I've had a massive problem with my cakes turning out fluffy and perfect on the top half and incredibly dense and heavy at the bottom. This seems to happen with EVERY attempt at one Italian Creme Cake recipe I've made lately, and it's driving me nuts!

What blows my mind about it is that any time I bake a cake in a smaller, 8" pan that isn't as high, the cakes turn out perfectly. But when I use my higher, 10" pans or my 9x13 they always turn out terrible! I don't get what I'm supposed to be doing wrong, and why it would only be an issue in bigger pans!

I feel like a complete idiot asking, but is there something I'm missing as far as creaming sugar into cakes that have shortening and butter, some different process? The recipe just says to cream together the butter, sugar, shortening and egg yolks. I'm so used to butter cakes that I always cream the butter first, then add the shortening, then the sugar slowly and eventually the yolks. Is this wrong?

I have 4 more batches of these to make in the next two days and I need help quick!

You poor thing! My first thought is that maybe try a lower temperature and a longer baking time. If you have tried that an old trick is to put your pecans and coconut in a bowl and sprinkle it with flour, toss and make sure all is coated with flour. This keeps it all from sinking to the bottom. Also make sure to try using a flower nail or cone in the center of even a 10 inch cake if you haven't tried it. It only makes sense that a smaller cake gets baked through and through and turns out perfect but the larger ones do not. I bake Italian Creme all of the time in all sizes.

Please let me know if this helps. I will be thinking of you.

adjust the liquid in the cake...dont use all of it...that is why the cake is dence. happened to me too but i adjust the liquid as i mix...no cake will take the exact amount of liquid every time...has to do with the moisture in the air and the flour absorbing it.