Hi, my disaster isn't about decorating the cake. I have a very yummy chocolate cake recipe, my problem is that it crumbles a lot. I bake it, leave it till the next day to settle, then I level it to fill. When I try removing a level, it starts falling apart, I have to patch it!! I can never carve a cake with this recipe!! Above all that, if by chance the cake doesn't cause any problem filling and decorating, it will crumble when I cut it!! What can be wrong? I tried adding 1 egg to the recipe, but it didn't work.
PLEASE HELP!!!

Some cake recipes you will never be able to carve with, and if you love it, then there is no need to change it. THat said, I would have tried the egg, as you did. I may try adding another egg as well, perhaps some pudding mix?
Intricate carving may not be what this cake is made for. If you are looking simply to round corners and such, then have you tried doing that when frozen?
Also, have you tried sliding a large no-edge cookie sheet between the layers to lift tham after you have torted? You could do a larger size cake circle, but that tends to tear the cake more............hmmmmmmmm............

also, are you refrigerating this cake before you torte?

Thank you for answering me. I usually refridgerate the cake before torting or carving, but it doesn't really help. As for lifting the layers for torting, I usually do it with a very thin cake board.
Do you think that using less baking powder, or less baking soda would help?? By the way, the recipe comes from a book specialized in cakes and carving, weird huh??
Thanks again.

CAKE FALLING APART

- too much baking powder/baking soda, sugar, or fat

- improper mixing

- oven temperature too low

Sometimes "doctoring" a recipe or cake mix can have less than satisfactory results. (There are limits to how much tinkering a formula can withstand before failing.)

Adding an additional egg (which is a leavener) or pudding (which is basically sugar) doesn't always help.

Also, if you aren't using a sharp (preferably serrated) knife to cut/carve your layers, there's a possibilty that your knife is to blame. A dull knife doesn't cut through the cake layers, it pushes them down (tearing the cake apart).

A link to the recipe would be helpful as it's possible another member has made the same cake and could provide further help.

Cake troubleshooting charts:

http://tinyurl.com/2p5bdu

http://tinyurl.com/32goqe

Thanks a lot for your answer. I'll try lessening the baking powder and the baking soda. I usually use regular flour, and add to it baking soda, baking powder and salt, for each cup of flour, I add 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp BS.

This is the recipe:

RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE


125 gr. soft butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
1¼ cups (275 gr.) caster sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups (200gr.) self-raising flour
½ cup (50 gr.) cocoa powder
2/3 cup (160 ml) water