I just don't get it, I love to decorate the cake but lately, I haven't been able to bake the cake to save my soul! I have repeatedly made recipes from the Magnolia Cookbook that come out wonderful if I make them for family but as soon as I am being paid for the cake or cupcake the cake it either won't cook or will apprear cooked (via testing stick) and after being taken out of the pan it's all gummy. I'm just ready to throw in the towel and say forget it. What sucks the most is that the place I work requires that all cake be made from scratch so I can't doctor a cake mix. Thanks for listening, I really needed to vent. Now, I will try it all over again.
Well, you are not the only one, I'd give anything to have someone to bake for me so I'd focus on the fun part....decorating, but since I am all by myself in this........I just suck it up and bake! 
but it really helps me to think that I'll be decorating as soon as I finish baking so set your mind on that, it will help you. Now, I think you need to double check your recipes, remember baking is like chemistry if you follow the recipe there is not reason for it not to cook right, or check your oven maybe it's not working properly. Good luck! 
ME TOO! I hate baking! 
I want to do the fun stuff, decorate and see the looks on their faces when they see the cake! 
But the actual baking is a PAIN! It takes longer than people think, especially when you're doing a big cake, plus ALL THOSE DISHES!
Hey, anyone in the Atlanta, GA area want to bake all my cakes for me, and I'll decorate them? Yeah right! 
I personally have found the finger press method more reliable than the toothpick method for testing cakes. I have had cakes test done with a toothpick and end up falling or being gummy. Now that I finger press, no worries at all. Also, testing with a toothpick too early can actually interrupt the baking process because you are popping those little gas bubbles, and can cause the cake to fall and not rise back up.
When you do the finger press method, just press lightly, if the cake doesn't rise back up, it's not done. If it rises back up slowly but it makes a "smooshing" sound when you press down on it, it still needs a little longer. If it comes back up without that little sound, it's done. It's really hard to explain that sound or the texture, but once you try it, you will know what I mean.
Baking and making the icing is the most time consuming part!! That's why I stopped doing small cakes, just not worth my time!!
do you press the center of the cake? so it doesn't matter how the cake looks? i mean i get crusted tops sometimes but the inside would still be wet 
do you press the center of the cake? so it doesn't matter how the cake looks? i mean i get crusted tops sometimes but the inside would still be wet
Yes, I press the center of the cake, very lightly. You can still get crusted tops with the cake not being done yet.
This forum is SO funny I was thinking JUST the opposite last week!! It seems the last few cakes that I have done were CRAZY disasters!!!!!
Maybe one day I will get BOTH aspects of it on track! Thank goodness everyone loves cake disasters!!
I definitely agree with double checking your recipe. I know when things happen like that to me it's b/c I get in too much of a hurry and I think I know the recipe from heart and mess it up. Also, if it is not cooking in the middle and crusting on the top maybe your temp is a little too high. But, you are not alone in the cake issues. I'm always so nervous it won't be the same each time.
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