bnrmom Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 It's my son's 11th birthday today, and I'm making a cake for our family party tonight. I really don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm not a novice - I bake quite a bit, but I think I'm going to have to do some experimentation to figure out what is wrong. When we first bought our oven I used an oven thermometer to check it, and it was spot on. That was 3 years ago, so maybe I have to check again? I feel like baked goods are done more quickly than the recipe states. I check for doneness by putting a toothpick in the middle - no batter, very few, if any, crumbs. I was using a round 8" aluminum cake pan. I feel like I mix the appropriate amount, but maybe I'm not mixing long enough after I add the flour? I'm always afraid of overbeating and having it come out tough. Sigh, I guess I'm just going to have to put a bunch of frosting in the middle. What sucks is I have to cut it in half to make the layers, and it's going to be really thin in the middle - I hope it doesn't fall apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I'm sorry you're having this trouble! My guess is that you're taking it out of the oven too early, and the batter is not quite done in the center. Besides the toothpick test, I pat the middle of the cake with an oven mitt on my hand to make sure it bounces back. Another option is to level the entire cake so that it is a little thinner. Or make a 2nd cake, if you have time! I usually bake my cakes at 325 deg for a longer time, and the top is much more level. Maybe others will chime in to help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardening momma Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Is it a cake mix, or from scratch? Are you putting the whole batch in one 8" pan? (I think I split a batch between 2 8" pans). How long and at what temp are you baking it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) I agree with the others, sounds like the middle is cooking slower. I used to have this problem until I started placing a flower nail upside down in the middle of the pan before I poured the batter. Be sure to grease up the flower nail first though so it doesn't stick to your cake. It is just like a cake core and conducts heat to the middle of the cake but cheaper and doesn't leave big hole. Worked wonders! If your sides are getting done and cooking longer would make them overdone, you might try using the insulated cooking strips to slow that up. Edited May 15, 2012 by 2cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Are you beating it on high for 2 minutes or whatever the box calls for? If you don't whip in the right amount of air, parts of it will fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnrmom Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 It's from scratch - it's the Pioneer Woman Strawberry Shortcake Cake. And it did call for baking in one pan and then splitting through the middle. I should have followed my instincts and used the two pans. I'll try the flower nail trick next time. Now I'm freaked my cake isn't done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdeno Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 makes these strips you can wet and put around the outside of the cake pan. I have had success wrapping strips of wet t shirt around the outside of the pan:tongue_smilie: (typing this seems much crazier then actually doing it). The other option is to level the cake with a knife after you are done baking it and it has cooled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 You can get a similar result by sitting the entire pan in a larger pan filled with shallow water. (I saw it on a cooking show- keeps the edges of cheese cakes moist.) ;) I would consider just a pinch more leavening in your recipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 At what elevation is your home? I had that problem all of a sudden when we moved to a 5000 ft elevation. I have to add a little more flour and water to every recipe and mix, or reduce the baking powder and soda, because the leavening agents work too fast here and make things fall. Apparently, high elevation begins at 3,500 feet! Otherwise, I suspect the person who said the cake was not done could be right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Ah- too much leavening! Wouldn't have thought of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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