Cakes, bother them

[adaeze]

Oh wise and talented flist,

Why is it that *every single time* I attempt to bake a cake, by any variation of the "cream butter & sugar, then add eggs" method, the wretched mixture always always always curdles?  I did *everything* by the book this time, eggs out of the fridge last night to be sure they'd be room temperature, butter & sugar creamed till they were as light as a feather made from hydrogen, and as fluffy as Exceptionally Cute.  And yet still, at the first hint of egg, it curdled.

I know it's not the world's greatest disaster, and I know the Christmas cake will taste just the same.  But it's the principle of the thing - just once in my life, I want to make a non-curdled cake!

Comments

[segh.livejournal.com]

You shouldn't keep your eggs in the fridge in the first place - it does them no good.
I'm not quite in the Pellinor class - I do measure - but apart from that I just throw it all together.
Basic one-bowl sandwich: 4 oz each of flour, marg or butter and sugar, one or two eggs depending on size, hit madly with electric whisk, put in oven at 4 or 5 - depending on what else is cooking. If I'm feeling poor it's 6 oz flour. Or 5 and one of cocoa.

[emperor]

I keep my eggs in the fridge, as they last much longer that way!

[bunn.livejournal.com]

And me, I can't tell the difference (fridge/nonfridge) when I boil them, let alone in a cake.

[segh.livejournal.com]

I just did a little light research: the consensus seems to be that they do last longer - that wouldn't worry me, as we get through a dozen or so eggs a week and buy them as needed. But I do think it spoils the flavour.
Delia doesn't fridge hers. That's probably the first time I've ever knowingly alluded to Delia, except in the context of Kit and the Widow.

[pellegrina.livejournal.com]

I stopped fridging mine when my friend Apples, the ex-submarine chef, said he never fridged his and they lasted for months on the submarine. I just check them for floating before using them after the use by date.