After many requests from our workshop students, I am posting the Perfect Madeira Cake blog. Good luck and hope this helps you. Before working at Lindy’s I had never made a Madeira cake. My first attempts weren’t great – they came out of the oven domed, very crispy on the outside and really dry. I […]
baking
Tips for Baking Mini Fruit Cakes
Contrary to popular opinion, many people do like fruit cake and it’s not just the older generation. Fruit cake is one of my favourite cakes, as it is my 14-year-old sons! The secret, I think, is to have a really good recipe – try the one in my ‘Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible’ book, it often […]
Why do my cakes sink in the middle?
“Why do my cakes sink in the middle?” is a question I’m often asked. Cakes usually sink when the cake batter is not completely cooked. Everyone’s ovens are different so you need to find the optimum baking time for your own oven. Towards the end of baking, test the cake repeatedly to see if it […]
Why does Lindy use Madeira cakes?
I’m often asked by beginner cake decorators “Why Madeira cakes, can I not use a carrot cake or a Victoria sponge?” The answer is you can use any cake you like, especially as you become more experienced. However, as a beginner, I suggest you use Madeira. The reasons for this are two-fold. Why Madeira cakes […]
Baking deep Madeira and Chocolate cakes
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 […]