10″ round Madeira.
Lindy recommends covering the board with sugarpaste, then covering the cake, and only put them together when the sugarpaste is dry.
It is also good to create a barrier between the board and cake by using a cake board or a disc of wax paper.
Take care,
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Sue,
Many thanks for your question. Unfortunately once the cake has been covered with sugar paste you are unable to freeze it !. Hope you have a great holiday.
All the best,
Sara
Michelle Read says
Hi,
This may sound like a silly question, but can you tell me if I can make a white chocolate cake, simply by substituting white chocolate for brown, using your chocolate cake recipe?
With thanks
Michelle
Lindys Team says
Hi Michelle,
We have never tried substituting white chocolate for brown in the chocolate cake recipe, so cannot advise, other than saying white chocolate is very sweet so you may need to alter the other ingredients.
Have a go and let us know!
Have fun.
Sara
Naomi Sang says
Hi Lindy and team,
I’m making a madeira cake (to lindy’s recipe) and the person I’m making it for requires a buttercream filling, however can I use a butter cream filling and still take a week to decorate it – would the butter go off?
Is there a butterless buttercream filling . . . which I guess is most likely not called butter cream 🙂
Grateful for any help
Naomi
Lindys Team says
Hi Naomi,
If you are in the UK the cake should be fine with the buttercream filling, however if you are somewhere warmer, the buttercream may go off.
Alternatively you can swap butter for white fat to make buttercream and then flavour it with vanilla.
Cake on!
Marina
Heather says
Hi Lindy,
I regularly make both your maderia and chocolate cake recipes. However, and it seems randomly, the maderia cake can be dry. I add glycerine etc as per the recipe and always do the same thing. The only thing I can think of is that maybe I overcook some of them. Could this be a factor?
Also can you give some indication oas to how many lemons to use in cakes that are larger than an eight inch cake. I assume that just multiplying the number for the eight inch recipe is wrong.
Regards
Lindys Team says
Hi Heather,
Madeira cake usually gets more moist as the days go by, however if this is not happening we would recommend lowering the temperature of the oven and trying again.
Please have a look at Lindys blog post about cake quantities for the information about the amount of ingredients you need – http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/Blog/2009/07/27/how-to-i-change-a-cake-recipe-quanities/
Hope it is a sweet success!
Marina
Amanda Eaton says
Hi Linda
I have made a Madeira cake today, and just wondered how I can stop it cracking on the top during cooking?
Thanks
Jane says
Getting the oven temperature right?!
I have a fan oven and I know you are supposed to turn the oven down 10 or 20 degs to what is suggested in a recipe. I have a new oven and I am using an oven thermometer to work out if my new oven is calibrated correctly before I start baking cakes. So, if the recipe says bake at oven temp 180 degs, I’m supposed to turn the dial on my fan oven to 160 degs. But there is something I don’t understand – should my oven thermometer register 160 degs or should it register 180 degs? I thought you had to turn the temp down with a fan oven because the fan made the oven hotter, so I was expecting when I put the oven on at 160 degs that the thermometer would read 180 degs, but it’s not, it’s reading 160 degs. Maybe I’m being thick?!
Jane says
Hi Lindy,
A continuation from my previous question about fan oven temperatures! I have just taken a rich fruit cake out of the oven – it has taken two and a half hours longer to bake than the recipe said. The recipe came from the ‘To Inspire and Desire’ book, I measured the ingredients out accurately and have followed the instructions to the ‘T’. The recipe said to put the cake in at 150 degs for 1 hour and then 120 degs for 21/4 hours. As it is a fan oven I put the cake in at 130degs for 1 hour and then at 100 degs. Not only has the cake taken absolutely ages to bake, but the height appears to be about 2 to 21/2 inches tall – I wanted the cake to be 3 inches tall to match other tiers I have to bake. Please help, I’m ready to pull my hair out!!
Kind regards
Jane
Lindys Team says
Hi Jane,
All ovens are different and the best way to get used to your new oven is to experiment.
