Dense Cakes

Decorating By NCSweet-T Updated 17 Sep 2013 , 5:10am by maybenot

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NCSweet-T Posted 15 Sep 2013 , 3:47pm
post #1 of 7

AWhat am I doing wrong? My last couple of cakes have come out incredibly dense. They taste great but cutting into it was tough because it was so solid. At first I was afraid it was still frozen but it wasn't. I've made WASC and chocolate stout cake. How can I get my cakes lighter???

6 replies
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mfeagan Posted 16 Sep 2013 , 1:22am
post #2 of 7

What size cake pans are you using (depth)? 2 inch or 3 inch? I have both 2 and 3 inch high cake pans. There are certain recipes I make that I cannot put in a 3 inch pan. 

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mfeagan Posted 16 Sep 2013 , 1:48am
post #3 of 7

Also, I just read the recipe for the WASC cake. From the recipe, it looks like it would come out as more of a pound cake texture rather than anything light. There is a lot of liquid in that recipe. I have never made it, but I am assuming that is what it turned out like. 

 

If you don't want that dense of a cake, I would definitely switch recipes. Try a scratch recipe rather than boxed and see how that turns out. I have one "go to" recipe I use and add different Lorraine flavorings to it like key lime, orange, lemon, etc. 

 

You may find one vanilla cake recipe you absolutely love. I don't even need to read the recipe anymore...that's how often I bake it! 

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NCSweet-T Posted 16 Sep 2013 , 1:32pm
post #4 of 7

AThanks mfeagan. My pan was a 3" high 10" pan. I'll try making it in a smaller pan to see if it comes out differently. What recipe do you use?

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CakeGeekUk Posted 16 Sep 2013 , 1:59pm
post #5 of 7

Hi NC Sweet T, one thing that will definitely make cakes denser in texture is if you are baking at too low a temperature.  Either the temp in your recipe could be wrong or your oven temp might be off.  Either way try turning up your oven 10 degrees (Celsius or whatever the equivalent is in Fahrenheit) and see if that makes an improvement. (And make sure your oven if fully warmed up before putting in your cakes...apologies if this is too obvious....) Hope it sorts itself out!

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mfeagan Posted 16 Sep 2013 , 4:05pm
post #6 of 7

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCSweet-T 

Thanks mfeagan. My pan was a 3" high 10" pan. I'll try making it in a smaller pan to see if it comes out differently. What recipe do you use?

 

Yeah the 3" high pans are hard to bake in. I only use certain recipes in them, and the largest 3" high pan I own is an 8". I won't go any bigger. 

 

Also, are you using anything in the center of that 10" pan? Something metal that will conduct heat from the inside as well? A 10" pan is quite large, so it needs some help! You can use a heating core, a flower nail or one of those really large cake tips that you use to crumb coat a cake. I make sure I grease them up really well before I stick them in. Remember to pull it out after the cake has cooled! It's easier to pull them out when you turn the cake out of the pan. Don't try to rip it out while the cake is still in the pan. You will destroy it. 

 

For my vanilla cake recipe, I use Buddy Valastro's! It is AMAZING!! Comes out perfect every time!

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maybenot Posted 17 Sep 2013 , 5:10am
post #7 of 7

I make a version of WASC for every cake.  They're moist, but definitely not "dense". 

 

To me,  it sounds like you're overbaking.

 

I bake 2" layers in 3" pans with an Ateco heating core in the pan.  325F until a skewer comes out clean.

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