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 to much
Another tip with the Madeira 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 mixture as it’s slightly runnier and doesn’t stay where you put it!
Carved wonky - Madeira
We’d love to hear your baking tips.
Andy
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!!
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
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.
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?
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
Hi
Can you tell me where I can get or how I make SILVER colured sugarpaste
Thanks
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!
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!
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
Hi Sophie,
Try our blog post. It’s got all the tips you need. Give it a try!
Jane
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
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
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.
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?
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
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.
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!
Thanks Lindy team for answering my questions.
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
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
Hi Dawn
Try reading our post on baking the perfect madeira tips in this post should slove your problems
Lindy
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
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
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
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
Hello Sam,
This should work provided you use a 3mm cake board – a flimsy cake card will bend.
Thanks
)
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
Hi,a quick question. If I added blue food coloring to the maderia cake recipe would this affect the 2wk shelf life?
I’ve never tried, but I wouldn’t of thought the colouring would affect the shelf life, anyone else experimented?
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Hi Linda
I have made a Madeira cake today, and just wondered how I can stop it cracking on the top during cooking?
Thanks
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?!
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
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
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