QUESTION: I have a recipe for a one-pound cake, which always turns out fine. I decided to triple the recipe. The mixture looks good, but always finishes with a crusty top which cakes off leaving a loaf without a crown, but it still tastes great. What am I doing wrong? PS. This recipe uses baking soda. Thanks. Phil (Richer, MB)
ANSWER: Here are a few tricks that should solve your challenge:
Doubling or tripling recipes usually leads to over mixing the batter especially when making cakes unless you treat your doubled recipe as one, "new" recipe. (Make sure your mixer is strong enough to handle the increased volume). When creaming butter and sugar, just because you have increased the amounts of both, you should cream them the same amount of time as if you are creaming for one recipe. The eggs are added one at a time and mixed as though you are mixing them into one recipe. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters often. Bake the recipe at the same temperature but longer.
Also, do not simply triple the ingredients; for accuracy, weigh all ingredients or convert the recipe using a conversion factor. Lastly, reduce the amount of spices and baking soda in the recipe i.e. if you are tripling the recipe, double the baking soda and spices.
QUESTION: I've got black stuff building up along where the top of the tub meets the tub surround. I'm assuming that it is mould of some type and I've tried bleach but with no success do you have any other suggestions, as it is very unappealing. Thanks so much, Jacquie, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Due to their small size, mixture of surfaces and the fact that bathrooms generate tremendous amounts of moisture and humidity, this room is a natural breeding ground for all types of bacteria and mildew.
There are an amazing amount of mould cleaners on the market, which could take care of your challenge. However, my favourite solution is to combine a spray bottle full of vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil (much less toxic and does a good job). Scrub with an old toothbrush. If the mildew remains, sprinkle borax or baking soda to make the area more abrasive, scrub and rinse. Make sure to keep your exhaust fan running for a few minutes after showering to lower the humidity in the bathroom.
One other suggestion that many people attest to is applying a small amount of car wax to areas that tend to grow mildew as a preventative measure.
Feedback from Manitoba Readers:
-- With regards to moisture build-up inside of a window Brian wrote: The (vacuum) seal between the window unit is the issue; the window's vacuum seal is broken and air has entered the sealed unit and condensation between the panes is the problem/observation. Nothing can cure the problem but to replace with a new "sealed" window unit. Seal is broken by temperature extremes, bird strikes, or old age. Brian
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
