My OH's Mum bought me a food mixer as a house warming pressie and I really would like to try and make a cake!!  Has anyone got any trusty recipie's that even I can't mess up??!!

I need to know what goes inthe mixer first, cooking temps and time - basically how to cook a cake from scratch for someone who has never attempted it before!!  :-)

<makes phone call to fire brigade>

You know Im only joking xx

I'd put a call into each of the emergency services - just to be on the safe side!!  ;-)

My previous cake making experience is making rice crispie cakes with my niece when she was about 4 - hardly culinary masterpieces!!

Its my Mum's 60th in June and I quite like the idea of having a bit of a practise baking over the next few weeks and then attempting a home-made Birthday cake for her - only thing is not knowing where to begin!!  :D

Ill be honest I dont know I usually ask my mummy,lol. All I know is the butter and sugar go in first and mix it together, then the eggs, then the flour. Ill check the internent. Have you got a gas or electric oven?

Im a dab hand with liver cake but thats about it.

My Mum was never very good at baking bless her!!  I've got an electric oven that I'm still getting used to after my old gas one.

OH is going to be eating nothing but cake me thinks for the next month whilst I practise!!!  ;-)

Hi Charanda

What type of cake do you want to make, just an ordinary sponge cake?

Jolene

Victoria sponge cake:-

110g (4oz) Butter
110g (4oz) Caster Sugar
110g (4oz) Self-raising Flour
2 Eggs
Vanilla Essence or 1 tsp Grated Lemon Rind

Preheat oven to 190°C: 375°F: Gas 5. Lightly grease 2 6" sandwich tins.
Whisk together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.  Add the beaten eggs gradually with a little of the flour.
Fold in the remaining sieved flour and add the flavouring. Divide equally between two 15cm (6 inch) sandwich tins.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

You then sandwich together with jam, cream - or jam & cream. 

This receipe is a really good basic one - you can change flaovouring, make little cakes - all sorts from this basic one.

Happy baking!

Margot

Ah ha!!  Thanks Margot - thats just what I was looking for, a nice basic recipie to get me started off and then when I get a bit braver I can then improvise from that!!  :-)

I just need to go and buy myself some baking tins, ingredients and a cooling tray now!!  :D

You could test you cakes out on me, I dont mind. Nice cup of tea to go with it, Ille bring Douglas to help if you want,

Ah ha!!  Sounds like a plan to me Emma - I may have to do a pretest first just to make sure that I'm not going to poison you or anything!!  ;-)

Little Douglas could come and learn a few tricks from his Uncle Glazby!! :-)

Douglas would enjoy a few lesson. He is such a laid back little man, who likes nothing more to sit and watch the Bear in the Big Blue House and my mums dog chasing the birds out of the garden.

Awwww - Glaz will probably teach him how to a) skate on a laminate floor  b) empty the kitchen bin and distribute its contents thoughout the house and c) look so cute and innocent that he couldn't possibly be told off for it!!!  ;-)

Yesterday my mums Sheltie, Harvey  (10 months) was trying to tip Douglas out of his bed for a play. He did this by standing on the sofa and grabbing the bed which was on the floor and trying to flip him out. Poor Douglas was holding onto the bed by his teeth.

Really easy one that my teenage son used to make :D

Chocolate Cake (darkish chocolate)

6oz S.R. Flour
3 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
4 oz caster sugar
1 dessert spoon black treacle
5fl. oz. sunflower oil
5 fl. oz. milk
2 eggs

Topping

Whatever you like - but you can use black cherry jam and whipped cream/fromage frais mixed

Place all cake ingredients in food processor and blend. When it turns dark brown divide mixture in half and spoon into two 7 inch sandwich tins. Bake for 45 minutes at Gas mark 3 or 160c. Remove from tins and cool. Put cream mixture and jam into middle and top with remains of the cream

Daisy