I think I used too much cake batter in my 12 x 18 pan - I used 3 extended cake mixes and it's too much - I used baking strips around the edges - well the edges look good, but the middle doesn't look so great. I have two flower nails in the center (well one in the left half, one in the right half) and it still looks mushy in the middle......... I'm afraid the outside is going to overcook and the middle won't cook............. is there a way to save this, or am I going to have to start all over??

Help????!!

just give it time to cook. Sometimes it seems that the outside will overcook but it usually never will. You can lower your temp a little if you like; so that it cooks the edges slower but it probably isn't necessary.

Keep baking it....Is it still in the oven??

Cindy

Yep still baking! I just moved it a bit in the oven to check the middle and it's still very wobbly! maybe I will lower the temp just a bit.......but then again I'm not sure if that's gonna work either now........hmmm maybe I can try it for a bit.....

I don't know when you wrote this.. .but here's my advice. Leave it in the oven, lower the temp & do not open that door for another 30 min. If it's wobbly it isn't cooked through at all. Don't open the door again. I hope you can save it~

remember that everytime you open your oven you lower your temp and the oven has to reheat; so give it time until you think it is almost done. Hope this helps. I don't think you need to lower the temp; just give it time.

How long has it been in there?

Cindy

Okay it's all done and I cut off hte "excess" parts that were a little burnt and that had come over the edges. I think it's all good - I poked it in about a 100 places to test for "doneness" (no big holes in the cake - used a little toothpick like thing). So now my only problem is..... is it burnt too much around the edges? How can I really tell? When I turned it over onto the top (so the bottom becomes the top - u know, it's flatter and all) I can't tell anything. But the top before I flipped it you could see a difference between the middle and the edges.... like a small line around it. How can I tell if it's going to be really burnt around the eges or if it is okay? Should I start over? I really really really don't want to start over - but I also don't want to serve burnt cake! I think it's okay but I'm not really sure how to tell for sure......... what do you all think?? I need opinions!!!!!

well shoot, I had the same problem tonight. But I had already taken it out of the pan when I noticed it was still gooey in the middle. So I'm baking a new batch. Good thing cake is relatively inexpensive. It's the time that's precious to me right now.

Can you take a picture of the cake an upload it??
I always bake my cakes at a lower temperature, that also helps to have an even top, the last 15 minutes y increase to the recomended temperature, I always have a flat top cake!!

Did you already level the top? If it looks a little dry, just make a simple syrup and that should help. I would just use it on the edges if the middle seems moist.

Simple Syrup is equal parts sugar and water. Put it in a pan and heat till the sugar melts. Stir and brush it on the cake.

Cindy

Thanks esveryone! I turned it out onto a flat cookie sheet last night and then wrapped it and put it in the frezer.... I"ll be taking it out today and I hope that it turns out okay!!! Keep your fingersc crossed for me!

When I bake a 12x18, I use two and a half cake mixes. I only use Pillsbury, so I have the calculations written down once I figured them out. But, to cut your mix in half, measure the whole dry mix in a four cup measuring cup and see how much there is ... probably 3 cups. Pour half back in the cake mix bag, close it with a twist tie and store back in the box. Cut all the ingredients in half too ... for three eggs just use one.

I usually mix one cake mix in the mixer, put it in the pan, then mix the one and a half mixes together in the mixer and add it to the pan, then bake about 25/30 minutes at 350.

yeah last time I did this I only used 2 1/2 mixes and I used the other 1/2 of the mix to bake a 6 in. cake I think........ only I totally forgot I did that this time. I hope it turns out okay - I almost want to do it all over again just b/c I'm scared it's burnt........ any way to tell if it's really burn inside? I did have one little corner come off (at the bottom - not at the top) and it seemed okay - but it was still a little crispy on the outside... could I just cut off the very edge of the edges???

ismarty,
It's probably too late now for advice anyhow; but if the cake is for a customer, I'd bake another one if it were me.

My mom told me to put foil on top of something that was getting too brown on top. So I always grease a piece of foil and then lay greased side down over the cake pan, when I have this problem. Seems to help.