I am baking a 12x18 sheet cake right now. I forgot all about the flower nail thing. And I just relized that I set my oven at 375. The center is sinking in and oh lord I don't even know what to do . This is a birthday cake for my husband but I don't have time to start over. Please help. I used 3 boxes of mix and just followed the directions on the back of the box but I did it 3 times. You know what I mean. TIA for any help or advice ~Melissa

maybe you can turn your oven down to 325 it will take a long time to cook and im not sure what will happen since you started at 375. wish i could be more help

I know you said you don't have time to start over but I honestly don't see anyway around it. ( hug and pat on the back)
Sorry, sweetie but this doesn't sound too good.
hope it works out alright.

mommachris

Here's a trick that I use sometimes to get a cake even, if that is the major problem when it is done baking. If you can't slice off the top to even it out, I take thin wide pieces of fondant( if you have any) and place them on top of the cake where the dent is to even the surface and then turn the cake over upside down. It sounds strange I know, but if if that or nothing..

If you don't have fondant, use buttercream and just put a lot more where the gap is, then smooth over.

Ok it is done. It baked ok but it does need to be level. My DH didnt bring home the cake board that I have been telling him for the last week, so now the cake is on the counter and I guess that is where it will stay because I almost broke it taking it out of the pan. Since I don't want to frost it until tomorrow can I just lay plastic wrap on top of it because I really don't want to move the darn thing. TIA~Melissa.

I've never used a heating core/flower nail in my 12x18, but just lower my temp. to 325 and bake a little longer. I've never had any problems with the center not being cooked. If you have a little "hump" on the top of your cake when it comes out, instead of trying to take it off, try putting a piece of waxed paper on top of your hot cake, and then putting a masonite board on top of the cake and then sit something heavy on top of the board. It will level it immediately and you don't waste any of your cake. If it sinks, just add more buttercream to that spot to even it out.

yes, just make sure it's covered well.

wow, lots of ideas here I never thought of, still so much to learn. Sigh.

Love the wisdom from you ladies.

mommachris

I had the same problem with a cake I did last week. The middle dipped a bit which was unusual for me. I took some of the top that I leveled off (it didn't take much)and put it in the center. When it was frosted, you couldn't even tell. Just one more thought. I've been using those magic strips that you soak and then put around the sided of my larger pans. It really helps keep things cooking even.

I did something similair. I knew I had to turn my oven temp down from 350* to 325* the only problem was that I had just used it recently at 400* and baked most of the cake at 425*.
It was nearly done by the time I turned the oven down but it came out fine and my BIL never knew the difference in the taste. It was his VDay cake that he'd ordered.
Everything came out just fine. So, keep up the good work. It all turns out great in the end. I would try to find some kind of board and pop it into the freezer though.
Tabby

I know all about the heating core... but what is this interesting note about a flower nail? Very curious : )

Laurie
www.sweetcelebrations.us

You can prepare the flower nail as you would the pan (cake release, shortening, etc...), turn it upside down in the center ( I use 2, spaced out for a 12 x 18 cake) for it to cook more evenly just like the heating core, but without that large hole in the middle.

One of my first students (Yep, I teach Wilton classes... got to save up for a business license somehow : ) recently told me her mother did wedding cakes and specialized in angel food cakes.

Evidently, angel food is not meant to be a sheet cake (I had no idea it was so tricky!) -- it needs something to "climb on" to help it rise in the center. Her mother was the only one in the area who could do them, so almost every cake she made was angel food. Her secret? Coffee cans. She'd cut the tops and bottoms off and center them in the pan. She would then fill them to the same level with batter. Betty says they came out great every time!

On another note -- there is a woman who owns a tools and bakeware store in this area who uses cans in a different manner entirely -- uses them as supports in her tiers! She cuts the tops and bottoms off, washes them well, and sticks them right down in the cake like you would a hollow dowel rod. For larger tiers she uses larger cans or three cans grouped together. When it's time to serve the cake she pops the cake out the bottom of the can and serves little round slices -- no wasted cake! I haven't tried it yet, but it's an interesting idea : )

I think I'll give it a try this week... : )

Thanks for the reply on the flower nail... what a cool idea!