Right now I have my cake in the oven. I decided for the first time ever since I've been baking cakes to NOT put the wet papertowels around the sides of my pan. I also for the first time inserted a rose nail to see if it really works for baking even!!!
Well, so far, I have gone through almost an entire box of aluminum foil to catch all the drippings. The inside of my oven is burning!!! I've scraped and scraped out all drippings that fall off the foil. My smoke alarm is now turned off. I have all my windows open and the fans on and it is still smokey in here!!!!!
I hope like HE!! that this cake still turns out!!!!!! I would hate to have to redo it. It's a 12x18!!!!!!!
It just has to turn out. I don't care if it takes forever to bake I just don't want it to be burnt!!!!!!!! I will be so pi$$ed!!!!!
AMY
Last time I have that bright idea of never putting my papertowels around my pan again!!!!!!!!! Whose bright idea was that anyway!!!!!!!!!
Sorry you have such a mess on your hands. Are you using cake mixes and if so, how many did you put in that pan??? I usually make 3 mixes to go in that pan, if I'm not mistaken.
Cindy
I used doctored cake mixes!!!! Four total!!!!!! I've used three before and the cake just was not thick enough! I've never had this happen!!!! AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!
Fortunately, if I have to, I have time to redo. I just don't want to have to!!!!!!!
Amy
eewwwhhh! Stick with the paper towels sis! They haven't ever failed... if it aint broke...don't fix it.
Wow I can't imagine doing 4 cake mixes - I used 3 flower nails in mine (parchment paper at the bottom the length of the pan and the three flower nails space out and poked up through the parchment paper). I don't know about your paper towl trick, but I didn't use the magi-cake strips I usually use on round pans and it turned out just fine. I used doctored cake mixes - but only 3 of them. I definitely think it's the 4 mixes that are causing you trouble - just seems like too much to me. The other cake wasn't thick enough? You mean tall enough?? I didn't have that problem so I don't know what's wrong w/ that..... good luck though!!!!!
(yeah I had to bake several of these b/c I tried to torte one and it turned into a gigantic mess)
You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You would have to catch me!!! Can you smell it all the way down there, huh, can ya!???!?!?!
Amy
imartsy~ It could very well be the four mixes but I swear I've done this before!!! Oh well, if I have to redo it I have to redo it. I just have to try and not be discouraged and do "less" for the cake as far as decoration goes just so I can get it over with. I already feel that coming on!!!!!
I just finished baking a 12x18 and I did almost two full mixes at a time. Instead of torting my cakes I bake all my cakes twice and just stack them. I have never heard of the paper towels, what is this? Also, I use cake release, the homemade! I love it, it took me forever to muster up the nerve to try it, but I love it.
I am new to this so ladies you might find this question silly....but i never heard of the paper towels. what exactly do you do and what is the purpose???
Just cut two ply paper towels (two sheets) into strips and wet them and apply to the outsides of your cake pan after you fill it!! Of course you dress the inside of your pan as normal! When you wet the paper towels, just run them through your middle and index finger to ring out excess water. They stick and viola. They will dry and just lay on the rack while the cake is baking but I have NEVER had a problem with them burning up!!!!!!! Just ask my sister (Mommykicksbutt)! She does the same thing. We've been doing it for six years!!! Today was the one and ONLY time I'll bake a cake without that technique!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I converted another CC member a month or so ago and she said it worked like a charm!!!!!
Amy
GenesisCakes (Hey Girl ) I'm with you. I have never heard of the papertowel trick. I must try it.
Hi Cameal...whats going on? I think (from what I read) its for the cake to bake evenly???
Well, it didn't burn!!! I just cut off the top and tasted the scrapes (quite a few ) and perfect!
I don't however get what the deal is with the rose nail. The cake is actually very very moist in the center. Maybe I should have left it in for another 5-8 minutes but I just didn't want to risk it. I think using the papertowels work much better than the rose nail! IMO!!!!!
Amy
Well, I use the rose nail but in a cake that size I would have used 2 or 3 of them. The rose nail works for me. I think you had way to much batter in your pan. If you feel 3 mixes is not enough, try using 3 1/2. I also never fill my pans more than half full.
i think the rose nail is to conduct heat in the bigger cake so that they will be done more evenly right?
Is that the same thing u use papertowels for? or is it to get a level cake
what is ali this with rose nails and paper towels. Why is you mix going everywhere. i have never had a problem with any of my cakes. i make all my mixes from scratch.
what is a cake mix? What are the paper towels suppose to do? Maybe i'm being dum coming from england and you lot do it different.
i just line the bottom of a good cake tine for a sponge and all round with a fruit. never sticks or burns.
