I filled the pan 2/3 full and I have red velvet batter oozing over the sides. I placed a cookie sheet under the cake on the second rack, but I'm afraid what has already gone over the sides is going to make the cake taste smokey. Is there anything I can do?

When it's finished "oozing" maybe you can take the cookie sheet with the spilled over part out of the oven and wipe the sides of your cake pan? Good luck, hopefully you can save it!

That's about all you can do. Take cookie sheet out when cake is done spewing lol. As long as there isn't a whole lot of smoke, the cake should taste fine.

it wont taste smokey. it has happened to me on more than one occaision. next time you can collar your pan with parchment. that should keep the batter in the pan on not on the bottom of your oven.

We are still spewing, but the smoke has died down since I put the cookie sheet in the oven to catch the drips. Man what a pain! I think I will put only one recipe of batter in the next 12" pan. This is the bottom of a wedding cake and also the first of many tiers to bake. Pray things get easier for me...

Good luck! I just had this same problem!! I was practicing some flavors for a wedding cake and my choc. cake kinda spewed all over the oven... .thankfully I had put a cookie sheet down.... but I wish I had collared my pans.... good idea for the future. I haven't tasted all of the cake yet, but I did taste some of the top of it when I leveled it and it was yummy! My only problem was trying to determine when it was "done" I still think the middle may be a tiny bit mushy.... but just a tiny bit - and it could be just b/c hte cake is REALLY moist..... it was a very liquid-ey batter. From the dark chocolate recipe on this site.... very very watery! But I think it's going to turn out great!

Good luck w/ yours!