Middle Of Cake Not Cooking

Baking By vdrsolo Updated 24 Jan 2013 , 3:02am by VickiDelores

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vdrsolo Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 2:42pm
post #1 of 26

What happens when you don't use bake even strips or a heating core of some type is that the outside of the pan gets the most heat.

I use both. I use bake even strips, it keeps the outside cooler. I use inverted flower nails (pan greased like my pan) in the middle of my cake. I use several in larger cakes. This gets heat to the middle of the cakes. I hate the large heating core by Wilton.

I don't get a dome, I only have to level off what come up over the pan.

25 replies
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Wiltonlady Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 2:50pm
post #2 of 26

My suggestion is use your flower nail (upside down and well oiled) in the middle of your cake pan, then add your cake batter. Bake at 325 and add an extra 15-20 minutes. Hope this helps.

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moonlightschild Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 2:51pm
post #3 of 26

if you have a flower nail to sit in the centre of it, that would help spreading the heat in the middle of the cake...i'm not to sure about baking strips

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travelingcakeplate Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 2:53pm
post #4 of 26

Wilton suggests that if is a big cake, larger than 10" you use the heating core.

I have also heard people suggest using their flower nail.

Another reason may be that it has too much liquid in the recipe.

It's always kind of difficult to troubleshoot things like this.

hope this helps.

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moosey Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 2:58pm
post #5 of 26

I always use my flower nail or heating core in anything over 8" and bake at 325. HTH!

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travelingcakeplate Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 2:59pm
post #6 of 26

Oh yeah, one other thing, try turing the heat down on the oven and just bake it even longer. That may work also.

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cholmberg Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 11:12pm
post #7 of 26

The flower nail sure worked for me! I learned about it here on
CC and it's worked like a charm. But I've never done one
bigger than 10". If I do bigger, I'd probably put three flower
nails in the pan rather than that heating core.

I had to use one on a 6" the other day, tried out a chocolate
amaretto cake variation and it took forever for the first ones
to bake, but it was much faster and more even the second time
around with the nail.

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jibbies Posted 18 Oct 2007 , 11:41pm
post #8 of 26

I regularly bake the larger cakes, 12 inches and above in round and square. I have the largest oval pan in the oven right now. I don't use flower nails, heating cores or bake even strips (I tried them after I became a member here and I hate them. icon_mad.gif
I do use boxed cake mix, you didn't state if it's scratch or boxed. I only use a cup of water, everything else in the recipe the same. I do add a mix I have made of butavan/corn syrup or creme bouquet/corn syrup in the amount of 1 tablespoon for each box.
I bake between 325-350, I put the mark right between them.
So far in the 26 years I have been decorating I've not had a problem of undercooked middles.
Hope something in here helps you thumbs_up.gif

Jibbies

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Cestlaviecakes Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 12:10am
post #9 of 26

I baked another cake today and used the flower nail in the middle. It worked wonderfully! Thank you all for your responses!

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doreenre Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 12:33am
post #10 of 26

I bake all my cakes at 250-275 and cook them longer (60-90 minutes depending on size of cake).

This helps in that I don't have to level my cakes either.

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wgoat5 Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 10:16am
post #11 of 26

Im gonna throw my 2 cents in here LOL...... I used to use the flower nail BUT....I have replaced my wilton pans with the magic line and no longer need them. I had 2 14" cakes to bake yesterday and for the first one I used the flower nail and my darn cake cracked. icon_sad.gif Too unstable for a stacked cake ..so I wrapped it and put in the freezer for family to eat....I made the 2nd and the 3rd without the flower nail and without the strips and they turned out PERFECT (due to ML pans I am sure ). They had NO humps and baked perfectly at 325 degrees for 1 hour to a nice light golden tan color...no really dark brown places on them at all.

So it is all what you feel you are comfortable doing but I haven't had any luck with wilton pans OR the flower nail icon_sad.gif

Have a great day ya'll icon_smile.gif

Christi

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vdrsolo Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 1:17pm
post #12 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by wgoat5

Im gonna throw my 2 cents in here LOL...... I used to use the flower nail BUT....I have replaced my wilton pans with the and no longer need them. I had 2 14" cakes to bake yesterday and for the first one I used the flower nail and my darn cake cracked. icon_sad.gif Too unstable for a stacked cake ..so I wrapped it and put in the freezer for family to eat....I made the 2nd and the 3rd without the flower nail and without the strips and they turned out PERFECT (due to ML pans I am sure ). They had NO humps and baked perfectly at 325 degrees for 1 hour to a nice light golden tan color...no really dark brown places on them at all.

So it is all what you feel you are comfortable doing but I haven't had any luck with wilton pans OR the flower nail icon_sad.gif

Have a great day ya'll icon_smile.gif

Christi




I really think it depends on the recipe, I use Magic Line pans as well, but my recipe is very moist and takes longer to bake (pudding & buttermilk), so the flower nails helps speed it up for me.

I also have a convection oven, so that could make the difference too.

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wgoat5 Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 3:18pm
post #13 of 26

I so agree with you vdrsolo!! I use a moist recipe also. But if I cook at a lower temp it seems to help a lot. And they get done within a hour to 1 1/3 hour.