160 degrees on a fan oven would read 160 degrees on a thermometer.
The reason we turn oven temps down on recipes that are based on non fan ovens, is because the air circulates around the cake and cooks it more thoroughly and the higher temp may lead to burning.
With regards to the fruit cake, I wonder if the measurements were wrong, as a fruit cake does not rise, and therefore should have filled the tin to 3″ before baking.
I hope you enjoy your new oven and have fun practising.
May the cake be with you!
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Amanda,
It is usual for the Madeira cake to crack on the top.
This happens every time and Lindy levels her cakes after baking with a very sharp knife.
Hope it is a sweet success.
Marina
davina says
Hi, got a question about my maderia cakes. when I make the cake and cook it for the recommended time, the skewer inserted in to the middle comes out clean which give me the indication that the cake is cooked. however, when i take the cake out of the tin and turn it up the other way (so the bottom is now the top) it looks wet in the middle and when I cut the cake the middle is very solid, albeit moist and has a completely different texture compared to the other areas of the cake i.e what was the top of the cake when it was in the tin. why does his happen? does adding
the eggs one at a time at the start make any difference? i tend to beat my eggs all at once in a separate bowl but add it a bit at a time to the cake mixture. please help. 🙂 i pre-heat my oven at the start of the cake preparation process as well. thanks
Frances says
Hi Lindy,
I have just finished making an 8″ Madeira Cake using your recipe, in fact it is baking as I write! When I put the mixture in the tin it was not as thick as I expected it to be and I was not able to make a well in the middle of the cake. I weighed all the ingredients very carefully and followed the recipe exactly, including newspaper around the tin and a bowl of water in the oven. The cake may turn out fine (I’ll let you know), but I just wondered why the cake mix was so soft.
I only found your website yesterday and this cake seems so popular I just had to try it!
Brighton Baker says
Hi Lindy
I need to make a deep carrot cake so was planning to use 2 x 8″ mixes but in 7″ tins – do you think that would work? I’m planning to wrap the tins with newspaper but I worry they won’t cook through in the middle.
Thanks
Emily
Jane says
Hello Davina,
When you are checking if the cake is cooked it is worth skewering it in a few places, hot just the middle. When you take the cake out of the oven, leave it to cool slightly before removing it from the tin. There is no need to turn it upside down – I don’t tend to do this. Not sure why the middle would be more solid than the outside. Also when you add your eggs just make sure you add some flour in at the same time to stop the mixture curdling.
If any of our other bloggers have any advice on this please let us know.
Jane
Jane says
Hello Frances,
Glad you found us – we can be very addictive!!
It may be your scales. Just make doubly sure you weighed your dry ingredients correctly. My batter is sometimes a little wet but it just tends to need a little longer in the oven and all is OK.
Hope the cake turned out well.
Jane
Nina says
Hi,
First post!! : -)I love, love, love your cakes!!!
I was wondering when you do those amazing cupcakes with the gold stencil pattern on, do you put the fondant on the cupcake first and then use the stencil or use the stencil on the fondant before applying? And if its not too much trouble could you give me a chocolate plastic recipe please. Thanks so much!
Nina x x
Rachel says
Hi Lindy
I cooked a 4 inch square test of your choc cake (Celebrate with a Cake) 2 days ago and tried it yesterday. I was very impressed with the final depth of it (also 4 inches) but was slightly disappointed that it was quite dry. Do you think it was cooked for slightly too long? (Fan 160C 1 hour – I did put a tray on the upper shelf, although the cake did in fact reach that high! Only a small oven it seems!). The other thing I was wondering was do you add glycerine to it (like the madeiras in your blogs) or perhaps a sugar syrup? We also didn’t taste it with buttercream but I still think it would have felt a bit dry even with it.
