loaf cake?

A question about : loaf cake?

I often make a loaf cake to slice and put in the freezer so we can take out a slice or two at a time (otherwise we'd eat the lot at once!) but was just wondering, can I make any cake in a loaf tin? I know it sounds daft, but I thought if it's deeper, it might not cook through in the same way it would in a sponge tin (or bun tins).

Any thoughts or shall I just risk it?!

Thanks

Best answers:

• How are you making a 'loaf cake' if you're not putting it in a loaf tin to cook? Sorry, not sure I'm following.
  But to answer your question, though I'm sure more experienced cooks than me will be along shortly, I often bake banana bread in a loaf tin. If I think the top is browning before the rest of it is cooked, I put a piece of foil over the top of the tin.
• Hi Spendless
  I usually follow a specific recipe for a loaf cake, such as ginger loaf or a tea bread, but didn't know whether I could cook, for example, a chocolate sponge in a loaf tin rather than a sponge tin. Might just try it and see what happens!
• Yes you can. It might need a longer cooking time and you may need to cover the top with foil part way through, to stop it getting burnt on the top.
• I've made sponge recipes in a loaf tin no problem, e.g. for lemon drizzle
• Ditto for lemon drizzle and banana loaf cake. I think just judge it as it's cooking. If it springs back when you touch it it's done (or use one of those cake skewer thingies). Good idea about covering it with foil if it's getting a bit too toasty on top!
• That's really helpful - thank you! Off to bake a cake now!
• if you are cooking for the freezer - loaves take up less space than round cakes and stack like bricks. may need a bit more time to cook and a bit of foil helps avoid burning. i am currently baking for tea and coffee after my wedding, before the reception, my freezer is full of loaf shaped cakes and nothing else!!
• I too have made sponge cakes in a loaf tin - they do take longer and I've also found I need to cover with foil to stop them burning on the top. The result is a slighty denser (sp?) cake than your usual Victoria sponge - but absolutely edible Especially if topped with buttercream or cream cheese frosting (like a carrot cake)
  Oh, and in answer to your question VfM4meplse, I can't say I've noticed any difference in taste, just a slight difference in texture - maybe a little more crumbly iyswim
  Oh and having slices of sponge in the freezer is quite useful when making a trifle too. I fetch a piece or two out, slice into fingers whilst frozen and add these to the slightly cooled jelly. It cools the jelly more so it can go in the fridge quicker.
  Edit - just remembered, I baked a toffee apple sponge loaf yesterday (apple with syrup & brown sugar on the bottom, sponge on top - like an apple upside down pudding) which was cooked on top but still very soggy in the middle. As I'd done it in a silicon loaf tin, (and as I'm very impatient with my pud ) I finished it off in the microwave. Took but a minute (and even less time to eat it )
• Well thank you for all the help - yesterday I made a chocolate spice cake from an old Be-ro book (which I think never fail) in two small loaf tins and it came out really well. Let's put it like this - only one will make it to the freezer! It did take slightly longer and I kept a careful eye on the top , but it was ok without foil.
  Will be baking all sorts now I know how achievable this is - thanks again!
• I know what I'll be doing this weekend! Loafs ahoy!
• I need to get back into baking and freezing cakes. Shamefully I have started buying them and supermarket bought cakes are (a) expensive and (b) not very nice.
  You have inspired me!!