I sooo want a convection...after the first of the year I plan on making that a purchase icon_biggrin.gif

Christi

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cakebaker1957 Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 6:43pm
post #14 of 26

I too have had that problem its like the middle doesnt want to get done, i use the nail and the other things, and it still doesn work my oven is right on the temp of 350 should i still turn it to 350?? sorry about bumping here

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vdrsolo Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 7:36pm
post #15 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakebaker1957

I too have had that problem its like the middle doesnt want to get done, i use the nail and the other things, and it still doesn work my oven is right on the temp of 350 should i still turn it to 350?? sorry about bumping here




try bumping it down to 325, it will take a little longer to cook, but the higher heat gets the edges to rise up pretty quickly.

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cakebaker1957 Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 7:32pm
post #16 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by vdrsolo

Quote:
Originally Posted by cakebaker1957

I too have had that problem its like the middle doesnt want to get done, i use the nail and the other things, and it still doesn work my oven is right on the temp of 350 should i still turn it to 350?? sorry about bumping here



try bumping it down to 325, it will take a little longer to cook, but the higher heat gets the edges to rise up pretty quickly.




Thanks i meant to say should i turn it to 325 will do that the next time i bake what about cupcakes?

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Mencked Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 7:51pm
post #17 of 26

The flower nail has really helped me--I did 2-14" squares last night, oven temp at 325 like always, but they cooked much quicker with the flower nail. I used my Wilton pan that I've always used and I'm kicking myself for not trying this sooner!!! I used a box cake mix with extra oil and flavorings like always -- very moist! I also always use bake even strips. Until I get more ML pans, this is what works best for me!

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cakebaker1957 Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 8:03pm
post #18 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mencked

The flower nail has really helped me--I did 2-14" squares last night, oven temp at 325 like always, but they cooked much quicker with the flower nail. I used my Wilton pan that I've always used and I'm kicking myself for not trying this sooner!!! I used a box cake mix with extra oil and flavorings like always -- very moist! I also always use bake even strips. Until I get more ML pans, this is what works best for me!




Thanks i did use the bake even strips too, and used a nail just was a little doughey in the middle not bad when i leveled it it took most of it out.

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tyty Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 7:56pm
post #19 of 26

I had a cake just this weekend that would not cook properly in the middle. The cake did have a lot of moisture. I baked it last year and could not remember what I did to make it bake properly this year (didn't write it down). I am going to try it again this weekend, but after reading this post I think I did turn the temp down to 325.

wgoat, I didn't know you could bake a cake in a convection oven. I thought it was just good for cookies. I have a convection oven, maybe I need to look it up.

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vdrsolo Posted 19 Oct 2007 , 8:21pm
post #20 of 26

I have the convection oven. It depends on the style. Cheapy convection ovens only have one fan speed setting. My GE Profile has 2 fan speeds, one for convection bake (slower), and one for convection roast. I can also bake conventional (no convection). The slow baking speed fan does not blow batter at all. It works great.

I do not notice any decrease in baking time, but when I do wedding cakes that oven is loaded up, yep, all 3 racks have cakes, huge energy saver right there.

And yes...it works great for cookies and cupcakes.

The one I have has the bottom drawer that is also an oven, so I can bake something else at a different temp.

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felecia Posted 20 Oct 2007 , 11:44am
post #21 of 26

when i bake in use a pan of water under my cakes and bake at 300 to 310. i used the flower nail a long time ago..but not now. i have that problem every so often, but not all the time

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vdrsolo Posted 20 Oct 2007 , 12:36pm
post #22 of 26
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakebaker1957

Quote:
Originally Posted by vdrsolo

Quote:
Originally Posted by cakebaker1957

I too have had that problem its like the middle doesnt want to get done, i use the nail and the other things, and it still doesn work my oven is right on the temp of 350 should i still turn it to 350?? sorry about bumping here



try bumping it down to 325, it will take a little longer to cook, but the higher heat gets the edges to rise up pretty quickly.



Thanks i meant to say should i turn it to 325 will do that the next time i bake what about cupcakes?




same for cupcakes

I don't turn mine down any lower than 325, I don't have time to sit and watch cakes baking at 275 degrees.

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madgeowens Posted 31 Oct 2007 , 6:35am
post #23 of 26

I know the other day I was baking a cake and I noticed the temp was 285 when it was suppose to be 350....I am going to purchase an oven thermometer asap, because you need to know reliably what the temp is. Also I use the flower nail in anything over 9 inches just to be on the safe side. I use the strips on the outside and they work great!

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kubra Posted 17 Jan 2013 , 9:56am
post #24 of 26

  I have 28ltr samsung convection microwave . Mine also the same problem that middle of the cake is not cook well. I want the correct reason  and its solution plz reply

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amkswifey Posted 18 Jan 2013 , 7:49pm
post #25 of 26

I was just curious when you all talk about using the flower nails as long as they are well oiled, great but they make the plastic kind and the metal kind... which do you all use?? About to make a 11x15 cake and any info is appreciated. I know it needs to be 325 instead of the normal 350 :)

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VickiDelores Posted 24 Jan 2013 , 3:02am
post #26 of 26

Sounds like you are using a sheet pan. Only use a metal flower nail and you may want to use 2 about 2 inches apart in the middle. Hope this helps.
 

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