Baking SOS: recipe calls for 9 in cake pans--I only have 8 in

[Laurie4b]

What do I have to do to adjust? I thought maybe I could leave some batter out of the cake pans, but then I don't know how much to put in. Does anyone know how to adjust? I don't want the cakes to have muffin top!  (Nor do I want a mess in the oven!)

[LaxMom]

Just adjust the baking time by 5 minutes or so. Start testing at the longer baking time recommended by the recipe.

 

The layers will be thicker, so you may want to consider slicing them in half and making a 4 layer cake. Really, though, it shouldn't be that noticeable.

[Pegasus]

I would just use all the batter and add a cooking sheet under the pans to catch any batter that runs over.  Otherwise, if you don't want muffin tops, fill the pans about 2/3 full. . .maybe make a few cupcakes with the leftover batter.

[Forget-Me-Not]

It should be fine. Fill them about 2/3 full. If you have too much batter, pour some into muffin tins :)

[OnTheBrink]

Found this on http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/919861

 

Can you do it? Of course you can! But the question is SHOULD you do it? Not even! Unless you want a big mess.

Here are several baking tips that come from the days before cake mixes, but that still apply for scratch and mix cake baking today:

1. Don't fill any size baking pan more than 3/4 full of cake batter.

2. Do NOT open the oven door before the projected baking time. (This assumes an accurate thermostat on your oven. First rule of baking: KNOW your oven!)

3. Test cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake while the cake is still in the oven. If any batter residue clings to the toothpick, continue baking another 5 to 10 minutes based on evidence provided by test toothpick, then test again. The toothpick should come out clean.

4. DO NOT begin testing prematurely or you will seriously risk the cake falling (center of cake will collapse because semi-liquid batter loses its loft when air bubbles lose heat and collapse prior to baking long enough to set).

5. When baking a cake you wish to serve unfrosted and do not want flour residue (from greasing and flooring the pan prior to filling with batter) to show on the finished cake, simply grease the pan liberally with real butter and omit flouring. When cake is done, cool in pan for five minutes, then release cake onto cooling rack as usual. Cake will release as if you had greased and floured the pan normally, but be warned: This ONLY works with real dairy butter!

6. If you do not want the finished cake layers to dome during baking, then prior to putting layers in the oven tilt the pans so the batter reaches the top of the inside of the pan and rotate the pan to achieve an even coating all the way around. This batter coating will "crisp" during the earliest stages of baking and will then provide a lattice ladder for the remaining batter to climb during baking, thus avoiding the dreaded dome on the finished cake layers. "It's magic!" The finished layers will show no evidence of the "ladder" after baking.

So the final question is what to do with the left-over batter after you've filled your 8" cake pans? As suggested above, cupcakes! But the same rule of only filling 3/4 full still applies!

Good luck!

[Ausmumof3]

You can put baking paper up the sides and higher than it to stop the muffin top thing

[Laurie4b]

Thank you so much! You all are awesome! And I got the answers before I got done mixing the cake. :)

[bolt.]

Reduce each ingredient by one nineth?