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Hi, I have made the Chocolate Guinness Cake a couple of times now and I feel I just can't get it right. I either overbake it or underbake it. I would ideally like to have it slightly moist all the way through, not just moist in the centre going harder towards the outside. Any tips?
Our answer
Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake (from FEAST) has a slightly liquid batter, which helps to make the cake very moist. If the cake is very dry around the edges but damp in the centre, it often indicates that the oven temperature is a bit too high. If you are using a fan oven then sometimes these ovens can bake very quickly and you may also find that the cake has a more pronounced peak in the centre. For a large cake you may then need to adjust the oven temperature down slightly more than the standard 20C. If you are using a conventional oven then check that the cake is on the middle shelf when you bake it or try using a shelf one rung below the centre. For a conventional oven you may also like to try checking the temperature with an oven thermometer.
We would suggest that you start checking the cake after 40-45 minutes of baking. It should be risen and look firm on top. If you insert a cake tester into the centre of the cake then it should come out with some damp crumbs attached, but not raw cake batter.
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