Glad to hear your cake turned out okay in the end.
Nicole
I bake the 12x18 size quite a bit of the time. I only use ONE flower nail in the middle of the cake. For a nice full cake I use the White Almond Sour Cream cake recipe. (which takes 2 cake mixes) and it fills it beautifully. No leveling required either. There are variations on that cake for different flavors (chocolate, berry, etc.)
A cake mix is a pre mixed dry cake ingredients you buy in a box from the store. You normall add eggs and oil and some people will add extra things to 'doctor' it.
When I do that size and use 4 mixes - I have to line the inside walls of the pan with parchment paper - to prevent from spilling over and it bakes pretty even like that.
Hey, I feel for you. I've had that happen but I was baking in a 3D bear pan. Cake went everywhere! But the cake came out great. I just had a big mess to clean up. Thank heaven for self cleaning ovens.
It does sound like there was to much batter.
The paper towel trick works just like strips Wilton sells to go around the outside of the cake. He helps to keep the edge of the cake from cooking faster then then middle which causes it to rise high and sometimes crack.
The flower nails help large cakes to do somewhat the same. They heat up like the edge of the pan and help to cook the larger cakes in the middle the same time as the edge of the cake.
I have found in doing all these things sometimes the cake still will rise in the center. But, if you put a towel over the cake just as it comes out of the oven and push down on it, the cake will flatten out great and stay that way for you. Let the cake cool for about 10 mins then take it out of the pan and cool completely upside down. You will have a perfectly flat cake.
I think sometimes some mixes are fresher and the baking powder in them puff up more then the mixes that have been sitting for awhile and the baking powder isn't as strong.
I'm sure your cake will taste yummy and look wonderful.
Joanne
when i bake my 12x18 i have only used 1 nail.....think i'm oing to try to use 2 nails and the paper towel. i place my nail on top of my parachment paper any reason y u guys place it under the paper?
wow so many tricks of the trade going on here. I def need to try the paper towels. I just brought a core which i'll try also. thanks ladies for all the great tips!
Is it a 2 in or 3 in pan? I bake at 315 temp. For a 2 in 12x18 pan, I only use 2 mixes and doctor them up if needed, because yes it will overflow with 3 mixes...I've had the alarm go off twice....lololol for the 3 in pan I also bake at 315 using only 3 mixes and doctoring them up if needed because once again it will overflow if I use 4 mixes....I dont use a flower nail or heating core either, the low temp really does great for the even baking...good luck
P.s. recently bought a new house and found that there is a difference in baking between gas and electric stove.
Cindy
See, I've tried the "no more than half full" thing and the cakes just aren't thick enough!!!!! I don't want a puny looking sheet cake. I put designs on the sides of my cakes and I need to have room to do so! Regardless, my cake did turn out fine!!!!!
Amy
Finished reading all the posts! Sounds like there are mixed reviews as to how much batter or mixes will go in the 12x18! If you doctor up the mix (as I have just found out) the volume increases greately. Soooooo, that said, I should have only used 3, not 4! But hey, you know what??????? The excess that I cut off the top will be perfect for "cake balls"! Hey, did we ever come up with a "tastier" name for those little hummers???
With my experience today, I am going to give up the flower nail trick and just stick with my regular ol' wet paper towels around the sides trick! I'll also try the paper towel on top thing. That can't possibly destroy the baking process like the flower nail and no paper towels did!!!
Thanks for the help everyone!!!! It just shows that there are different tricks of the trade that work for some and not for others!!! That's what makes us a great group here on CC!
Amy
not sure if this was suggested, you can place your cake pan in a larger pan with some water on the bottom of it. Helps with moisture and prevents burning. Trust me, I use it to cook in my uneven oven which burns stuff on one end all the time, no matter if the oven is on 300 or 325.
Just like making custard huh! I'll try that on a smaller size pan. I never considered that option. Thank you for the suggestion!
Amy
Cakemommy,
I had a student in one of my cake decorating classes that told me about this trick when baking. However, she uses strips of towels (kitchen towels). She took a Wilton class during the late 70's or early 80's (I can't remember) and they would teach the students to use this method when baking cakes. I guess after the years Wilton introduced the bake even strips.
Yeah, my instructor (not Wilton) told me about doing that! I just haven't cut up one of my old tea towels yet! I just need to find a clip that I can use to keep them together.
Amy
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