Okay, so I blame my inexperience as a cake cook but I made the Darn Good Chocolate cake mix. Put it in a 8 x 3 pan and cooked it on 325 for atleast 40 minutes. I started at 25 like the recipe and kept adding minutes as it was not done. Finally I took it out of the oven, flipped it over (was going to freeze it hot) and it was still gooey. I even had to dig the rose nail out. It starting falling apart it was sooo gooey so I left it out to pick at before I threw it away. What chocolate cake mix is good and can be used for stacking and putting in 8 x 3 pans?

I use Nikki's Chocolate Fudge Cake from here. I uses a box cake mix as a base and adds to it. I have never had any problems with it and everyone I make it for absolutely loves it. Good luck!

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/7230/nikkis-chocolate-fudge-cake

In my experience with 3" deep pans, they have to cook a much longer time than a 2" deep pan. If you filled the pan to 2/3 full, it would probably take an hour....maybe that's just me??

I have used that recipe as well as the choco WASC. It sounds to me like it was way underbaked. I also have 3 inch deep pans, and it takes over an hour to bake for a 8x3. I would say about 1 hr and 15 minutes or so. Did you test it with a toothpick before you took it out, or did you just take it out after 40 minutes? When you start "smelling the cake" it is almost ready....its a good idea to buy the long skewers and insert them into your cake once you think they are ready. If it has a few crumbs its done. It it still is a little gooey...it needs about another 15 or so to bake. Hope this helps

Oh...and I like betty crocker!!

I always use 3" pans and use the 8X3 a lot and at 325 it usually takes somewhere around 1.25 hours, depending on how many "extra's" I'm throwing in there(pudding mix, butter milk, sour cream, etc.) it could even be a bit more. I also use a long bamboo shish kabob skewer to test, they're pretty cheap, you can buy them by the bunch and they reach all the way down. Good Luck!

The cake definitely needs to be baked for at least an hour. Another way to ensure that it is baked through is to check if the sides of the cake are separating from the sides of the pan. Once that has started, the cake is normally finished. That's normally what I go by when baking in 3" pans. HTH

Thanks to all the help. Maybe I will try it again, and I will keep in mind that the 8 x 3 pans take atleast an hour. Would that be with any cake in a 8 x 3 pan at 325?

I find that chocolate I usually have to bake a little longer in the 8x3 because that cake mix tends to make a little more batter than white cake mixes.

When I am baking in the 8x3 in pan at 325 then I always set the timer for around 50 mins so I can start watching it. Like said above, chocolate in this pan will take over an hour and I find usually like 70-75 mins.

I have never had Darn Good Chocolate Cake (if you are referring to the Cake Mix Doctor's version) fail me. It is my absolute favorite. My guess is the 3" pan and lack of time baked. Actually, Anne Byrn's recipe has you baking this cake in a Bundt pan, baking it at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, so even an 8x3 would be at least the 50 minute mark and is closer to the 60 minute mark mentioned by others above. As well, this is a recipe that calls for chocolate chips to be added to the batter which makes for a fudge/brownie-like cake.

I think I am going to try the cake mix extender with the Devil's Food Cake and see how that comes out....I just want to make sure whatever cake I make, it will hold another 6" cake on top.

I use the cake extender and add 1/4 cup cocoa also.

No matter what cake you use if you're putting another cake on top you will need a support system in the lower tier.

What kind of support other than a cardboard circle? You know the cake rounds....should I put skewers too or something like that?

Thanks, I baked the Devil's Food Cake with cake extender and it came out better but I think I put too much batter in it....I will just have to cut off the top. Thanks again for all your help....it's freezing right now until I ice it.