This is the second time I made a choco cake from scratch to have this happen. Can anyone tell me why? The cake tastes good just looks gross and is soggy on the outsides.

Can it be because I used the Wilton Cake Release stuff vs greasing/flouring?

Is it the type of cocoa I'm using (ghirardelli)?

I found the recipe here and it got 32 reviews above 4 so it's got to be something I'm doing.

Anyone???

Which recipe did you use? Can you post a link to it? How much cake releasedid you use. If you put a ton on it can defintely affect the cake. I have never had this happen to a cake and I have used ghirardelli cocoa. Is the inside of the cake fine? How's the crumb?

I always line my pans with parchment paper...no matter what size pan or recipe I'm using. Just use a very small amount of shortening on the bottom and sides of the pan then line the bottom only with parchment paper. When ready to release, run a knife around the edges and pop it out. This way you are adding only a small amount of additional fat to the cake and no flour, plus your cakes will be perfect every time.

Another benefit is that you can leave the paper on until you are ready to use the cake...keeps moisture in and cake is easier to move with that extra stability.

HTH

Hi, I think its the Wilton cake release. I have had problems with this before. I always line my tins with a small amount of shortening now and most of the time I have no problems and I bake mostly chocolate cakes. Hope this helps. Regards Wendym

To elaborate more.. I just spray my pans with original Pam or the organic equivalent and line the bottom with parchment. I'd give it a go without the wilton cake release and see how it goes.

Hurmph. I don't know what the heck I am doing wrong with chocolate cakes!

Here is the link to the recipe I used:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2185-50-Dark-Chocolate-Cake.html

I tried it again, but thought for sure it was the cake release stuff (even though my other cakes never have a problem) and I tried to use the Nestle cocoa vs ghirardelli. This time the darn thing wouldn't release from the bottom of the pan. I attempted just grease & flour when I should have done the parchment paper.

I am so freakin' tired I don't want to bake anymore today but I really just wanted to decorate tomorrow. My kids make it difficult for me to bake & decorate the same day.

Crap.

Skip the flour all together.. it does more harm than good. non-stick pan spray (without flour) will work great.. it always works for me. I tried using shortening once and it stuck a little bit. I hope that you have better luck next time. Nothing sucks more than having to bake the same cake twice.. nevermind 3 times.

Thanks JKalman. I'll try that next time. I did bake again (3rd times a charm right!?) but not chocolate, a vanilla cake. Guess my Mother's Club will just have to be happy with an all vanilla cake.

A bright spot in all this though.... DH said I can upgrade all my pans from the Wilton one's I've been using. I'm too excited! Now I gotta research which ones to get. hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Try baking the cake a little longer and not taking it out of the pan so soon. It looks like it might be a little underdone from the picture you posted. My chocolate cake is also oil-based, and it's pretty sticky and fragile if I take it out of the pans too son. They need time to cool off and set up a little, in my experience.

I don't do anything to my pans at all other than line the bottoms with silicone liners or waxed paper. I was thinking about the greasing of the pans one day (yes, this is what I think about, I know it's scary...) and thought that if the purpose of greasing the pan is to get the cake out, but the purpose of flouring the pan is to give it something to grip to while it rises because the grease made it not have something to grip to, why bother doing either? So I tried baking without greasing or flouring, and it made absolutely no difference. I run a knife around the inside edge of the pan (not a sharp knife, or you get metal shavings in the cake--not good) to release it, and the bottom liner makes them come out fine.

Having said that, one caveat is that I bake from scratch, not mixes, so that might affect it. I don't know how cake mixes behave, so you might need to grease the pans.

Also check your Ghiardelli cocoa - make sure that it's 100% unsweetened cocoa powder, and NOT the sweet baking chocolate crap that they sell that there's no use for except homemade hot chocolate.

The Calphelon pans are really nice (if you can't don't want to spring for Magic Line or just want non-stick) - I have a large loaf pan that is my designated "pound cake pan", and just used it yesterday for a cherry vanilla pound cake. The cake came out beautifully.

But if you have a Ross/TJMaxx/Marshalls near you, look in their cooking sections - I've found Calphelons there for half of what BBB sells them for.

I use the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa and sometimes it gives me this problem. I have started lining the bottom and sides of my pans with parchment paper and they come out beautifully! I would recommend that if you like your recipe you try lining your pans.

HTH

This is a no fail way to grease your pans.

Mix up a big batch of it and use it as needed.

One part veggie oil.
One part shortening.
One part flour.

Equal parts, obviously.

Then use a pastry brush and coat your pan and make sure to get the cracks really good. Works wonders, way better than Pam, which is what I used to use, but my cakes would stick and I would get hardened edges on them!

ok HerBoudoir, you need to cough up the recipe for that cherry vanilla pound cake! It sounds devine Also, if anyone has a good recipe for a strawberry pound or loaf cake I would be much appreciative! TIA

Amber

I'm with Amber0717, I have been using that cake release recipe for about a year now and I love it. I got the recipe from CC and have never gone back to using Wilton or anything else... it has worked perfectly every time. And, it's super cheap! I let my cakes cool for about 5 minutes before I remove them from the pan, if you let them cool too long the release hardens and will stick.

Heather

Crisco Baking Spray! Works every time....and I do chocolate cakes all the time!

Beth