hi everyone !!!
I badly need some help with my oven !!

all my cakes are scratch and ite has no problem with a vanilla or lemon or fruitcake . However it burns chocolate cakes or they come out like rock and last week I ventured to do a banana cake it cake out perfect on top and sides and sides were like dough ! whats that about ? never cooked on the inside yet scewer was clean
This is what I do so far
temp lower than recommended
bottom shelf
double baking paper etc
and the wilton side strips
I am at a total loss !!!!!!!!!!! plz help me x

What type of oven are you using ?

Don't use the bottom of the oven..use the middle....

And make sure the oven is completely preheated before baking...will the fan stop once its heated? I have an oven with a fan but if you don't set it on "convection" then the fan stops once its heated. The fan does tend to brown the tops too fast but only if its on convection or preheating...not on regular bake.

Also put a thermometer in there and make sure the oven is at the right temp...maybe its still too hot.

Is it a new oven? Is it a Hotpoint? The reason I ask is because I had a new fan assisted for Xmas & it cooked perfectly, then come the new year I was having the same nightmare as you only with all my cakes. I tried everything & couldn't understand why it was ruining my cakes. In the end,after many tears, I bought an oven thermometer & found out that the thermomstat had broken on my new oven. After several calls to the manufacturer it's now it's fixed & cooks like a dream.

If it's not that, like Kitagrl says don't cook on the bottom. If I need to do 2 cakes I always put it one shelf up from the bottom. I do lower my temp for bigger & deeper cakes. Another thing I do is put an oven proof dish in the bottom of the oven with some water in just before I put my cakes in. Don't let it run dry as there's a risk of it shattering.

Does the fan stay on ? I have a convection and only use it in the middle of baking for about 10 or 15 minutes. I only bake multiple cakes if they fit on the same shelf.

hi everyone thanks for all your help
in answer to your questions the fan does'nt stop once heated ...should it ?
should I only bake cakes on the convention setting then ? and on the middle shelf with a pan of hot water.

I bought a thermometer but its reading right which i'm actually gutted about , at least i would know what was wrong with it

I will try all of your recommended ideas and pray they work ...

A few more threads on this:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6868831.html

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-584176-0-days0-orderasc-.html

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=7080793&sid=bc13e1581c71a6b7b3d1c8a788a55066

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-6738533-.html&sid=fc6d7b15cfd1f4627188e9d732be8bc2

I have an oven with a fan too, infact my previous oven had it too , there should be an option button for baking and roasting with convection (fan) or regular. I like to use the fan only for cookies for an even bake.
If you don't have the option than try placing a pan of water on the lower shelf and your cake on the middle shelf (this method worked for my daughter in her gas oven) Good Luck.

When I got my new oven the salesman said not to bake cakes on the convection setting so I haven't. I only use it for baking cookies and they come out awesome.

There are also two kinds of convection: true and fan-assisted.

Sometimes, you just have to go with conventional oven and not use the convection setting.

http://www.finecooking.com/qa/.....ction.aspx

True convection vs. fan convection.

Also, from somewhere on the internet:

"The big difference is the source of the heat. With regular convection, the heat comes from the bottom of the oven and is circulated by a fan on the back wall. With true convection the heating element is around the fan on the back wall so all the heat comes from the side. The supposed advantage of true convection is that you can bake things like cookies on multiple racks of the oven at the same time and they will all get done evenly since the ones on the bottom don't get any direct bottom heat as they would otherwise."