Help! I am in trouble! I was using a wilton pan that called for a double layer cake, well, I thought that would be 2 cake mixes (well, I used the durable cake for 3d recipe with sourcream, etc.). Anyway, it is overflowing in the oven as we speak! Onto the smaller cakes underneath. Can I salvage it?
Leave it and let it overflow and cook?

Yeah been there and done that. You can leave it to cook but I found it was a bit heavy although it tasted ok. We ate it but I wouldn't sell it!

can you somehow scooped part of the cake off the pan, and put a sheet pan underneath? depends on how much if overflowing.

I see two problems with letting it overflow: the burnt cake will smell and your cake might have an off taste. Also such a big amount of cake batter in the pan might deter the cake for rising properly.

I would put a cookie sheet under it. If that batter gets down onto the oven floor it is gonna smoke and you probably don't want BBQ flavored cake.

Well, every smoke detetor in the house went off, so I just trashed all 4 of them, the big one and the 3 small ones. Now, I suppose I have to let the oven cool off to clean it all up.. I tried after my firstpost to use a cookie sheet and scrape out what I could from the bottom of the oven but it was too late. Needless to say, I'm irked.

So, what is a double layer cake mix? if I am using a cake mix and sour cream, pudding, etc. Is just one normal mix a double layer amount? Funny, I guess so. I guess just one is enough. OOPS. Thanks for your help>

I would scoop some out. Otherwise the cake will either be too dense, or undercooked/overcooked in different parts.

What I do when trying to figure out cake batter is go "per cups". Wilton has a table that tells you how many cups of mix you need per pan...so I do that and if i have leftovers i make cupcakes.
If you need that info for unusual cake sizes you can also search here on cake central!

What size and shape is your pan?

The wonder mold will fit a half recipe of WASC. A 10" round will fit a half recipe of WASC too.

I have overflowed cake in the oven before and it's such an unbelievable mess! the smell, the stickiness, I definitely feel your pain

Thanks! I am using the guitar pan...when I poured it in, I was a little confused and even said to my husband "I hope I'm not screwing this up, it's a lot of batter". Plus 3 smaller pans on the bottom, which caught some spill, but then made them overflow too...oops. He did NOT find any humor in this. Especially when as the smoke detectors are going off I was looking for the camera and trying to check this forum for advice and I wanted to take picture of the tabacle. I believe his exact words were "well, do they know our address so they can call 911 when the fire starts - just take the (explitives' multiplied) out!"
I'm reheating the oven now, will see if it smells. Don't think there's much I can do. But the half baked cake tasted really really good as I was shoving it in the disposal!

I think one box is a "double layer" as it instructs to split the batter into two 8" layer pans.

I'm so sorry that happened to you! Can you pour yourself a cup of tea, put your favorite TV show and start over? I'll send good vibes from here!

Dont; worry, if the cake is too short now, you can bake another one and tort it and add height. Also, If you tort this cake you are baking in three and put a lot of frosting in the layers (careful, please do the icing dam- frosting thickened with powdered sugar till you can roll it into a ball like playdough - around it so it doesn't bulge) you'll be surprised how much height you add, not to mention your customer will love all the frosting!

[quote="evbunt"] I believe his exact words were "well, do they know our address so they can call 911 when the fire starts - just take the (explitives' multiplied) out!" quote]

I'm sorry that happend to you, but your husband sounds a lot like mine. lol. Hopefully you will be able to look back on this in a few days and laugh. Good luck with the cake. Hopefully it will expand enough for you. Sending good caking vibes your way.

Personally, I've never been able to save a cake volcano. One thing I have learned though is to place a silicon oven liner in the bottom of my oven. Remove, wipe off, put back in oven. It's well worth the 15 dollars I paid for it!

Thank you ALL for all your well wishes and cake vibes and good advice. I'm breathing a bit calmer now, I think I'm going to just see how well I can tort and ice to add height...I really don't want to make another one. Despite what my husband says, this is the best website I've ever found!

I always get two cakes (two layers) from one box mix when I use a mix. Sometimes I even have a little more left over because of everything I add to it.