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Smuffin
Newbie
Joined: Feb 22, 2006
Posts: 17
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 Posted:
Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:51 pm |
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I've tried baking a sheet cake 11" x 15" twice now and both times the center seems to rise fine in the oven but when I let it cool down the center seems to deflate. I ended up having to use the Wilton leveler to trim down the sides and the cake ended up looking really thin to me. Am I overmixing or undermixing my batter? I also use a heating core while baking. Is that affecting it? My batter is also made from scratch. |
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Wendoger
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jan 28, 2006
Posts: 2452
Location: Washington
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:03 pm |
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I have never had this problem. I dont know what a heating core is. Is this pound cake your baking? Sometimes pound cakes will settle a bit more in the middle. What kinda cake is it? Do ya have to use the heating core? |
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lisamarie182
Newbie
Joined: Jan 12, 2005
Posts: 9
Location: Buffalo, NY
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:14 pm |
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What temperature are you baking it? Whenever the cake is wider than 10 inches, I always bake it at 325 degrees rather than 350. It bakes more slowly, but also more evenly (so the sides aren't finsihed baking 20 minutes before the middle is. It sounds like your middle may be retaining more moisture compared to the sides. Try this and see if it solves your dilemma. Also, I only use a heating core if the cake layer is deeper than 3 inches. If you turn the temp. down, and bake longer, you may realize you don't need the heating core for sheet cakes anymore. I hope I helped. |
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Cake_Princess
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Nov 01, 2004
Posts: 2207
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Sat Mar 18, 2006 7:16 pm |
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Smuffin
Newbie
Joined: Feb 22, 2006
Posts: 17
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Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:16 pm |
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Thanks Cake_Princess! That was a very useful link.
lisamarie182 - I normally bake at 325C which is recommended by the Wilton instructions that came with the pan. I found that when I didn't use a heating core the sides would bake quickly and end up being dry. I think I'll try not to overbeat my batter.
Quick question (it may seem so trivial...but I'm such a newbie!) - when testing for doneness, do you remove the cake completely from the oven or do you slide the rack out? |
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LeeAnn
Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 03, 2005
Posts: 396
Location: An Australian living in London
Birthday: Apr 24
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:00 am |
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I try to minimise any movement or much fiddling around the drop in oven temp can also ruin the cake knife in and out then shut the door and continue baking if necessary. |
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KHalstead
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Dec 03, 2005
Posts: 6469
Location: Northeastern Ohio
Birthday: Dec 05
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:04 am |
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I had the same thing happen with a 12x18 cake I had to make.....I baked it at 350 for 40 min. with my flower nail upside down in the middle and it came out perfectly!!! Nice and fluffy.......very even on top...in fact I pushed down on it slightly with my cooling rack when it came out and I never even had to level the cake, it was perfectly even. I have also had the centers sag if they weren't completely done baking when I removed it....sometimes I like to shut off the oven and open the door when the cake is just to the wet crumb stage when you test with a toothpick...you'll have kinda wet crumbs on the toothpick when you pull it out......it helps it cool a little slower....not so much of a shock going from hot to cool. |
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mmdd
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 2745
Birthday: Jul 30
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:08 am |
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I once had this issue, and my dh who used to work in a bakery before I met him said that I wasn't cooking my cake thorough....it wasn't done in the middle. I cut it open and sure enough,it wasn't done....it was so close, but still it wasn't done.
Also, sometimes if you move them around a lot while they're cooking, like if you take them out to check them, they can fall.
Hope you get it figured out, and good luck! |
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bodaisy
Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 24, 2006
Posts: 672
Location: Upstate NY
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 11:38 am |
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mmdd-you need to post one more reply did you see your number of posts????? (just messing w/ya) Have a good day!! |
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mmdd
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Mar 06, 2006
Posts: 2745
Birthday: Jul 30
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Mon Apr 10, 2006 5:02 pm |
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Was it on the three 6's??
If so , I did see that and I hurried up and posted again!! LOL
You have a good day too!! |
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