"Why does my cake taste like a brick?"
If you end up with a flat cake, there are a few possible causes.
Overbeating the flour will overwork its gluten, so fold in dry ingredients with a light hand.
Remember to add the raising agent – self-raising flour already contains this, but if you use any other flour you need to mix in baking powder. If you add baking powder and still end up with a flat cake, check the best before date.
Add eggs and other liquids to the mixture slowly to avoid curdling, which can cause heaviness and a flat cake.
It is crucial to preheat the oven and to get your cake into it as soon as the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together. This means the raising agent will react with the mixture at the right time for a good, even rise.
“Why does my cake always sink?”
If your cake sinks, it could be a sign that you've been impatient. To avoid a sunken cake, you need to resist the urge to open the oven door a long time before the cake is cooked. The bubbles inside the cake are expanding in the oven's heat, creating maximum volume as the batter reaches its setting point. If the temperature suddenly falls the cake will fall in the centre – the last area to set. Only after at least three-quarters of the cooking time can you start to check if the cake is cooked. Even then, you need to make sure it is fully baked before removing it from the oven, otherwise the middle could dip.
Some ovens have a massive variation between the temperature at the top and bottom. Bake your cake on the middle shelf, where the temperature is most likely to be consistent.
“Why has my cake cracked on the top?”
Too much baking powder can cause the cake to rise rapidly and crack. Always level off teaspoon measures of baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – a little extra can make a big difference.
It's also important to use the cake tin size specified in the recipe. Too small a tin will mean the outside of your cake cooks faster than the inside, leading to a peak in the middle as the baking powder continues to work, cracking the top in the process.
If your oven is too hot, the outside of your cake will bake much more quickly than the inside, leading to a peak or crack. The top of your cake may also get too dark. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, so if this often happens, invest in a separate oven thermometer.