Fallen Cake

[blondie 6180]

Hi, I just found your website and am delighted to find so many ideas. I have a problem with my age old cake recipe. The recipe has been handed down from my mom to me over 30 years ago. Recently my cakes refuse to rise, this last time I purchased all new ingrediants and it still fell. Now I have a very dumb question, would using extra large eggs instead of large egss cause this? We moved to Florida from Ohio and I dont know if this is the cause or not I am so upset, this is a great cake and I dont want to stop baking it. Thank you for any ideas you may have.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Can you post recipe?So we can take a look at it.I dont think the eggs are the problem.

 

[Lizannd]

Since the recipe is an old one I don't think the eggs

are necessarily the problem. If I am using a very old recipe I use extra large eggs or add a little extra, maybe 1/3 egg extra for every 2 eggs called for in the recipe. I would think that maybe humidity and extra moisture in the flour may make the batter to wet to hold it's height. Since both humidity and slightly larger eggs both add moisture I would try the smaller eggs since you really can't do anything about the humidity.

 

[Gretchen]

No, no, and no. It is your leavening even if you say you have purchased it new.

Or it is the temp of the oven if it is new to you.

 

[Diane1415]

Yes, I use an oven thermometer to go by if I cannot regulate and calibrate my oven. it is surprising how far off they can be.

 

[blondie 6180]

Ok here is the recipe.
Sift together: 2c flour, 2c sugar, 2t. baking soda,1/2t. salt, 4 rounded T. cocoa
Add and mix: 1 cup miracle whip, 1 cup water 1t. vanilla, 2 eggs
Bake at 350 30-35 min.

And thank you all for your advice

 

[Diane1415]

I could be wrong, but, I don't think there is enough acid in the miracle whip to react with the soda.
Have you tried baking powder? perhaps with 1 t soda?

Just speculating.

 

[jpmcgrew]

Are you sure its supposed to use baking soda instead of baking powder?
I have accidently mixed up soda for baking powder in a couple recipes and they did not rise.

 

[Michael in FtW]

... Recently my cakes refuse to rise ... We moved to Florida from Ohio ...

If I read this right the recipe used to work and now it doesn't? You changed something - or something you use got changed.

Generally All Purpose flour in the South is softer than in the North - so that shouldn't be a problem. Maybe the leavener is dead? Perhaps - did you try using mayonnaise in place of Miracle Whip? Mayo generally isn't as acidic as Miracle Whip.

 

[blondie 6180]

I have always used Miracle Whip (the recipe is "Miracle Whip Cake"). I have rechecked the ingrediants and yes it calls for baking soda. It is driving me crazy!!! Everyone loves this cake (fallen or not) and I cannot figure out what is wrong, I am going to try all of your suggestions and try to figure out what is wrong. You are all great and thank you for taking time to answer my questions.

 

[Gretchen]

The soda is correct for the cocoa in the recipe.
If you google for mayonnaise cakes some do have baking powder in addition to the soda, and the amounts vary. That doesn't explain why you are now having a problem with it, but sometimes if the cake rises too fast it will fall when removed. Hope you can work it out.
Google for mayonnaise cake recipe--or Miracle whip and take a look at some of the recipes. It might help you. I made this many many years ago too.

 

[Lady C]

I moved from 5500 ft elevation to sea level and had to adjust EVERY recipe I have for elevation. Is Ohio much different than Florida in elevation? I bet it is a matter of adjusting flour and moister for elevation differences.

 

[Gretchen]

I think the difference might be 30 feet. ;o) And even in Denver I don't find that much problem with baking. Now in Silverthorne I do.

 

[blondie 6180]

Ohio is much higher in elevation than Florida. How do you adjust the flour and moisture?

 

[Lady C]

Try this link http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/baking/articles/154P1.asp

It looks like if you are less than 3000 ft in both places there is no adjustment. But you could try some of the tips and see if they make a difference.

 

[Gretchen]

No, no, no. You do not need to adjust for altitude!! I have lived in Ohio and Florida--NO adjustment.

 

[Lizannd]

Are you using the same brand of flour? I know that in the

southern part of the US self rising flour is a staple while in the northern parts I have to hunt for it. I could see myself buying flour and not giving a thought that it may be self rising. This would it cause it to rise too fast and then fall like Gretchen mentioned.

 

[Gretchen]

You know, that is a really good possibility.

 

[blondie 6180]

After reading the last post I looked to see if I bought the self rising flour by mistake, hoping that was the reason, but no, it is regular. I am baking a cake today and trying the different ideas posted. Thank you for all your help and I will let you know the results.

 

[philso]

not all cocoa is just cocoa. there are two types, natural and dutch process.
natural cocoa is acidic, and calls for baking soda.

dutch process cocoa is treated with alkali, so recipes using dutch process cocoa need baking powder.

your recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking soda. if you're using dutch instead of natural cocoa, it won't rise.

another possible problem is that 2 teaspoons of soda is an extreme amount if using natural cocoa, because soda is 3 or 4 time more powerful than baking powder (in other words, soda is only 1/4 to 1/3 of the volume in baking powder). if this is the case, then your cakes will be over-rising, making the bubble walls too thin to continue to support the weight, hence collapsing.

i'm just going to take a stab at amounts here, but i'd quess that about a tablespoon of baking powder if using dutch process cocoa or, about a 1/2 teaspoon of soda or a bit more if using natural cocoa.

actually, looking at the recipe again, i see that the cocoa is only 1/4 the amount of the flour, which is not really a lot, so i'd be inclined to suggest a mix of about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons powder, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon soda.

if you continue to have problems, you could also try not removing the cakes immediately from the oven, but turning off the heat, cracking the oven door open a couple of inches, and give them some time to cool down more slowly. this sometimes works for cakes that are a little over-risen.

another possiblity that pops into mind would be the amount of flour. if you perhaps used to sift the flour after measuring, but are now measuring already sifted flour, you'll actually be using a lot less flour. the batter will be more runny and weak.
good luck