now, how do i get one that's 'just right' ?

i'm trying to bake cakes in a std loaf pan (a non-stick coated meat loaf pan from walmart). i'm using a box of dh butter recipe made according to instructions, oven at 350*

at first, i used the whole batch in one pan. what a mess. that was the raw one. couldn't get it cooked after over an hour and a half, and it spilled all over the place (thankfully, i had it in a pan with a little water in it underneath).

then, i got a 2nd loaf pan and split the batter into two 1# batches. it doesn't say on the box how long to cook a loaf pan. so i guessed 30 mins. not done. so i added 5 more. not done. added another 5 almost done. another 5 burnt to a crisp.

i made a 3rd batch. two loaves. same thing. goes from not done to burnt in the blink of an eye.

so... how long do you good folks bake a loaf cake?

Try lowering the temperature to about 325. It is so thick in the loaf pan that the outside is getting too hot and burning prior to the inside completely cooking. I have cooked in loaf pans before and never had a problem (knock on wood).

I bake them at 325 instead of 350, have you calibrated your oven lately? I know it takes quite a while to bake one, but I have never had any problems with them. ( I can't remember the exact time for baking, I just keep checking and as soon as there are "crumbs" instead of batter on the toothpick, I pull them out of the oven)

i've never calibrated my oven, but i know it's terribly uneven. i'm always having to turn a sheet pan of cookies about three times during their baking. i'm a renter, so i can't buy a new oven.

how do you calibrate an oven? is there a special thermometer? and do you take the temps at different places in the oven and different rack levels?

i'll try 325 for today's batch.

Get an oven thermometer. It has a piece that sticks inside your oven and reads the true inside temp of your oven.

Here is one http://www.tabletools.com/tabletools/showdetl.cfm?DID=6&Product_ID=4707

Here is another idea: When doing a thick cake place a rose nail in the middle of the pan to help draw heat to the center for a more even cooking. All the pans get hot first then the cake mix will cook. But place a "heating core" in the middle it will help cook the cakes evenly. I use this method with my 3" deep pans and all pans bigger than 9" in diamiter. I also cook at 325 for 40 to 50 min. It the cake is really big it could take over an hour. HTH>

If your cakes and cookies are coming out uneven, the oven itself may need to be leveled. Some have legs at the bottom that can be adjusted. You will need to get a carpenters level to check it. If you don't have someone to do it, call your landlord. Also check your temperature with an oven thermometer,if it is not match what your dial is saying, your landlord can adjust the thermostat to get the temp right. I would start with those 2 things first, the heating core in the deep loaf pan will help the cooking process also.