Devils Food Cake Not Rising

Our answer

Nigella's Devil's Food Cake (from Kitchen and on the Nigella website) does not rise as much as a traditional sponge cake as it is supposed to be rich, moist and slightly dense. It has a realatively low amount of raising agents with only 1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder and bicrbonate of soda (baking soda). However it should rise towards the top of the tin and should not be a thin or skinny cake.

If the cake barely rose and the raising agents are still in date then it is most likely that the oven may not have been preheated fully before the cake was baked. If the oven is too cool, or the cake batter has to stand while the oven preheats, then the raising agents will tend to expire, particularly the bicarbonate of soda which acts very quickly. Some ovens take a while to heat up so it is always worth turning the oven on before you even start measuring out ingredients. It is also worth noting that raising agents, and particularly baking powder, can expire more quickly if not sealed tightly and stored in humid conditions. The cake layers, without icing, can be frozen for up to 3 months if wrapped tightly in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) and a layer of foil.