Ok. Really. I did something wrong. . .probably a couple of somethings *lol*

I made a chocolate cake for my Course 1, final cake. I used Baker's Joy nonstick spray (mistake #1 I think) and I think I put too much batter in my pans. I used two 9" round cake pans.
I sprayed them with the Baker's Joy which really looked much thicker than any other spray I've used. I think there may have been too much spray in the pan because a couple of spots are overcooked on the edges.

Both layers have a dome. I think this is from too much batter in the pan. Is that right?

I used a trick I learned on youtube. I took a hand towel and pressed the air out of the cakes to flatten them out some. It actually worked but I still have a small dome. So, I wrapped them in Saran Wrap and put them in the refrigerator until I get home this afternoon. I figure if I have to tort them (which I've never done), they would be a little easier from having been in the fridge.

So my questions? Am I on the right track to make this cake work for me tonight? Oh! Do you think a strawberry based creme filling would work for this cake.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

~*~Adorable~*~

P.S.
When I used to make cakes and just throw them together they always turned out perfect. I just couldn't make them pretty. Now that I'm into decorating them, I haven't had a perfect one yet!

Baker's Joy is thick because it has flour in it.

I would just level off the top with a serrated knife or leveler.

Chocolate and strawberries have been going well together for centuries!!!

Does it matter if i use a non stick spray without the flour in it?

If you are looking for a quick way to coat your pans may I suggest making your own? Mix equal parts of oil, shortening, and flour. Then when you need to grease your pan it's all done in one step. Store any extra in an airtight container. It will last for awhile when stored properly.

As for leveling your cake yup you are on the right track. Level that baby and make cake balls with the scraps. (or just munch on em while you finish the cake)
Good luck, hope it all turns out for you in the end.

cakes pretty much always dome, you can try to limit it, but most people still do a little trimming.
i press my cakes down too, just be careful not to over do it - better to carve the dome off than be looking at a dip in your cake!
i grease my pans with butter and line them, so i havent tried the spray, but in my mine, it the same thing. but if you already have the bakers joy, might as well stick with it.
xx

Thank you for the reply!

I use Baker's Joy all the time. You do have to watch not to over spray. Do you use bake-even stips to eliminate some of the dome problem?

I am a Bakers Joy fanatic. I can't bake without it.

I use bakers joy exclusively. I think it works great.. and I usually go overboard on the spraying so I don't think that would affect it terribly.

I believe the ones w/ the flour in them, such as Bakers Joy.. work the best. Actually... I even use it w/ the double chocolate layer cake which usually requires parchment paper.. but w/ Bakers Joy it comes out perfect everytime.

Domes can be caused from a variety of things. Lowering the temperature should help. Usually they dome when the outside cooks faster than the middle.. which is why people recommend using the wet towels (they decrease the temp. of the pans on the outside).

I also use bake even strips and since I started using them, I hardly ever have to level anymore...well once but that was because I overfilled. So use bake evns and measure your batter=no more dome, no need to level.

You might lower the oven temp a little, too. I find that baking at 325 instead of 350 keeps the doming to a minimum.

I don't think I've ever made a chococlate cake that didn't dome.....I think that's normal, but I luv Baker's Joy! I have tried just Pam alone and it does NOT work!

ETA: I bake at 325 too!

To level, you can also put them back in the pan and use dental floss (preferably unflavoured) to slice across. I usually make a little cut with a knife to make a slit to start the dental floss. I also read about using cake boards in the pan and putting the cake on top and then torting that way (so in a two inch pan, put one inch of cake circles, then when you slice at the top of the pan, you are cutting the cake in half).

I LOVE IT when there is a dome. YUMMY (if I can get any before the vultur... children eat it up).

If I am making a cake to decorate, I use the wilton bake easy strips (right after I bought them I learned you can make the same thing with towel strips) and if it bigger than about 8 inches, I use tinfoil folded and stood up in the batter to distribute the heat. I am amazed at how flat they have been turning out.