Baking with your bread machine can be quick, easy, and rewarding. There’s no yeast, no timings, and not much washing up – why not give it a try?
About Bread Machine Baking
Cakes and ‘quick breads’ are leavened with baking powder or bicarbonate of soda, rather than yeast. This means they’re less time-consuming than bread making: the Cake cycle in your bread machine will run for between 60 and 90 minutes, during which the machine will beat and bake your cake. The low heat it’s baked at means that the leavener gets to work more slowly, producing gentle, small bubbles of air in the cake batter. You may find that cakes are a bit more dense than their oven-baked counterparts – but just as moist. Another advantage of using the bread machine to bake your cake is that the machine will use a lot less energy than the oven.
Here are some tips for successful baking in your breadmaker:
Check the mixture is blended. About five minutes into the mixing part of the cake cycle, open the lid and make sure there are no stray lumps of flour or butter clinging to the sides of the pan. Scrape everything in using a wooden spoon or plastic spatula.
Cold butter may not be properly incorporated, so make sure it’s really soft when it goes in (or melted). Recipes that call for oil are better in this respect, as they’ll ensure good fat distribution.
Don’t use your regular bread flour to make cakes – it’s got too much gluten, which will produce a tough batter. Choose plain (baking) flour.
To check for doneness, stick a skewer into the cake – it’s ready when it comes out clean.
To add richness to the finished cake, spike holes all over with a skewer, and pour over a glaze of lemon or orange juice mixed with Icing Sugar.
Lemon Yoghurt Cake
This cake gets its moisture from olive oil and yoghurt, producing a damp cake that’s easier on your waistline!
You Need:
150g plain flour, sifted
1 ½ tsp baking powder
150g caster sugar
3tbsp poppy seeds
Zest of one unwaxed lemon
3 eggs
100ml olive oil
100ml plain yoghurt
For glaze:
Juice of 1 lemon
3tbsp icing sugar, sifted
Sift the flour and baking powder together into the breadmaker tin. Weigh the caster sugar, then add the poppy seeds and lemon zest to the scale basin and rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingers. Tip the sugar mixture into the breadmaker tin.
In a jug or mug, beat the eggs with the yoghurt. Add this, plus the olive oil and a pinch of salt, to the breadmaker tin.
Set to the Cake cycle. While it’s baking, sift the icing sugar into the lemon juice, stir to dissolve, and set aside. When the machine beeps, open the lid and check the cake – it should be lightly golden. Stick in a skewer – if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Without removing it from the tin, poke holes all over the cake, and drizzle the glaze over it carefully, trying to get it to go into the holes as well as down the sides. The glaze will soak into the cake as it cools. Serve at room temperature.
Made 3attemps of making a fruit cake in my russel hobbs bread maker the first try I didn't putthe ingredients in my bread tin so I knew after reading the manuelfully it wouldn't turn outalthough l put it on cake setting so next 2times I put it in the tin and measured the ingredients and put it on cake setting and both still came outno good why ? And is there another setting I could try
Tiggs - 2-Jul-20 @ 11:07 AM
I have had two attempts to make Wrights cakes in my Panasonic SD255. The discussion here was very useful. The first time I made a carrot cake, first using the Dough programme then removing the paddle, then on Bake only for 45 minutes. This failed as the cake burned on the outside and stuck to the pad, so that it fell apart when I knocked it out. Still eatable though. I tried again with a Toffee Cake, first mixing in a bowl with an electric whisk, then lining the pan with two pieces of baking paper, Bake only programme for 40 minutes, check for cookedness using a steel skewer and then adding on more time (50 mins total). Then switched off and left the cake in the machine for 10 minutes. Came out perfect!
dntmarks - 2-Jun-20 @ 6:17 PM
I only got as far as the recipe and didn't look at the comments!
I've had a lovely Wright's chocolate cake from my break maker - texture was unbelievably fine and moist - first effort failed as a cat hunted the mix bag (strong smell probably) and managed rip it open and decorate the kitchen.
Today I am trying the cake on a basic bread recipe - did not think about breaking the process into dough only and then bake only.
At least when I pull the cake out I'll have a lemon drizzle starter hole from the paddle :)
Or more likely a bin filler.
snedger - 1-Sep-13 @ 5:03 PM
A Wrights cake mix is quite easy in a Panasonic breadmaker. Chuck all the listed ingredients into the pan then run the 'dough' program for 5 to 10 mins to a nice cake like mix. Then stop the program and carefully remove the paddle. Close the lid and set the machine to 'bake only' for 50mins. At about the 45min point you may wish to check the cake to ensure its done all the way through though be mindful of over cooking it. When done, tip the cake out onto a rack to cool.
Max Chuffley - 2-Jan-13 @ 12:47 PM
Does anyone have a recipe for making a Madeira Cake in a Panasonic (or any other) breakmaker?
Ellie - 25-Oct-12 @ 11:44 AM
Hi,
Please can tell tell me how I am going wrong!
I Came to bake a Wright's carrot cake in my Panasonic bread maker.
It only comes up with 'Bake' on the menu, I need to know how I can get it
to mix the cake mix and then bake. Not having to mix the cake mix first.
Am I being stupid or will the bread maker only bake once mixed by hand.
Thank you for reading, and for any information you can pass on to me.
Moma Porter. - 17-Oct-12 @ 4:56 PM
The wrights cake mix is excellent in a bread maker but I do have problems getting them out of the pan in one piece
Auds - 3-Jun-12 @ 6:05 PM
Wright's cake mixes work wonderfully in bread making machines - you just add oil and water to the mix and select the cake programme on your bread maker.
Deb the Bread - 22-May-12 @ 1:22 PM
If you flour your fruit before adding to your mix this will help to stop it falling to the bottom of your mixer.Also add this just before the last mix takes place so that it is evenly mixed throughout your mixture but has less time to sink before bake starts.
Hope this helps
MasterBaker - 15-Mar-12 @ 9:57 PM
@loopy - do you add the fruit late in the cycle?
CakeBaker - 28-Feb-12 @ 2:18 PM
why does my fruit always sink to the bottom when maid in my breadmaker
loopy - 28-Feb-12 @ 2:09 PM
hi could you please help i have maid 2 cakes in my breadmaker a cherry cake and a friut cake do you now why the friut sinks to the bottom of cakes this happens every timeplain ontop friut or cherrys end up at bottomregards lyn
loopy - 28-Feb-12 @ 2:06 PM
hi guys, i made this several times , always superb, i added a teaspoon of bicarb as well to help it rise, also made with limes.....superb, also oranges.....superb, enjoy !
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