I just made a zucchini cake recipe that included orange juice, ginger,
zucchini, and hazlenuts. It is made in a tube pan, but didn't rise very
well (I often have that problem) nor is it redolent of the ginger, or
very moist. I'm trying to understand why these cakes often are less
than spectacular for me. I used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable.
What part could that play? Its a NY Times recipe so I assume its a good
recipe.

thanks

timbrel wrote:
> I just made a zucchini cake recipe that included orange juice, ginger,
> zucchini, and hazlenuts. It is made in a tube pan, but didn't rise very
> well (I often have that problem) nor is it redolent of the ginger, or
> very moist. I'm trying to understand why these cakes often are less
> than spectacular for me. I used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable.
> What part could that play? Its a NY Times recipe so I assume its a good
> recipe.

What other substitutions/modifications did you make?

Baking is all about equilibrium. It would help if we could see the
recipe as published, then the recipe as you modified it.

"timbrel" > wrote in message
oups.com...

> I just made a zucchini cake recipe that included
> orange juice, ginger, zucchini, and hazlenuts. It is
> made in a tube pan, but didn't rise very well (I
> often have that problem) nor is it redolent of the
> ginger, or very moist. I'm trying to understand
> why these cakes often are less than spectacular
> for me. I used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable.
> What part could that play? Its a NY Times recipe
> so I assume its a good recipe.

Grapeseed oil *is* a type of vegetable oil; I wouldn't expect that to be
your problem. It could be the recipe, your technique or your oven (have you
checked its temperature with thermometer?). Posting the recipe, along with
annotations describing your actions and observations, would be helpful.

Editorial mistakes happen in some of the best recipe sources; the NYTimes
isn't immune.
-j

Thanks, I will do as you suggest later tonight. I'm preparing for heavy
company for the Jewish New Year so I need to keep cooking. I do use a
Taylor oven thermometer although my Thermador electric ovens are older
and haven't been calibrated in awhile. I used a tube pan of good, but
not great quality.

thanks, Bliss

timbrel wrote:
> I just made a zucchini cake recipe that included orange juice, ginger,
> zucchini, and hazlenuts. It is made in a tube pan, but didn't rise very
> well (I often have that problem) nor is it redolent of the ginger, or
> very moist. I'm trying to understand why these cakes often are less
> than spectacular for me. I used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable.
> What part could that play? Its a NY Times recipe so I assume its a good
> recipe.

That's what you get for not using your copper tube pan... in your other
post you said copper pans make all the difference... so there you go.

Sheldon

Its been a long day of cooking with little success and stupid mistakes
so I can't tell whether or not you're teasing me. Of course I don't
have a copper tube pan, I'm delighted after 40 years of cooking to have
two copper saute pans.
However, I did make a plum tart today that doesn't look great in its
pyrex pie pan, I'll see how the second try comes out in aluminum. My
little experiment in cooking materials for this year.
More on the other cake tomorrow. Too much cooking to write much about
it.

Bliss

timbrel wrote:
> Its been a long day of cooking with little success and stupid mistakes
> so I can't tell whether or not you're teasing me. Of course I don't
> have a copper tube pan, I'm delighted after 40 years of cooking to have
> two copper saute pans.

So, okay. Since you haven't given us the recipe we asked for and also
haven't shown us how you modified it, we can't tell what's going on. At
this point, if as you say you're having a day of little success and
stupid mistakes, I have to judge that you are definitely doing something
wrong.


> However, I did make a plum tart today that doesn't look great in its
> pyrex pie pan, I'll see how the second try comes out in aluminum. My
> little experiment in cooking materials for this year.
> More on the other cake tomorrow. Too much cooking to write much about
> it.

Okay, again. The plum tart "doesn't look great in its Pyrex pie pan..."
<sigh> What does that mean?

Sounds to me like you've got oven trouble. Give us more information, so
we may be able to help you out.

pennyaline wrote:
>
> Okay, again. The plum tart "doesn't look great in its Pyrex pie pan..."
> <sigh> What does that mean?


I've had that problem, even with simple apple pies. Pies look pale and
over-moist when cooked in Pyrex in temperatures and timings based on
tin/Al pinpans. They just don't get the bottom/crust browning they
need.

Mind you, I *never* do an apple/pear crisp ("crumble") in anything
*but* pyrex, as I want it uniform all the way across.

"timbrel" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I just made a zucchini cake recipe that included orange juice, ginger,
> zucchini, and hazlenuts. It is made in a tube pan, but didn't rise very
> well (I often have that problem) nor is it redolent of the ginger, or
> very moist. I'm trying to understand why these cakes often are less
> than spectacular for me. I used grapeseed oil instead of vegetable.
> What part could that play? Its a NY Times recipe so I assume its a good
> recipe.
>
> thanks

If a quick bread is not rising properly there are 2 areas to check immediately:

1. Check the date(s) on your baking powder and/or test it.
2. Check the accuracy of your oven.
3. Be very sure your oven is preheated up to temperature before mixing
(combining) the dry and wet ingredients.

Dimitri