Thanks
Rachel
yasmin says
i like some advise please? a friend asked me to make her a two tier cake (anything but fruite) and she wants freash cream or buttercream as she doesn’t want icing, i want to know which cakes are best for this and they will have to go in the fridge cause its fresh cream? also, would i be able to spread the cream right onto the cake? thanks for your help
Lindys Team says
Hi Nina
Thanks for your question.
When stencilling cupcakes, stencil the fondant first and then cut out and apply to the cakes.
Unfortunately we do not have a chocolate plastic recipe. Could anyone else suggest a good recipe for Nina?
Good luck with the cupcakes.
Zoe
Lindys Team says
Dearm Yasmin
I would advise that you use buttercream which can be spread inside the cake if you split it first.
Good luck!
Regards
Zoe
Rachel says
Hi
I’m baking my first 10″ madeira cake soon and have been reading your tips on the perfect cake. Just one question about putting newspaper around the sides of the tin, can this be done even with a gas oven?
Thanks
Kiwi Rachel says
Dear Rachel
Yes you can put newspaper around the sides of a tin as long as you make sure the paper is away from any flame.
Happy Baking!
Zoe
Kiwi Rachel says
Dear Rachel
It sounds like you could have cooked it for slightly too long. Lindy recommends cooking a 4″ square chocolate cake for 45 mins-1hr. Remember all ovens are different so keep an eye on the cake and when a skewer comes out clean it means the cake is cooked.
You may add glycerine to the cake to make it more moist.
Hope this helps and good luck with your baking!
Zoe
Angela MacLean says
HI LIndy,
I bought your book before Yule and love the chocolate cake recipe in it. I’ve been using G&B’s 85% dark chocolate in it. The resultant cake is lovely but dry. I’ve been experimenting with timing dropping the cooking time by 15minutes to 1hr 15mins (after !hr 05mins it was still sticky in the middle). The top is always a little burn but I cut it off as it is raised so that isn’t such a problem.
The cake still tastes lovely but needs some cream or icecream with it to make it less dry.
Any suggestions on what I’m doing wrong?
Thanks
Ang
Tracy says
Hi all, love your website and got a few of your books now.
I am making a two tier zebra cake. And was wondering when sticking the
stripes on should I just wet the whole cake first then stick the stripes in
place. Its just that when i have stuck things on before with water it
leaves a mark on the cake. What would you suggest. Thanks.
Tracy
Lindys Team says
Dear Angela
It’s great to hear tthat you love Lindy’s chocolate cake recipe. You could add some glycerine to the mixture (1/4 tsp per egg) to make the cake more moist. Put some foil on the top of the cake to stop it burning.
Hope this helps! Happy Baking
Zoe
Lindys Team says
Dear Tracy
I would apply water or edible glue to the stripes before sticking them to the cake.
Good luck!
Zoe
Sharon-Elaine says
Hi Lindy,
I am just in the process of baking a two tier wonky cake as a trial run for a three tier that I need to make at the end of March. I’m doing this one with a chocolate cake for the bottom tier and a cherry madeira for the top.
I baked the chocolate cake recipe from your book Cakes to Insire and Desire on Sunday, it’s a 6″ and I used an Alan Silverwood tin. I wrapped the tin with newspaper, and the outside of the cake seems to have baked really nicely without a crust. However, I got quite a high dome, and when I trimmed it last night, if I had levelled it off properly, the cake sides would only have been a bit over 2″. So I measured around and didn’t quite cut off so much, then turned it over so the top became the bottom, working on the basis that when I carve it, the base of the cake will end up with a smaller diameter and I might just get away with it, as some of the remaining crusty top will be trimmed off! I then sliced the top angle and buttercreamed it back on to make the top slope, and the cake is now in the freezer.
Is there anything other than wrapping the tin with newspaper that I can do to get the sides to come up a bit higher? I tried pushing the mixture towards the outside of the tin to make a dip in the middle, but the mixture didn’t really want to stay put. I put a piece of foil over the top of the cake about halfway through cooking too, although I didn’t have a baking tray on the shelf above. I’m even wondering if I should just make more mixture? It’s delicious cake, we tried a bit of the cut off dome!
