If someone could help me out with the "hershey's perfectly chocolate cake" recipe. I am new to making scratch cakes and this was the first recipe that I made (from scratch) that I really liked. However both times I made it, it seriously got stuck to the pan. It was like a sugar glue all around the pan! Needless to say I gave up on it because I cant be wasting that much time and ingredients on something I can't count on. But then I got to thinking maybe the way I prepare the pan isnt working for this cake. I normally grease with crisco, flour and put parchement on the bottom of the pan. for those of you who make this recipe, how do you grease the pan? I'd like to give it another try! thanks

I parchment the bottom of my pan--cut to fit and after it bakes I loosen it around the sides with a knife & turn it out. Eventually I remove the parchment.

If I ever grease a pan I use pan goop--equal parts shortening, flour and oil, combine well--I keep mine in the frige. But there's some other recipes for it too. Works great.

Hi,

I too love this cake but hate the pan problem. I've found what helps a little is to cut strips of parchment or wax paper for the sides of the pan also.

It's such a moist cake which is part of the reason why it sticks so much more then other recipes I use......but lining the entire pan definitely helps.

I grease w/shortening and then lightly flour also. Try baking it for just a few minutes longer to help firm up the crust a little. Don't worry about drying it out, I really don't think that's possible with this recipe.

**note**
try subbing 1 cup of hot coffee for the 1 cup of boiling water, it really gives it such a deep chocolate taste and you can't tell there is coffee in it at all.

Good luck!
Deb

Hello,

I've been using this recipe forever. It is my main chocolate cake recipe. I use it for wedding cakes, birthday cakes, cupcakes and everything in between. I can't say I have ever had that problem. I do line my round pans that are 10" and bigger with wax paper, but for the sheet cakes, I just grease with butter on the sides and then a little flour. Sometimes I even use a spray of pan coat like Pam or whatever I have on hand. I always put wax paper on the bottoms of ALL my cakes.

Hope this helps a little.
Teresa

dkelly: so you've experienced the same thing as me with this recipe? I was wondering if I was crazy.

I do this cake ALL the time. Every time I use crisco and flour..it sticks. But everytime I use baking spray it comes out perfectly.

Buy some baking spray.....Good luck.

I'm gonna try the baking spray. thanks

so you don't even grease the pan?

I make this cake all the time and I grease and flour the pans, no wax paper. I never have a problem with sticking. I wonder if it could be the pans? I use Wilton pans and I don't skimp on the crisco and flour. I hope you figure out something that works for you cause this is a great cake recipe.

I spray the pan with a little pam then put wax or parchment paper in the pan. It helps to let the cake cool a little before removing it.

I used the wilton bake even strips. The cake released from the sides and was perfectly even. I also did the parchment on bottom and crisco and cocoa powder on sides and a small pan with about 1/2 a cup of water below pan. I also baked at a lower temp longer.

It's a lot of liquid -2 cups for only 2 1/2 cups of dry (flour and cocoa). Has anyone tried cutting back the milk or water? Do you use whole milk for baking, rather than low fat? I like the taste of this recipe, but don't like how it cuts (not neat slices). Just too wet.
I press a square of waxed paper in my pans, so in one shot it covers the bottom and the sides. Then just form the creases against the pan around the sides and trim off the extra above the pan height. A great trick I learned from the Jen Dontz DVD! Just keep it in the paper until ready to use. Easy!

I cut a parchment circle for the bottom and use "pan grease" on the sides - equal parts crisco, veg oil & flour - mix it up and store it in fridge. I never have a cake stick and it doesn't make the sides all hard and crusty like the sprays seem to.

I actually just baked this cake tonight. I used the Wilton Bake Easy Non-stick Spray and it came out fine. It's one of my all-time favorite scratch recipes, too.

I love this recipe too. I have never had a problem with it sticking, but I do have a problem with it sinking in the center sometimes. Anyone else have that problem?

Price - I have that problem too. I'm trying to find a solution... I reduced the amount of sugar, and that helped, but it still sinks in the center a little. I also tried increasing the flour, but that effected the taste.

I think it sinks because of the amount of sugar/fat, but I'm not sure how to fix that and keep the great flavor and most of the moistness.

I have some recipes that sink, but not this one. I increased the temperature up to as much as 25 degrees and that helped. I also had to get an inexpensive oven thermometer to check the temp. Once my oven said it was at 350F, I checked the thermometer and it was a little cooler than it should have been. It was $2-3 at Walmart.

okay, since both times I made this it didnt come out the pan well, I didnt get around to decorating or cutting the cake. You are saying it isnt very good for tiered cakes? It doesnt cut well? By that do you mean it is crumbly or what? TIA

Merissa - it's very moist.

I knew it was moist because I had made it before thanksgiving (we still ate it even though it didn't come out of the pan of course!) We left for a long weekend and came back 3 or 4 days later and it was still really fresh tasting and moist. All of my other recipes are pretty moist too though (doctored cake mixes).

Perhaps try changing which rack you bake on in your oven? I ended up going with the second from the bottom rack. It lets a cake bake higher (the top does not over-heat and crust too early), and it helps "set up" the bottom so it turns out easily.

Hope that helps.

I do have a new oven now that I have a separate kitchen. It would be interesting to see if that made any difference. I noticed this weekend that my cookies baked nicer in my new oven. I hadnt really noticed a big difference in the other cakes though.

awww geez...now I am disapointed again! Maybe I'll wait on making the cake again. I have a couple of orders this week and I thought I would try it again (I know I liked the flavor, just needed it to come out of the pan!) But I don't want to send it out if I don't know how it will slice up. I don't like really messy slices either.