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Nascar Birthday Cake - Grandstands

post #1 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:23am
Thread Starter 
Ugh!
I cannot believe the outcome.
German-Chocolate cake.

Used the recipe on the box...
Batter was light brown and fluffy. Put 1 pan in mid-oven, two other pans above that (3 inch or so spacer) (8" pans). First of all, they ran over and got on racks and botoom (electric oven by the way).
THEN...when i pulled them out, (they tested done/clean pick), they began sinking. Now they are about 1/2" tp 3/4" at most high (on each layer, all lop-sided)

Any Help/advice? Better recipe?

I don't know if the pans were too full, maybe the oven runs too hot?? (need to get thermometer)

Someone has requested one for next week. Good thing I tested the recipe.

Worst of all, I am losing confidence now.
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If by chance I use CAPITAL letters, the intention is to place emphasis on said word and by no means should be interpreted as yelling or anger!!!
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Disclaimer:
If by chance I use CAPITAL letters, the intention is to place emphasis on said word and by no means should be interpreted as yelling or anger!!!
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post #2 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:31am
Hi Mudpie.... there are several reasons that I can see your cake falling.... first, you don't want you cake batter 'fluffy', that adds too much air to your batter and that can cause your cakes to over expand and to fall. Also, your pans may have been too full, but baking three pans at once is really risky. I never bake more than two pans at a time and I tend to turn the pans about half way through.
What temperature did you bake at? Lower temperatures means slower baking and not riosing too quickly.

Debbi
Spanish sugar, French Pastry, Swiss chocolate, and American Apple Pie. How much sweeter can life get????
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Spanish sugar, French Pastry, Swiss chocolate, and American Apple Pie. How much sweeter can life get????
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post #3 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:31am
Hang in there... icon_confused.gif Check your oven temp. Your cakes are shrunken because you lost so much batter in the baking overflow. Was the cake mix bought recently?? Can you post the recipe.. It might help to determine what went wrong. Did you use 2" pans?. We all experience these things.. you will work through it. icon_smile.gif
Ginny
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Ginny
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post #4 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:34am
What recipe did you use.. what brand?
I think maybe you did use to much batter.. And P.S. I baked in a electic oven a few months ago and I hated it!!! The cookie cake did not fully cooked. I never had that problem in my oven.. Gas Range.
A woman is like a bag of Tea.
You don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
Sweet Days and Happy Baking!
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A woman is like a bag of Tea.
You don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
Sweet Days and Happy Baking!
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post #5 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:36am
Don't loose confidence Mudpie!! I have a disaster happen EVERYTIME I bake!! It never fails!! I just had a problem with German Choc cake 2 wks ago. You might need to lower the temp of your oven to 325*. Also do not check the cake until it has been in the oven for 30 min. If the recipe says bake 35 min. then don't check it till 35 min. That has been my biggest problem when baking. I want to check the cakes & check them... I'm always afraid of them burning.

I've figured out that sinking means that the cake was taken out too soon or you might have set it on the counter top to hard.

8" pans usually only need about 3 to 4 cups of batter. So make sure you measure your batter everytime. That will help too.

I never bake more then 1 cake in the oven at a time. Only because one is done before the other & I have to open the oven door too much. That cools the oven down too much. I only bake one at a time. That might be your problem. Other experienced bakers might have more advice on that. icon_smile.gif

Don't give up ok!!! You'll get through this!! If you have to make another cake then make it with a smile!! icon_smile.gif Remember when you make it over then that means you will have more practice & experience the next time you make that recipe!! HANG IN THERE~~
"Learn from a turtle... it only makes progress when it sticks it's neck out"
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"Learn from a turtle... it only makes progress when it sticks it's neck out"
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post #6 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:40am
Yay!!! Now you know you're a cake decorator! Everyone has had something like this happen at one point or another. Where is Squirrely Cakes when we need her?! She is a pro!
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post #7 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:41am
When I've used the German Chocolate Box mix, I use 3 9" round pans, rather than 8"round pans. My batter was more on the runny side, which ended up baking nicely. I always put 3 pans (staggered) in the same oven.....and it is electric. Funny though...my upper oven bakes them perfect at 350* but my lower oven bakes faster, so I turn that on 325*. When the cakes are done, they start to pull away from the sides a bit, so you may want to look for that. Sorry you had such problems but I hope this helps!
Whatever you do, do with all your heart!
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Whatever you do, do with all your heart!
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post #8 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by debsuewoo

Hi Mudpie.... there are several reasons that I can see your cake falling.... first, you don't want you cake batter 'fluffy', that adds too much air to your batter and that can cause your cakes to over expand and to fall. Also, your pans may have been too full, but baking three pans at once is really risky. I never bake more than two pans at a time and I tend to turn the pans about half way through.
What temperature did you bake at? Lower temperatures means slower baking and not riosing too quickly.

Debbi




I second this!!!!!!!!

Don't quit! Don't lose your confidence! Read my original thread "I did something really dumb!" There are some great stories in there, not that what happened was a result of something dumb, but they should at least let you know we've all been there. And yes, thank goodness this was a trial run!!!


Amy
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post #9 of 12
8/17/05 at 9:59am
Thread Starter 
wow! Thanks guys!

Well, it was from scratch, Baker's recipe.
It said to beat egg whites till stiff peaks form, so I did.

If I bake only 1 at a time (I thought all 3 at once didn't seem right)
where do you hold the other? At room temp? Fridge to oven??
Disclaimer:
If by chance I use CAPITAL letters, the intention is to place emphasis on said word and by no means should be interpreted as yelling or anger!!!
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Disclaimer:
If by chance I use CAPITAL letters, the intention is to place emphasis on said word and by no means should be interpreted as yelling or anger!!!
Reply
post #10 of 12
8/17/05 at 10:16am
The Baker's recipe is a great one..made it many times! From trail and error I learned it is very important to fold in the egg whites until there are no streaks.

Although I've had no trouble baking 3 at a time, if you only bake one at a time, I suggest leaving the others at room temp!
Whatever you do, do with all your heart!
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Whatever you do, do with all your heart!
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post #11 of 12
8/17/05 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 
on the baker's recipe...
how far did you whip the egg whites? mine were quite fluffy, was that too much?? Almost merengue like.

Does anyone know and use a good Box German Chocolate cake. I can't afford to keep experimenting. Maybe I'll just make filling from scratch.

Any ideas?
Thanks everyone!
Disclaimer:
If by chance I use CAPITAL letters, the intention is to place emphasis on said word and by no means should be interpreted as yelling or anger!!!
Reply
Disclaimer:
If by chance I use CAPITAL letters, the intention is to place emphasis on said word and by no means should be interpreted as yelling or anger!!!
Reply
post #12 of 12
8/17/05 at 11:27am
I whip mine good and stiff. When I lift the beater thing, the egg whites are stiff enough to hang there....they don't fall off. Don't know if that gives you a visual or not!!

Betty Crocker Super Moist German chocolate mix is the one I use (had to run over and look at the box!!) icon_biggrin.gif
Whatever you do, do with all your heart!
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Whatever you do, do with all your heart!
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