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Always a little off in one side, why? .....Help

post #1 of 9
3/8/12 at 6:59am
Thread Starter 
Help,

My cakes always look a little off and slightly favoring a side. I use an oven thermometer so my oven is really at 350. However, when I take the cake out the oven one side is always, always higher than the other. As soon as the cake comes out the oven I use paper towels to push it down and try to even out the cake. I mold the oven hot cake sort of. It looks fine and all I would have to do is remove very little crowing and frost. I let it cool completely, wrap plastic and put in the freezer.

However, when I take the cake out the next night to work on trim, fill and frost when its all put together it is off. I use a lever from home depot so I know that the cake is balance and level but it looks like flat on one side and contour on the other. Any idea how I can fix this?
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post #2 of 9
3/8/12 at 7:04am
Have you checked to see if your oven is level? When I fill pans, I give them a spin on the counter to even out the batter. Other than that I would have no idea - sorry.
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post #3 of 9
3/8/12 at 7:22am
I agree, your oven is probably unlevel. I have the same issue.
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post #4 of 9
3/8/12 at 7:45am
And even if your STOVE is level, you should check to make sure your oven racks are level. We moved into a new (to us) house two days before christmas. The previous owners left all appliances so I had to decide between using my own appliances, or using the ones that were left in the house. I decided to keep the stove that was in the house because it had features that mine did not -- it is self cleaning and has a convection function. I badgered my poor DH several times to level the stove and he did several times. The stove is perfectly level. Cakes still come out with a slope. I checked the oven racks and discovered that it is the racks themselves that are bent out of level. I hope I can find racks for it because I really like the stove and would never want to go back to the ceramic cooktop.
deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
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Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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post #5 of 9
3/8/12 at 8:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakeyouverymuch

And even if your STOVE is level, you should check to make sure your oven racks are level.

I never would have thought of this. Good tip!
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post #6 of 9
3/8/12 at 9:15am
I have trouble with lopsided cakes, too.
Usually I set my oven timer for about 15 minutes into the time and turn my cake 180 degrees.
Finish cooking the rest to the time.
Not a perfect system, but it works for me.

mommachris
wife to David for 23 years
mom to 13 blessings
Nine who are still living at home that range from 21 to 3 years old.
Holly, Amy, Aaron, Evelyn, Zebedee, Melody, William, Melissa and little Tobin
and four more sweet babies in heaven.
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wife to David for 23 years
mom to 13 blessings
Nine who are still living at home that range from 21 to 3 years old.
Holly, Amy, Aaron, Evelyn, Zebedee, Melody, William, Melissa and little Tobin
and four more sweet babies in heaven.
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post #7 of 9
3/8/12 at 9:24am
@ indydebi,

Every cake I've baked since we moved in has had a bit of a slope. Then I baked this heart cake:

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-love-old-fashioned-irish-lace-doilies.html

When I took it out of the oven there was nearly an inch difference between the curves of the heart and the point. I baked a second one and put it in point first since the first one had gone in rounds first. It came out the same way. What was even more odd was that the six inch cakes that went in at the same time were only slightly sloped. I put the heart pan back in with water in it and mystery solved. The bar that holds the wires of the oven rack seems to be raised and the heavier part of the pan (the rounds od the heart) actually drops enough that the lighter part of the pan (the point of the heart) is not touching the rack at all. As a result the batter flows to the heavier area and makes a huge difference. The smaller pans at the back corner weren't affected as much. Since this heart was my own birthday cake it didn't matter so much (I pretended it was deliberate, part of the design strategy), and with any other shape its possible to shift the layers to finish up even, but I'm going to have to find new racks. I'm thinking the previous owner (a recent widower) may have used the self clean function too often with the racks in and the excessive heat warped them.
deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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deborahanne

http://grandmasugarskitchen.blogspot.com/
http://lamaisondesgateaux.blogspot.com/
http://theenchantedline.blogspot.com/

Life begins at 325° F, and, yes, that IS powdered sugar in my hair.
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post #8 of 9
3/8/12 at 10:44am
#1) rotate the cakes

#2) you can use tin foil to level the racks if they aren't super warped

#3) When you stack your 2 cakes (or torte one into 2) flip them around so that the unevenness complements itself and you end up with a level cake.

#4) Add more icing to the low side so that your final product is level regardless of the cake that's inside. (use several thinner coats and the refrigerator to set them in-between if necessary)
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post #9 of 9
3/8/12 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone. Yes, the stove is balance so are the racks. I placed the lever inside afew times before baking. Still slightly new 2 years old.

I am going to try the turning while baking and see how that works.

Thanks again
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