Sinking sponges

[jane grant]

I have always been able to make good sponge cakes until I got a fan assisted electric oven last year, now every cake I bake either is creamated or sinks in the middle. My trusted recipe book advises 'consulting my oven manual for cooking time', but it's a spanish oven and there is nothing in it re cooking times for anything!!! Anyone got any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

[brenda]

Same problem here! Think ours though is due to constantly fluctuating electricity supply that causes oven temperature to drop during cooking time.

[El Cid]

Spanish ovens are a bit weird!

They usually have two elements - one top and one at the bottom. The top one doubles as a grill. When you select both for heating the oven, be very careful not to put food in until the oven is up to temperature otherwise the top element will grill the food and burn it.

Also the temperature control can be pretty crude and can vary by 20 degrees either way. It may well be the same on UK ovens but I never had a problem there. I now use a digital oven thermometer to check the temperature for anything critical.

I dont think the fact that it is a fan oven makes any difference - it will be just as hit and miss either way!

Sid

[safeashouses]

When you say sponge do you mean a Victoria sponge with fat or a fatless sponge where you whisk the eggs and sugar together and then gently fold in the flour.

Sorry if I sound like I am trying to tell you how to suck them but I just want to make sure I'm covering every angle. Are your eggs at room temperature when you use them. Are you using caster sugar. Are you using a good quality self-raising flour or the exact amount of baking powder well sifted in with plain flour.

A 4,4,4, 2 egg victoria sandwich in 2 x 7"/18cm tins should be cooked at 165 for 25 mins.

& a 3,3, 3 egg fatless sponge in the same size tins should be cooked at 180 for 12 mins.