Pain d'Epices help

I made this cake yesterday from J. Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking II. The middle sank (not cooked enough) and the sides are overcooked and dry. Julia is so reliable -- what did I do wrong?

[momoreg]

Hmmm...dunno.

Can you share the recipe with us? Maybe we can figure it out.

OK. Here it is!

1 1/4 cups honey (1 lb)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp salt
1 TB soda
3 1/2 to 4 cups rye flour
3 ounces ground blanched almonds (pulverized in blender)
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 tsp each cinnamon, gloves, mace
4 tsp ground anise seed
1 cup glaceed peel rinsed in boiling water and drained

Blend honey, sugar and water 'til sugar disolves. Then add flour, soda, and salt and beat for 5 minutes (J. says this beating improves the texture). Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake in two bread pans for 50 to 60 minutes at 325 degrees (don't peek for 45 minutes). Bread is done when skewer plunged to bottom of pan comes out clean.

(I cooked it for about 65 minutes and the skewer seemed to come out clean.)

Flavour improves as it ages, a wait of several days is advised.

It tastes wonderful, nice and spicey, not too sweet.

PS Does anyone else call cakes, especially fruit cakes, that are a bit underdone in the middle, "sad"? It was my British MIL's word.

[kokopuffs]

I noticed that your recipe calls for rye flour exclusively. I make bread and find that the flavor of whole wheat and rye breads improve with age. Unlike white breads, whole wheat and rye breads are NOT eaten on the first day out of the oven. They rest for approx 24 hours. They really do taste better afterwards.

Very important: how big are your bread pans compared to Julia's? 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches is standard. If a larger one was used then the walls were too widely spaced to "push/force" the batter upwards properly. This wide spacing may have allowed the dough to collapse. You may need smaller bread pans.

Did you use light, medium or dark rye - the difference being bran content? The more bran, the less rise because bran flakes cut the glutinous strands leading to loaf collapse.

You may need more leavening or perhaps need to speed the mixing. Put the loaves in the oven ASAP before the leavening weakens.

Was your baking soda fresh? Both baking soda and baking powder should be replaced yearly.

FYI

[ April 13, 2001: Message edited by: kokopuffs ]

[momoreg]

Your liquid to dry ratio is good. I would gues sthat it is the flour too. You might try cutting the flour with unbleached bread flour for a little extra strength.

[ April 13, 2001: Message edited by: momoreg ]

[kokopuffs]

Momoreg's correct. The substitution of some bread flour would raise and therefore strengthen the gluten content of your bread.

[ April 13, 2001: Message edited by: kokopuffs ]

Thanks everyone. Now the cake has had a chance to mellow for a day or two it's much moister with a denser crumb -- of course the middle is soggier too! I'm going to try again, adding about 1/3 bread flour and using a new box of soda. I'll add the soda closer to putting it in the oven too.