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Tracey says
Hi,have just cooked 2 cakes in a litre and half a litre pyrex dishes on 150 for over an hour.They are cooked lovely but when i have sliced the top to even it it appears a little damp inside,any suggestions why would be appreciated,thanx.
Lindys Team says
Hi Tracey
It could be that the cake is not cooked properly in the middle. The cake will be cooked when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. You can try wrapping newspaper around the outside of the tin so that the outside of the cake does not overcook.
Hope this helps!
Zoe
Jane says
Hello Sharon-Elaine,
The “Wonky” cake needs to be quite precise. If the measurements are off it doesn’t look quite right. Your mixture may be a little wet if you cannot scrape towards the sides of the tin to create the doughnut shape. You could start with turning you oven down and cooking for a little longer. The baking tray above is a really good tip. Also make sure you are using the correct amount of ingredients for your tin – this would make a huge difference.
Jane
Rachel says
Hi Lindy,
I’m going to be making my own three tier wonky wedding cake, one chocolate, one sponge and one raspberry ripple and was wondering what the best way of not having the centre of the cakes rise too much and creating a dome?
I was also hoping you can advise me how early you think I should bake the cakes as I don’t want to be doing it the night before but at the same time I don’t want the cakes to be on the verge of being stale? I won’t be using marzipan as I can’t stand the stuff…yuk
Also how do you go about slicing this up for people to eat as you can’t remove the tiers to cut easily?
Oh wedding isn’t until November so have plenty of practicing time 🙂
Thanks
Rachel
Rachel says
Hi Tracy,
I use a flower nail in my deep cakes to help the centre of the cake to cook thoroughly.
I place it in the cake in first, then the mixture.
As the base of the flower nail is against the base of the cake tin it acts as a heat conductor and pushes heat into the centre of the cake helping it to cook.
It leaves a small indent in the base of the cake but can easily be disguised with decorations 🙂
Obviously this isn’t the purpose of flower nails but it works a treat!
Good luck
Rachel
Jane says
Hello Rachel,
We say a week to decorate and a week to eat, but you can always make and freeze the cakes in advance. If you are using Lindy’s method of creating a “Wonky” cake there shouldn’t be a problem removing the tiers to cut it.
Good Luck
Jane
Toni says
I have picked up so many hints and tips from this blog so I’m really hoping that I can ask for some more detail around the issue of baking chocolate cakes as I’ve followed the recipe to the letter, used G&B’s good-quality chocolate, only to find that the cake has turned out drier than a bone – even adding sugar syrup after baking really didn’t make that much difference and I baked the cake for 15 mins less than the recommended time.
– does the melted chocolate need to cool before it’s added to the butter and egg mixture?
– what consistency should the egg whites be before they are folded in?
– are there any other ‘tips’ (besides adding glycerine) in terms of the stages of preparation?
Thanks
Toni
Jane says
Hello Toni,
You need to use the sane pre-cooking steps for the chocolate cakes as you do for the Madeira, so newspaper around the tin, water in the oven, you may want to lower the temperature of your oven (obviously this will increase the cooking time). The chocolate should be left a little to cool and the egg whites should be peaked but not firm.
jane
Emma says
Hi Lindy
I’m love your books and blog, and have learnt so much, especially as I’m new to baking large celebration cakes – thank you!
My daughter wants me to do a 4 tier stacked wedding cake with different sponge flavours for all but the top tier which she would like to be a fruit cake to save for future exciting events…
In your experence – with the use of boards and dowels will the lower 3 sponge tiers be able to accomodate the heavier fruit level?
Any help to take the worry away gratefully received!
Thanks
Emma
Lindy Smith says
Hi Emma
As long as you dowel the cakes and use hardboards between the tiers you’ll be fine
Good luck
Lindy
Jane says
Hello Helen,
You need at least a 50% cocoa content to get the flavour. I LOVE chocolate so I usually us about 80%. You can use the 90% if you wish and it won’t effect the cake – in fact I think it would be fab!
