I am using a 10" cake (2"deep) round pan and when I put my stick in the center it is still coming out wet, but the sides are completely cooked. What can I do do prevent that. I have to keep cooking it so the center gets done. I don't want to bring another dry cake to work. HELP!!!

I put two flower nails in my 10" round cakes when I bake them.......just spray the flower nails with non stick spray and insert them upside down (point up) into the cake batter once it's in the pan and nestle them down so they touch the bottom......then when you flip your cake out of the pan just pull the flower nails out and it only leaves two little holes in the cake.

Baking strips .... highly recommend baking strips. I don't make any cake, regardless of size, without them.

Here's a thread where I explain the science of baking strips and why they work: http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=3467363#3467363

Bake even strips will also help keep the sides from overcooking while the center bakes.

Not sure what temp. you're baking at, but here's a link to Wilton's cake preparation and serving charts:

http://www.wilton.com/cake/cakeprep/baking/times/index.cfm
(Gives batter requirements by pan size, as well as recommended baking temps. and times - and more.)

The WASC (a doctored cake mix recipe) always comes out nice and moist:

http://tinyurl.com/2cu8s4

Perhaps you can add some moisture back by using a simple syrup wash:
(Several recipes given and different methods of application, as well as flavoring hints & tips.)

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-55178-.html

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-65643-.html

HTH

I didn't get those strips, but definately will for next time. I was just on the Wilton site and it said for 10" or larger I need to use the center heating core, so I guess I'll need to buy one of those as well. It says to bake for 35-40 minutes and I ended up baking them for 43 minutes. At 40 min, the toothpick was still coming out with batter on it (very little). Here's hoping they aren't dry like the last time.

I really liked the WASC recipe, but the guys at work wanted this chocolate recipe. Plus, since I have to use an egg replacer due to allergies, I need scratch recipes as it works best. For some reason the results just aren't the same when I use commercially prepared cake mixes. Got any good white cake recipes from scratch?

Thanks for the tips.

the heating core is going to create a "plug", which personally I don't like. using the flower nails works great as they only leave very tiny little holes which are covered with the crumb coat and no one ever knows there were there.

Scratch white cake recipes:

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-408363-.html

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-180561-.html

HTH

I've been making cakes for 20 years now, and I've tried the nails, the strips, etc. None of them will help if you're working with a faulty recipe. What kind of cake are you baking? It took me YEARS to tweak my scratch yellow cake to perfection. The chocolate one is a no-brainer.

I highly suggest getting your hands on a copy of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Cake Bible, or some of the recent Cook's Illustrated cake recipes. The mixing method they use is no-fail (you won't start by creaming butter/sugar). Rose's books can be a bit heavy on the first pass, but she's a true scientist about it all, and once you digest it all it really makes sense.

I simply use my 10"/2" round aluminum pans with pan release and parchment rounds. You'll get a nose for knowing when they're ready, and don't open/close the oven door a bunch. Let them cool in pans for 10 minutes or so, then run a sharp knife around the perimeter before de-panning. They're perfect every time.

If you learn Rose's formula for adjusting your baking powder for pan size, you won't need a nail or core for larger sizes, either.

cheflori, your cake texture is beautiful!!

try lowering the oven temp

Wow, thanks for all the info. Well, the cakes that I cooked that I thought was over done on the sides, came out perfect. I baked for 42 minutes and pulled them out. I thougth for sure the sides would be overcooked. However, we had the cake today and everyone raved at how moist it was. I have to agree, it was pretty damn good So for now I think I have my chocolate cake down.

Chef Lori - your cake looks great! I'll have to check out those books and that web site. I would love to know how to tweak a recipe. And thanks for the link to the blog. My friend requested a yellow cake for her birthday so I need to find something. Or course this time I can use eggs since it isn't for my daughter.

Jan - thanks for the white cake recipes. I'll definately check those out. I only need the eggless cakes for my daughter, but am testing out recipes for my classes to get a feel if they work or not with her egg replacer. So far everyone is loving the cake so I must be doing something right (ecept for the 1st chocolate cake I did which was too dense and dry). I personally didn't like the WASC cake with my egg replacer, hence the search for a scratch recipe.

Thanks again everyone....