Comments on: Four Spice and Ginger Cake

By: Ward

Ward — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:32:24 +0000

Thanks Lyndsey,
Like I replied to Beth, my one oven isn’t working properly so no doubt the bottom one is acting up too. But I also think that 8 eggs was a lot. I should try it again with 4-5 eggs and see what happens.
It would be convenient if the oven was off, that could by my excuse for all the baking disasters

By: Ward

Ward — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:28:59 +0000

Hi Beth,
Thanks, I will get the thermometer and check it out. I also thought 8 eggs for a loaf pan was quite a lot. Maybe the recipe had a typo and maybe my oven id off too.
We have a two oven stove and the smaller top one is on the blink, it only gets to about 200 degrees F. So I wouldn’t doubt there is also a problem with the lower, larger oven. Hey, maybe now I can get gas!!!

By: Lyndsey

Lyndsey — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:47:45 +0000

I think it looks wonderful. I love ginger and add crystallized ginger to a lot of things. I get it in the bulk section of our natural food store around the corner.

I think it might be the recipe. I seem to run into that too where I have to bake things longer than the recipe calls for. But with quick breads I do always check for doneness. I like baking with stoneware, it seems to bake more evenly? A oven thrmometer is a good thing to have like Beth suggested.

Thanks for sharing the ups and downs!

By: Weekend Cooking: What We’ve Been Up To in the Kitchen This Week - Ms. Bookish

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:02:43 +0000

[...] Four Spice and Ginger Cake: Ward had trouble with this one – it took him almost twice as long to bake as the recipe suggested – but the pieces he served were moist, peppery, slightly gingery and oh, so very tasty. [...]

By: Belle

Belle — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:36:37 +0000

Just saw your tweet, and thought maybe the eggs might be the problem, but popped here and see that free range tend to be smaller and we always use free range.

I’m wondering now if the recipe Ward followed might have been off – I think he adjusted the temp higher to 350 F, so it must have asked for lower … will have to check with him to see. If it said 300 F that might be the problem right there!

By: Beth F

Beth F — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:12:36 +0000

Buy an oven thermometer. It is likely your temperature is off. I would guess that the bread should have baked in the 45-60 minutes. Sounds so good. I may have to bake this over the weekend.

On the other hand, 8 eggs seems like a lot. I’m going to have to think about this, but I wonder if your eggs were too big. Free-range eggs are often smaller than commercial eggs.