Thanks for your kind comments on Lindy’s books, etc. It’s always great to get feedback.
Jane
charlotte says
hi Lindy & team,
I am going to be baking your madeira recipe for a birthday. it needs to be ready for sunday and i was wondering if i could bake it today? what with it being 4 days away i am so anxious about it becoming mouldy. i have read that the golden rule is one week to decorate and one week to eat, so does that mean i can bake the cake today, fill it with jam, cover it in butter icing and fondant and it be fine?? overthinking it im sure 🙂
Charlotte
Lindys Team says
Hi Charlotte
Your plan sounded like good one! Hope the birthday went well!
Fiona
Lesley proctor says
Help I’m not great at these scaling up tables but I’m attempting to make my first ever Madeira cake as I’ve been told that to use a Victoria sponge recipe when decorating it will be too heavy. I need a recipe for a 9inch square tin and I also struggle when icing a cake as it cracks and dries out I normally use icing sugar to roll out but as I’ve found out that does not help a lot of people have said to use white fat is there another name for it as I’m going to tesco and don’t want to ask for the wrong thing. Thank you
Lindys Team says
Hi Lesley
I have attached a link to Lindy’s blog where Jane gives the madeira recipe and then also the conversion to use for different size and and shape tins. When icing a cake, the sugarpaste must be warm, or it will crack, when using coloured sugarpaste, icing sugar will leave a white residue, so Lindy uses white fat, White Flora or Trex can be used.
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/12/17/baking-the-perfect-madeira-cake/
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/07/27/how-to-i-change-a-cake-recipe-quanities/
Hope this answers your query but if you need any further information, please let us know.
Fiona
Rachel says
Hi
I have got lindy’s cake decorating bible and am wanting to make a 14″ square Madeira cake but the chart does not go up that high! What quantities should I use? Thanks for your help and live the book.
Lindys Team says
Hi Rachel
Lindy does suggest the following in her blog for tins which are not listed,
Other shapes and sizes not mentioned above:
If you wish to use a tin (pan) that is not mentioned above, such as a pre-formed shaped tin or oval, fill a 20cm (8in) x 7.5cm (3in) tin with water and compare it with the quantity of water that your tin holds. The basic recipe quantity can then be multiplied or divided as necessary.
You could also try multiplying your quantities by 4.
Good luck with the cake!
Fiona
Ros says
I’m making a tiered cake that is to be stacked using dowels. I’m using a thick drum for the base cake but am having problems with the cake board for the top tier. It’s a 6 inch cake but 6 inch cake board seems slightly too big. I prefer the board to be slightly smaller than the cake as the fondant is neater. Surprisingly, cutting an ordinary 3mm foil board is really hard to do. What do you use or do?
Lindy's team says
Hi Ros
Sorry you are having trouble getting your boards to line up. We usually find that the thin cake boards measure very slightly less than the stated size. If it is too much over for you, could you perhaps make a slightly larger cake and carve a thin sliver off the sides? Or use a thicker layer of icing to cover it with?
Hope this helps but we haven’t encountered this problem with our cakes before.
Kind regards
Susie
Ros says
Thanks for replying. I’ll give it a try or maybe put on a layer of marzipan to level off cake and board before applying fondant
roberta says
I am so pleased to have found this web site. It is wonderful, as are your books, Lindy. I shall be making a 3 or 4 tier wedding cake (for my son) later this year. I love baking but have never made such a cake. It will be simple but I really want it to be tasty. I will have to bake it and transport it to Scotland for the wedding. I intend to make the bottom tier fruit and the rest sponge/madeira/choc fudge? I really would like them to be moist and tasty. One tier will need to be free of all dairy products due to guest allergies. Can I flavour the cakes with, choc buttercream, alcohol, cream, fruit or should I stay plain, given the distance I shall have to take them. Thank you so much.
