Crap cakes

[mira]

Ishbel - I'm not using self-raising fllour and raising agent. I'm using plain flour and raising agent.

Susanne - I haven't switched brands but the stuff in my cupboard has been there for quite some time... does it become less effective?

[herisf]

Another thing to try would be adding things by weight - so instead of by the teaspoon, use grams or the equivalent in ounces. Measurement by volume can be a lot heavier than measurement by weight, especially in baking.

Oh, and yes leaveners do have a use-by date. Check your containers and toss them if they're too old. It's usually a year or two for baking soda and baking powder, I think.

[mira]

^ I normally bake by weight, as most recipes here measure in grammes and millilitres rather than cups. Saying that, I just made a carrot cake using a US recipe and NEW baking powder and my cake has risen perfectly!! Let's hope this is a trend that continues...! Thanks so much for all your wise words.

[merince]

Hi Mira:
I recently experienced the same frustrating thing. Turns out my baking powder was way out of date. That stuff definately gets less potent over time. I would try the recipes with the same proportions but with a fresh box since it used to work before.