
Hi,
I attempted a fruit cake and after the baking time of 3 hours I tested the cake and the skewer came out clean but about 5 mins after taking it out of the oven I noticed in sunk in the center. It does not look that bad but it is not all level...hope this makes sense.
Now, what could have gone wrong? This cake is for a class that I have tomorrow evening and we will be covering it with mazipan and then fondant.....will I be able to to still get an even top?

Turn your cake upside down so that the bottom becomes the top. If this is for a class I'm sure they will show you so don't be worried. For fruit cakes, I always add a little extra time to the times given in recipes...just in case! Your cake is probably fine and has just settled because it has cooled. Enjoy your class.

Fruit cakes tend not to be level - not sure why it sunk - may depend on the recipe... usually when you cover a fruit cake you flip it over and use the bottom as the top - otherwise u have lumps & bumps everywhere.
I wouldn't too much... just level it off and flip it over
-- Fi


I always cover the bottom of a fruit cake that is how I was taught so that you can almost get it level or at least you get a flat surface to work on.
The only reason I could think of it sinking would be it needed a bit more time in the oven. You could have turned the oven off and jsut let it cook that way after your 3 hours. The taecher may have a better idea.



This size takes me 3 hours 40 minutes but I do not check with a skewer as I told you any cake I ALWAYS USE A butter knife I bet if you push the middle of the fruit cake it is stodgy and with a skewer it comes out clean but a knife I find is more accurate and about 15 minutes before push down with your fingers to check after the knife test and it should bounce back up...For certain you can use it for your class just fill the dip with marzipan. Good luck I always write down tin sizes and amount of mixture and times but never ever swear by the times give or take 10 minutes....




I'm sure your cake will be lovely. I adore fruit cake although it does have rather a bad reputation in Australia as being over cooked and dried out. Probably because often they are
I always cook mine at 150 in a fan forced electric oven inside a corrugated cardboard box. It gives a beautifully even heat and I find that my cakes are usually very close to, if not. level. I test them with either a knife like LeeAnn suggested or a bamboo skewer, because I find that metal skewers just don't do the job.


I do a lot of fruit cakes and always place cardboard underneath the tin and place layers of newspaper around the outside of the tin. Just before I place the cake in the oven @ 160degrees I wet the top quite liberally with water and I find that it stays level. Nothing better than a really moist fruit cake and it is amazing how many people prefer this. Perhaps the cake should have been cooked a little longer and I have had this problem also but don't know why. The cake tastes great even though it sunk a little in the middle. You can always level it and I always make the bottom of the cake the top when I ice it. Let us know what it is like when it is cut. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.


We also wet down the top of the cake and put newspaper around the tin with brown paper on top and cook in fan forced at 160. Never really had a dry one the whole time we have been makeing fruit cakes and we usually do about 20 each chrsitmas. I forgot we also drop the cake on the cement before it goes in the oven to settle it.
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