Butter cake what did I do wrong??? (1 Viewer)

[StrangeFruit]

Hello, I haven't baked for a while and was using this recipe to make a cake for my daughter to decorate for her birthday. It had good reviews and I have baked many cakes in the past so I jumped in without thinking too much. But when I added the milk to the flour I just got huge lumps and crumbs and had to throw it out. What did I do wrong? I got new milk and flour and added them bit by bit alternating between them. I have a cake that tastes good but did not rise much at all.
It will be fine to decorate and eat but I'd love to understand what went wrong with this cake.
I've never seen the instructions to mix flour and milk before mixing with the creamed butter. Can anyone make any guesses?
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/butter-cake-butter-cream-icing

 

[Angie]

Hi Strange fruit, unfortunately, I cannot see what recipe you are using as the link isn't working properly. Although I think from the link, you are making a butter cake?

You don't add the milk to the flour you add it separately to the creamed mixture. Adding milk to flour is generally used for pancake mixture and sauce thickening.

For the butter cake, firstly, cream your butter, sugar, essence, then add your (room temperature) eggs one at a time. Cream until fluffy, as this adds the air. Then add half your flour to the butter mix and half of your milk, combine together using a spatula, then add the remainder of your flour and the milk. However, that being said I have known in the past that adding too much liquid can make your batter really soggy so add the final milk in stages. That way you can control how the mix will turn out. Recipes have to be balanced, so it is always good to check out other sites with the same recipe to ensure that you are all using pretty much the same ingredients/quantities/instructions.

Cakes that don't rise well are due to lack of air incorporated in the mixture when creaming ensure your mixture changes from a yellow colour to a pale colour and that you do not overbeat the final mix. Also, see other cake issues.

Hope this helps.

 

[A Guy]

Butter cake with butter cream icing

A Guy

 

[Angie]

Thanks, Bill, After looking at this recipe it does state to add the combined milk and flour, however, for butter cake you can add them in stages as I have suggested.

When adding flour to milk the only real way of removing the lumps is by heating a little butter, adding sieved flour to it then adding milk in stages. But it doesn't suggest any of that in the recipe so I'm assuming the 'combined' element which appears twice may be a typo.

 

[Angie]

I have now done a full step by step guide with pictures showing you how to make a Butter Cake. Here's the tutorial for you...

Butter Cake Tutorial

Here is your step by step guide on how to make a light crumbly 8-inch Butter Cake. [yasr_overall_rating] Preheat the oven to one of the following:- Fan assisted: 160°C Conventional Oven 180°C Gas Mark 3 Fahrenheit 320F Ingredients:- 250 Grams Block Unsalted Butter 220 Grams Caster Sugar 1½...

www.helpmebake.com