Hello, I was hoping somebody might be able to help with a problem I've had before although it hasn't happened for a while but happened to today's cake. I made a vanilla madeira using the same recipe I always use and when I cut into it there was a very small section in the middle which was a slightly different texture - firmer and closer textured, not quite solid but not as soft as the rest of the cake. I thoroughly tested it to check it was ready before I got it out of the oven (it wasn't making any bubbling noises, a skewer came out clean and sprang back to the touch) so I don't think it was undercooked. I was a bit heavy handed with the sugar syrup after it came out the oven (it was late when I finished it last night and I was tired is my excuse!) and wasn't sure if it was that that had done it. I took the bit out that was a closer, firmer texture and it tasted fine.

Is it a problem with the recipe, it really was undercooked, one of those things or too much sugar syrup affecting the cake? Its strange its just a small section in the middle.

Any help anybody could give me would be great appreciated!

Are you presifting your baking powder with your flour? Is your baking powder fresh, is there sour milk or lemon juice in the recipe?

Yes I do sift the flower and baking powder together and the baking powder is the last bit in the tub so I guess it isn't as fresh as it could be even though I've made lots of cakes lately so have been getting through it! Could that cause this? There isn't sour milk or lemon juice - ordinary milk is the only liquid apart from vanilla extract in the recipe. Thanks for your reply x

Do you weigh the flour? It seems that you might have had just a little too much, and when it was not completely folded in, it formed this streak in the middle.

I use the biggest spatulas I can find, because each stroke does that much more actual mxing. I also use a very large bowl to add flour to creamed mixtures for large cakes, just to make sure that there is plenty of room for folding at the end.

I have had it once or twice when I tested the cake with a metal skewer. All i can think it that because the metal is cold and the cake hot, it cools that part of the cake slightly and causes the difference in texture. Now I heat the metal skewer before sticking it in the cake and never had the same problem again!