AI have just got up to check on my cake, and it has spilled everywhere. The top is crunchy and cracked. It isn't jiggly but doesn't seem cooked.

Wedding is Saturday. I really don't have the ingredients/time to bake another cake!! Grrrrr.

I have used this recipe before, but not in this pan. Sigh. I might just sit here and cry.

I can't do anything to help you other than to send you some good vibes and hope you work this out.  Do you have another recipe that you know will work? I know there will be an answer to why this happened but you are cutting it fine to ganache and fondant a cake for Saturday without test baking recipes as well. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Have you checked all the obvious things like that your ingredients are all fresh and not past their use by, and that you weighed and measured everything out correctly.  It just seems odd  that a recipe that you have made before would react so badly just be changing the tin.

Ahttp://akitchencat.com.au/tag/chocolate-mud-cake/

This is the recipe I used. I baked another cake the exact same this morning, only half filled the pan, and it sunk in the middle. I did it both times in a heart shaped pan, about 3-4cm deep I think. So close to giving up. :(

ASo my second cake has cooled, May be salvageable. It'll just be a thin layer once I level it.

Oh well.

AUpdate, I baked another simple chocolate cake. And I'm icing it now. The ganache icing smoothing out too well.. I've done a crumb coat, and its in the fridge, hopefully I can fix it with a final frost.

Trying not to throw the cake out the window right now.

I need a beer!

Hope you have had your beer and relaxed a little, the recipe you used was the Planet Cake Mud, there a various threads on forums about this recipe and the general opinion about why the crust is forming and the cake sinking is that it is not beaten enough.  The crust is caused by the sugar not being mixed in and beaten thoroughly.  This info comes from ApplegumPam a legendary caker here, she knows what she is talking about.

oh I'm so sorry Baking_mama! I'm so glad you were able to use it though and hopefully relaxing a little more now.

810whitchoc is right about ApplegumPam :) and she also was kind enough to share a wonderful recipe of her mudcake if you ever need another to use. Mudcakes do sometimes or always for some recipes form that crunchy top but I cut it off or have heard some people brush it with hot water straight out of the oven and others cover with foil for the first 3/4 of baking.

good luck with the rest of the cake and hope the stressful part is over!