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It sounds like you followed the recipe, so I think the problem may have been the cake pan you used. A 6 inch by 3 inch pan is tough. You may want to use a bundt pan in the future to make sure the center gets done and the outside isn't overdone.
All, I love baking and have been baking cakes since a long time. But for the first time yesterday, I baked a cake in 6' by 3' cake pan. According to the website, I needed to use 3 cups of flour and bake in 350 D for 45 minutes.
I did exactly the same. However, after taking the cake out, it was deep brown (getting close to being burnt) on the outside and raw on the core.
The batter overflowed in the oven making a big mess.
I followed the instructions to the T in terms of baking soda etc.I just dont understand what went wrong.
can someone please advise me so that i know? I wanted to make a double layer cake.
Your pan was the wrong pan for a double layer cake.
Most double layer cakes are made in two separate pans. They are not baked in one high pan and then sliced in half. What you do find are people who bake a single layer and then slice that in half. But the single layer is not thick to begin with.
The higher the pan, the longer it takes to bake the interior/middle of the cake because it takes longer for the heat to penetrate the middle of the batter.
That's why bundt cake pans have a well in the middle.
People will use 6x3 pans for cheesecakes or other special cakes like fruitcakes that are often baked in a bain marie (which is basically a larger pot or pan of water and the moisture prevents the cake from burning).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maila
All, I love baking and have been baking cakes since a long time. But for the first time yesterday, I baked a cake in 6' by 3' cake pan. According to the website, I needed to use 3 cups of flour and bake in 350 D for 45 minutes.
I did exactly the same. However, after taking the cake out, it was deep brown (getting close to being burnt) on the outside and raw on the core.
The batter overflowed in the oven making a big mess.
I followed the instructions to the T in terms of baking soda etc.I just dont understand what went wrong.
can someone please advise me so that i know? I wanted to make a double layer cake.
The type of the pan (stainless steel vs. aluminum vs. light non-stick vs. dark non-stick, vs ceramic or glass etc.) will make a big difference in how evenly something cooks, as well.
As others have said though, the size of the pan and the amount of batter was the most likely culprit this time around.
2 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3.5 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup milk
A friend of mine posted in her personal blog. I am starting to think it should have been baking powder and not baking soda.
But Wiltons say that 3 cups was ok. I know, I used a little bit more, but the disaster could not have been due to the batter alone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by weezycom
I agree with Hedgehog Mom -- with a pan that deep, you absolutely need a heating core in the center of the cake so it will cook evenly.
I am going to see where I can find the heating core. Walmart should have it right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunnydee
It sounds like you followed the recipe, so I think the problem may have been the cake pan you used. A 6 inch by 3 inch pan is tough. You may want to use a bundt pan in the future to make sure the center gets done and the outside isn't overdone.
Ya, I wanted the double layer cake, so coulndt use bunt pan.
Your pan was the wrong pan for a double layer cake.
Most double layer cakes are made in two separate pans. They are not baked in one high pan and then sliced in half. What you do find are people who bake a single layer and then slice that in half. But the single layer is not thick to begin with.
The higher the pan, the longer it takes to bake the interior/middle of the cake because it takes longer for the heat to penetrate the middle of the batter.
That's why bundt cake pans have a well in the middle.
People will use 6x3 pans for cheesecakes or other special cakes like fruitcakes that are often baked in a bain marie (which is basically a larger pot or pan of water and the moisture prevents the cake from burning).
Thank you. I thought it would just be easier to bake this way and cut the cake in half. But isnt there anyway we can bake a cake and cut into two? I mean, say if i want to make a 3 tired cake, I need to bake 6 cakes?!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozgal
The type of the pan (stainless steel vs. aluminum vs. light non-stick vs. dark non-stick, vs ceramic or glass etc.) will make a big difference in how evenly something cooks, as well.
As others have said though, the size of the pan and the amount of batter was the most likely culprit this time around.
Thank you. I thought it would just be easier to bake this way and cut the cake in half. But isnt there anyway we can bake a cake and cut into two? I mean, say if i want to make a 3 tired cake, I need to bake 6 cakes?!
It depends on the depth of the tiers and the height of the total cake. Sometimes it's easier to bake a single cake and cut it in half, but other times it's just easier to bake separate layers, level and then stack them. If I'm doing a square cake for example, I find it far easier to spread the batter into a half sheet cake pan and then cut it up and stack into layers afterward.
It's usually just easier to divide your batter between pans and cook them thinner than to mess with deeper pans and trying to cut them evenly in half. It's not really anymore work (other than clean up) to divide the batter up and factor the cooking time depending on any adjustments made to the pan size/depth from the original recipe.
Thank you. I thought it would just be easier to bake this way and cut the cake in half. But isnt there anyway we can bake a cake and cut into two? I mean, say if i want to make a 3 tired cake, I need to bake 6 cakes?!
If you want a cake with three layers, you just bake three cakes. If you want a cake with six layers, you can bake three cakes and slice each layer in half.
For a two layer cake, you really need to bake two cakes. Your pan was too small, which is why it bubbled over. When you see cake makers splitting cakes, they're splitting a normal sized cake to make two small layers, not splitting a really thick cake to make two normal sized layers.
A friend of mine posted in her personal blog. I am starting to think it should have been baking powder and not baking soda.
But Wiltons say that 3 cups was ok. I know, I used a little bit more, but the disaster could not have been due to the batter alone.
I am going to see where I can find the heating core. Walmart should have it right?
Ya, I wanted the double layer cake, so coulndt use bunt pan.
I posted the recipe above.
Thank you. I thought it would just be easier to bake this way and cut the cake in half. But isnt there anyway we can bake a cake and cut into two? I mean, say if i want to make a 3 tired cake, I need to bake 6 cakes?!
I used aluminium Ozgal.
You have to remember that 3 cups refers to the total amount of batter, not just the flour. When you add the total ingredients, you have over 7.5 cups of batter. What pan did the recipe suggest using?
Was the pan full to the brim when you put it in the oven? If so, there was no room for the cake to rise. That's why it overflowed. It was not done in the middle because it needed more baking time.
When people cut layers in half, they are usually going to make two or three layers and turn them into four or six thin layers. Cutting layers in half is tricky to get them level.* For two layers it is much easier to just use two pans.
You posted the list of ingredients but you didn't post the full recipe including the instructions. What did the recipe say about baking the cake? Did the recipe actually say pour the batter into a single pan and then slice it into two layers afterwards?
All traditional two or three layer cake recipes I've ever baked have explicitly stated either two or three pans because you're baking two or three separate layers. The list of ingredients you provided looks standard for a typical two layer cake, which should be baked into two 9' pans.
As others have mentioned, it's too risky to bake one very thick single layer cake with the intention of turning it into a 2 or 3 layer cake.
I will say it's interesting your recipe called for baking soda. Most traditional layer cake recipes call for baking powder, not soda. I read somewhere that baking soda is only called for in recipes that include an acid, such as using buttermilk instead of milk, which is what most cakes use. Even if you do use baking soda, you really don't need more than 1/4 tsp of baking soda per cup of flour, so you added way too much baking soda.
The actual truth is that you don't need baking soda or powder for cake if you whip the butter/sugar/cream batter long enough before adding the flour/milk. The longer whipping time adds sufficient air to your cake and helps makes it fluffy. Then gently fold in the flour. You do not want to overheat the flour as that will toughen the cake.
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