An amateur needs help

[Tangerine LaBamba]

from all you experienced bakers out there.

I found this really cool recipe - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/dining/181arex.html?ref=dining&pagewanted=print - and I have all the ingredients on hand, so I want to fix it tomorrow (another chilly, gray, rainy day predicted).

But, it calls for a 9x5 pan, and all I have is an 8x4 loaf pan.

How much do I have to adjust the time in the oven?

I'm gonna have leftover batter, probably. Anything I can do with it besides trying to bake it and - most likely - failing miserably?

I'm hungry...............

[Shakespeare]

1. The olive oil cakes I've made use a round cake pan.

I'm not sure how you'd adjust for a small difference, but I'd use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to check for doneness. Olive oil cakes are heavenly & that recipe looks great. My fave is a traditional beaumes de venise, which is flavored with muscat.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. I've never baked a cake

Honest. Cross my heart.

So, using a wooden skewer, what am I looking for? I seem to recall my mother - so long ago - using a straw from a broom and if it came out clean, the cake was done.

Is that right?

Also, I remember not being able to jump around in the kitchen because "the cake's gonna fall."

I've never tasted an olive oil cake. This is going to be a great adventure. The article accompanying the recipe said that the original recipe called for limes - so I'm going to use limes in place of the blood oranges.

Thanks, kid...............

:bounce:

[Shakespeare]

3. A clean straw from a broom should work just fine.

The cake should be about halfway between a pound cake and regular sponge cake in consistency, and the olive oil gives it a lovely richness. And using limes sounds delish!

[housewolf]

4. Volume of loaf pans

an 8"x4" loaf pan holds 4 cups
an 8.5"x4.5" loaf pan holds 6 cups
a 9"x5" loaf pan holds 8 cups

So your 8"x4" loaf pan only holds half the amount that a 9"x5" holds.

You might want to only make half the recipe, or bake it in 2 pans if you have 2, or bake half the batter at a time. Or you could bake it in an 8" square or 9" round cake pan. Whichever you use, you'll need to adjust the baking time & temp. This is a guess since I've never done this but if you use the square or round pan, reduce the temp by about 25 degrees and start testing for doneness about 10 minutes before the recipe says. If you use the smaller loaf pan, reduce the temp by 10 degrees or so and start testing for doneness a few minutes before the recipe calls for.

[hippywife]

5. Now this is pretty cool.

Just reading the pan sizes, I would have never thought that the difference between them was half the volume! Awesome, B! You always have the best baking info. :hug:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. Thank you so much..........

That's excellent information, nothing I ever thought of. Told you I'm not a baker.

Well, given that I don't want to screw this up, the baking is going to have to wait until I can pick up the correct pan. Even my best pal neighbor didn't have the right size, and on this drizzly, gray, chilly day, no one feels like going outside to get to the store.

When I fix this recipe, I'll report back. I think it's gonna be very good.

Thank you again..........................

[hippywife]

7. And...

most of in here are amateurs just plodding our way through new and exciting stuff sometimes. :D