Bakes are just not quite right.....

[ForHeavensCake]

I am after some help and advice for two types of cake please... I am very much a home baker but quite often make celebration cakes for my children and close family.. I am happy enough with the decorative side of doing a celebration cake (basic but ok for the nearest and dearest!) but I always feel like my bakes are not quite right. I have a few bakes coming up and I want to have a few trial runs and I am hoping you clever lot can advise....

Can you please give me some tips for the best sponge for a fondant covered cake and for a buttercream covered cake... the pics attached are two of my recent cakes - one for my son and one for a friends baby shower and I am happy enough with how they look (maybe the odd tweak and some work on the drips on a drip cake being drippy rather than splodgy!!!) but the bakes inside were a little dense and not all that well risen!

I have done a bit of reading on this forum and have picked up some tips on creaming the butter and the type of pans i use but I also wonder whether i should be trying a different recipe...

I generally use quite traditional butter, caster sugar, eggs, plain flour and vanilla... all mixed with a kitchen aid stand mixer.

HELP!!!

Thanks in advance

 

[Becky]

Those cakes are gorgeous! Could you share the recipe you used?

 

[ForHeavensCake]

This is one that I have used. I have aslo tried a slight variation on this to make a chocolate sponge but very similar quantities! (UK quantities)

I have bought some silver pans since i posted this and some strips to wrap the tins.....

Many Thanks in advance

 

[Becky]

Thanks for sharing the recipe! Personally I would try making the cake with butter, and use it cold. Soft margarine doesn't as much strength as cold butter when it comes to holding air bubbles, which will not help in terms of lightness. If you cream together cold butter and sugar you are whipping tiny air bubbles into the structure which will expand in the heat of the oven, resulting in a lighter sponge.