Hey all,

So I posted yesterday and did not really get any responses.. so decided since last time I made the recipe the cake did not rise much at all I would do 1.5 recipes instead of just x1.. WELL now I'm sitting on almost 2 hours in the oven on a 8x3 round cake and the middle is NOT done.. the edges def ARE.. I'm so frustrated.. and so mad at myself! I want to cry This recipe has the only bottle of my NO TASTE RED.. So if I have to make over have to make with the cheap store bought red dye. I'm just so devastated atm also because I only make a few $ off of a cake I make.. so making it over will put me at making nothing HERE is my question, will the edges be SUPER dry and the middle moist if I leave in until done? AND I am asking because I have never had this happen. My cakes are always done on time. I'm just so made at myself for messing up and doing 1.5 recipe instead of x1 I should not of done it and I think I know what your all answer will be but asking just incase it might be saveable.

Thanks!

It sounds to me like there is something wrong with the recipe. There is no way any cake should take that long to bake and i think if the middle eventually bakes the outside will be pretty hard.

What kind of cake is it? Posting the recipe might help determine what is wrong for next time.

it is cakeman ravens red velvet and it did rise nice this time.. just tooooooo much! So now the cake is about 2 inches above pan.. man what a disaster

Okay so I took out.. not sure if it's the no taste dye.. but the cake is brown around the edges.. but still super moist. I'm not sure what to do at this point. it does not look right as it has that brown ring.(this was my first time using the no flavor dye.. so I'm assuming it's that..) I might just make over anyhow just becuase of that. But the cake it's self is still moist.. just so bummed over this!

Do you have a thermometer to check your oven temperature? I recently made that recipe and would think that after 2 hours in the oven the cake would be completely burned and black. I used regular red food coloring so not sure about the no-taste red coloring. I did four 6 inch pans and meant to set my oven temp a little low to 325 and accidently set it to 425. I realized when I checked on it after about 15 min and reset it to 325. My edges came out a bit brown but I think they were a bit burned. I wrapped them all and put them in the freezer to deal with later so I haven't tasted yet. I would start with checking the temperature accuracy of your oven and go from there.

Have you tried the rose nail trick? If you put a rose nail down in the middle of the cake, it helps distribute the heat in the center. Just a suggestion.

I make that recipe all the time and use the no taste red and have never had an issue. sounds to me like you put way too much in the pan. better off to do much less and bake the layers seperately. Where the cake is brown is probably going to be really dry.

It is really important with red velvet cake to accurately messure your ingredients too.

I have seen bakers trim the complete outer edge of the cake so that when it's cut they don't have the color change between the white and the crust. If you do this you would have to crumb coat but at least then you could cut off the over baked edges.

thanks all I ended up trashing and starting all over.. have new cake in oven now. I agree hvanaalst too much batter. I just don't like the that 1 recipe is not the tall.. but def 1.5 is NO good for pan. Bummer.. but oh well now I know.

Don't stess.You don't need to use the no-taste red in a red velvet. i made Cake Man Raven's recipe once. I seem to remember it is supposed to use liquid food coloring, that's the stuff you get at the groceery store. I also believe part of the appeal of the red velvet is that the red dye gives it a unique taste. (personally, I don't like red velvet, but that is what I have heard.)

thanks

Cake is baking beautiful this time.. So just need to make the note on my recipe to not do this again!

omg I am sooo done w/ red velvet.. taking off menu like now! this cake is doing the same thing.. I want to cry!! I can't not make.. the order is tomorrow. has been in oven almost 2 hours now and center still not done. I ONLY use 3" pans. I don't like using 2 separate 2" pans.. I have never, I mean NEVER had a problem with this happening..

I'm so sorry this happening to you. Definately test your oven with an oven thermometer...maybe one of your heating elements is acting up

It really sounds to me like there is something wrong with your recipe. I make that recipe all the time and an 8" round should only take about 25 minutes to bake. Usually when i use his recipe I bake 2 x 8" rounds at the same time. They don't raise a ton but makes a nice 2 layer cake.

thanks, will do! The cake ended up finished about 5 mins after my last post.. so I'm happy it's done and usable.. but I totally as so tired of red velvet..

Hi,
I don't know if your baking gas or electric but I had the same problems a week ago .. my cakes were taking forever to bake. normal white chocolate all of them. My oven normaly runs 15 degrees low so I set it for 375 when I want 350 etc. And everything is fine. till last week. Nothing would rise, or bake.
I found that it wasn't the batter or cake, it is was the ignitor on my stove.
a 65.00 part that was not hard to put in and I needed to get it done because of the cake that just got picked up. I am so glad that I only had to spend 65.00 for the part, and not 600 for the stove that I wanted.
If its a gas oven, you can see a glow of orange on the bottom of the stove and it won't give enough energy to make the burner light... no burner no heat.

Best of luck.. Lee