Shakera says
Hi
Has anyone tried making Lindy’s madeira cake using gluten free flour? I have always had good results making it with normal flour, but am planning to make one that needs to be gluten free (using Doves farm plain and self raising gluten free flours, as I have used these for normal sponges before) – would appreciate if anyone has tried this and has any advice! Especially as the gluten free flours sometimes make it necessary to add more liquid than you would normally add to any given recipe.
Thanks
Lindy's Team says
Hi Shakera
Thanks for your enquiry about madeira cakes using gluten free flour. I am sorry but we don’t have any experience of making a cake with this flour. We would be very interested to know how it turns out if you do give it a go. We don’t actually make cakes to sell here so maybe you could ask a cake baker for that information or try Google and see what that comes up with.
Sorry we can’t help further.
Susie
Lindy's Team says
Hi Roberta
The madeira cake is a good cake for using as a tier and keeps for 2 weeks. So is the choc fudge cake.
Unfortunately we don’t have a recipe for dairy-free so can’t help you with that but perhaps you could make that one the top tier so that nothing else touches it or drops onto it. You could make that a light sponge if nothing needs to rest on top of it.
It might be a good idea to keep the cakes separate until you get to Scotland and then put them all together when you get there. Prepare them in advance with boards and dowels and keep them separate. If you do that, then you can use whatever flavour you usually use. Alcohol would be a good one insofar as it won’t melt or go off. Cream might not work so well as it won’t last. Buttercream would be okay. Perhaps you could try some different fillings out and see how they keep.
If you want to take the cake up to Scotland already tiered together, then use some non-slip matting for the journey.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Kind regards
Susie
emma says
hi i was wondering if anyone could help.
i got a new cake tin its 9x13x3 in which i need to bake a chocolate cake to be iced with fondant.
does anyone have a good receipe for this size tin and how long should i bake it? the last time with a plain sponge it dipped in middle.
also is it ok to cover cake in ganache then fondant icing?
thanks.
Lindys Team says
Hi Emma
Lindy has a very good chocolate fudge cake recipe on her Blog which is suitable to ice with fondant.
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2011/02/02/lindys-chocolate-fudge-cake-recipe/
Or there is one in her book Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible which is also suitable for icing. This book also has a table of quantities and times for different sized cakes.
For a 9″ round cake you would need to bake it at 180 deg.c. for 1.25 or 1.50 hours, depending on your oven.
Cover your cake in ganache and then fondant icing and keep in a cardboard box, not an airtight container. This should last quite a few days if kept in a cool place.
Good luck.
Susie
emma says
thanks susie,
so for my half sheet tin do i just follow recipe for a 9″ round?
thanks
Lindys Team says
Hi Emma
Sorry, I thought in a previous comment you said your tin was round.
Baking times would be about 1.45 hrs for either the chocolate fudge cake or Lindy’s chocolate cake. Keep checking it after this time to ensure it is cooked as it probably will need a little longer.
If you follow the 11″ square recipe this should fit into your tin with a little left over.
Susie
Cheryl Young says
Hi Lindy
I’ll be making my first 3 tiered wonky cake in April, fruit cake for the bottom tier, madeira for the middle and chocolate for the top, I’m ok baking and covering the cakes my only concern is assembling the cakes – I’ve never done a tiered cake – how do I go about assembling and also transporting the cake – do I assemble at the venue or can I assemble and transport?
Thanks
Cheryl
Lindys Team says
Hi Cheryl
You will need to dowel all but the top tier. Cover and dowel each cake before stacking. Place royal icing on the base cake and stack the next sized cake on top.
There are full instructions in Lindy’s Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible. Here’s a link to it on our shop:-http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/shop/Contemporary-cake-decorating-bible-by-Lindy-Smith.html
Good luck!
