I am having a really off day and NONE of my cakes are baking up right. I've now baked, re-baked, baked and re-baked, baked and re-baked. I'm on my 3rd re-bake for my 2nd cake. Ugh! Third cake needs to be re-baked again.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong!!!! I thought my oven temp was off and now I have an oven thermometer and it's matching what I've set the oven on.

So...my question is...even when I put the oven down to 325, my cakes are cooking on the outside and not on the inside. For a 10x10, I used two flower nails as heating cores. And it's not just the larger cakes. My 6x6 did the same thing.

So...what temp and cooking time can you advise for a 6x3 in round? What time and temp for a 8x3 in round? What time and temp for a 10x10in sq?

Any other recommendations for this issue?

Help, anyone, please

I'm baking 8x2 in rounds now and trying my 6x2 rounds next, then my 8x8x2. I can't afford (time and money!) for these ones not to come out. I'm already on day 2 with almost no sleep

Maybe it's the recipe and not the oven. Are you using any new ingredients or different brands?

What do you mean by "not baking up right". And what kind of cake recipe are you using?

sayhellojana, I finally had the same thought. Even though the recipe I used this morning is one I've done before, it's also one I've always had problems with. I am trying the WASC recipe, which I did last week and didn't have any problems. I am also trying a (Cake Doctor) white chocolate pound cake.

After now my 4th or 5th cake to go in the garbage today...I am going back to my regular Cake Doctor recipe I've had much success with.


MBHazel, they are over-cooked on the outside and totally raw in the middle. As soon as I get them out of the oven the middle sinks. Cut into it with a knife, and sure enough, it's all raw inside. This is after leaving in 50+ minutes.

you HAVE to use a inverted flower nail for the WASC recipe for any size, I feel...you also have to bake your cake like 10-15 mins. longer on this recipe because of the type of recipe and with the flower nail in the middle you will finally get the temp to the inside of the cake. you basically grease and flower your nail and then put the flat side in the middle of the pan and then pour your batter over that.

don't panic, you will get it right. I would definitely check your oven temp also just to be sure it's correct

Stepomni, for a 10x10x2, how many flower nails do you use? I had two and was still having problems. In the 8x3 in round, and the 6x3 in round, I used one nail. My little thermometer that is hanging inside the oven says my temp is fine. I cooked even the smaller cakes for 50 or more minutes. I just couldn't cook them any longer because they were already brown with a really hard crust on the outside.

I have a cake in now with my normal recipe, and I can already tell it's cooking up much, much better. I am crossing my fingers because if this one doesn't come out, I'm going to sit in the middle of the floor and cry. And at 8a, call my sister and tell her I can't make the baby shower cake for her friend (who also makes cakes, so I'm already intimidated and nervious), and call my sis-in-law and tell her I will be bringing a Costco cake for her shower.

Already I have to scale back on my plans for decorating because it's midnight and I'm still baking!!!

Can you tell if a cake is done using an instant read thermometer, like you do for meat? I thought I read before in a post that you can do this. If so, what is the internal temperature your cakes have to be at to be done? I'm thinking I might try that route next.

bitzatchgirll, I feel for you!!
I had the same problem a while back with my cakes not cooking thru in the middle. Spoke to Leah about my problem and she told me to buy the "hanging" thermometer to check my oven temp. Well, it turned out my oven temp. was far hotter than the dial said, with the result my cakes were crusty on the outside and doughie on the inside.
Once I mastered this, and worked with the hanging thermometer, all seems to be fine.
For my sheet cakes, I also lowered the temp. slightly and lowered my oven rack one level and they seem to bake much better. Don't get so dark on the top anymore.
I, too, at one stage felt like throwing the towel in and just sitting in the middle of the floor and crying, cause there are customers expecting a cake and all is not well in that oven.
I hope this batch of cakes come out fine..........I will be holding thumbs for you. Don't let this get you down, you are the cake's boss....not the cake your boss!! Good luck!!

LOL. You made me think of Caesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Instead of be assertive, be the pack leader...be assertive, be the cake leader!!!

Well, I went back to my regular recipe and my first cake came out well. 2nd cake is in the oven. Now I just have to wait until it comes out so I can go to the store and buy more eggs and butter, so I can finish baking the rest.

I don't even want to think how many dollars worth of cake I have thrown away today.

I never knew cake would have an internal doneness temp but i guess it makes sense. I have to bake Monday so I could throw in my meat thermometer just before taking out the cake to get a reading.
I know, this doesn't help for this time but maybe for the next batch? Besides, all is probably well now in your kitchen after going back to the awesome WASC cake

Let us know how that goes! I'm really interested. If you're baking several cakes, can you check the internal temp on each one to make sure it's consistent? I would do my own little experiment but I don't have an instant read thermometer.

And, boy, you got it backwards. I know that WASC recipe is tried and true and a huge favorite of CC, but today for some reason it is hating me. The most unfortunate part is that I'm operating on very little sleep so it took way too long for the little lightbulb in my brain to turn on and tell me to change recipes. I could have saved hours and many dollars.

Have to make an egg and butter run. The grocery store closest to me is not 24/7. Does anyone know if 24 hour drugstores have butter and eggs? I know they have milk and I know it's insanely expensive.

oh man! i feel for ya! but yea...those flower nails should've done the trick. I agree that maybe your oven is hotter than it says it is.


good luck with your cakes! sorry this recipe didn't work for you

Yeah, I still wonder about the temp, even though I have the little hangy thermometer inside. It's not like I can put the thermometer inside or on top of the cake to see if the temp there is the same. Maybe I have a hot spot right in the middle where I put the cake?! I may also try lowering the rack next time I want to try WASC.

I'm no expert but usually find that when I use a tester and it comes out with some wet globs, if I leave it in the oven for another 15 minutes, it comes out fine. I don't cut into it or torte it until a tester comes out clean with some crumbs (not wet ones).

The sides & bottom may be more cooked than the inside but it generally is not hard like the top. And after you ice it, it tends to soften up a bit anyway - and the crust on the top will be trimmed off when you level the cake so that shouldn't be a problem.

I have never had complaints about a cake being overcooked in parts, but I'm just baking for family & friends right now and maybe they are less fussy since it's free cake lol!