Regards
Zoe
Carol says
Hi,
I am making a four tier wedding cake & want to bake, coat in buttercream & then freeze the cakes. My question is do I need to let the cakes defrost before I cover them with sugarpaste. Thanks for your help and for your fantastic website.
Lindys Team says
Hi Carol
You definately need to let the cakes defrost before decorating them, otherwise the moisture from the cakes defrosting will affect the sugarpaste.
Good Luck with the cake!
Lindy’s Team
sandra says
Hi
Can you help,have been ask to do a madeira cake for a 18th birthday, however they would like gluten free flour, can
i change your madeira cake recipte, in lindys book.
The self raising flour and plain flour to gluten free flour, with still the same results.
regards sandra
Lindys Team says
Hi Sandra
We don’t recommend changing the flour to gluten free – it doesn’t seem to work. You will need to look up a specific gluten free recipe on Google or something similar.
Sorry we can’t help on this one.
Good luck finding a recipe.
Susie
sandra says
Hi
Can you help, when is the best time to bake a madeira cake if a wedding is on a saturday, i know after it is iced store in a box.
But if it has butter cream coating were is the best place to store in a tin or wrap in cling flim, till it is iced or do both on the same day
the same for a chocolate cake ? hope you can help
regards sandra
Lindys Team says
Hi Sandra
A madeira cake will keep for about 2 weeks. I would buttercream and ice the cake the same day. The same applies for a chocolate cake
Happy Baking!
Zoe
Martina says
Hi, I noticed a question a out a gluten free Madeira. I have a recipe – 8oz soft marg, 8oz sugar, 8 oz gf bread flour, 4 eggs
Pit all on a bowl and mix for 15 min ( forget rules that apply to wheat flour). Bake as for regular Madeira. I have used this recipe several times and e everybody loves it – not just the coeliacs.
P. S. The flour must be gluten free BREAD FLOUR otherwise it simply won’t work. Hope this helps
Lindys Team says
Hi Martina
Thank you very much for your recipe.
Regards
Zoe
sandra says
hi
Can you help with a 3 tier cake, 6 8 10 on the top of the 10 will be a round light weight fish bowl with petals in, this tier will be fruit or choclate, i will dowel cake and then fix a iced cake card 3mm thick then fix bowl with royal icing, will this be enough to take the wieight of the next tier witch will a 8″ maderia, then a small bowl for next tier and 6″ on top
sandra
Lindys Team says
Hello Sandra,
Thank you for your intriguing question.
We have not tried doing this ourselves and worry about the glass breaking and the cake being ruined.
The cakes would need to be fruit or madeira to be dense enough to carry weight, but cannot comment on the support system you will need to ensure there isn’t a collapse.
Maybe a practice run will help you decide.
Marina
sandra says
hi
I am making a carrot cake 10″ square only have a 8″ round recipe how many times do I do the recipe, is it double,
also I need 3 layers, not sure if it would work well in a 10″ square tin 3 inchs deep, all in one go.
would it work better in 3 10″ tins like a sandwich tins.
regards sandra
Lindys Team says
Hi Sandra
You would need double the quantities for a 10″ square cake. As to the 3 layers, it really depends on your recipe. It will also probably be hard to carve a 3″ deep cake into 3 layers.
Regards
Zoe
Ruth says
Hello,
I am going to be baking and decorating my first celebration cake this week for my Mum’s 60th birthday on Saturday. I ama pretty nervous and so am going to be following, in meticulous detail, Lindy’s madeira recipe from her Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible!
I’ve seen on this blog, someone has mentioned a tip – using water in the oven, to ensure a moist cake – but I can’t seem to find any further details on this. Please could you let me know exactly what this means? Is it just a Pyrex bowl of water in the oven during the baking process or something more complicated?
Many thanks!
Ruth
Lindys Team says
Hello Ruth
Yes, you can put a bowl of water on a shelf in the oven to keep the cake moist.
Here is a link to some more tips which may be helpful to you:-http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/12/17/baking-the-perfect-madeira-cake/
Regards
Zoe