#4 Princess Cake Nightmare

Baking By Jlb136 Updated 22 Jan 2017 , 11:11pm by Jlb136

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Jlb136 Posted 22 Jan 2017 , 3:19pm
post #1 of 5

I made a #4 princess cake using a Sunny Side Bakery 12x12 pan. It's the first time I used a non-Wilton pan. I used a Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake Mix. I cut the cake into three strips. I cut 2 of the strips into smaller pieces to assemble the 4.  The cake was torted and the sides were removed with a serrated knife. Crumbs were everywhere. The tiny pieces were very difficult to ice. I stacked the cake by baking two 12x12 cakes. It was beautiful assembled but it broke apart during transport. It was dry. I don't know if it was dry from the pan or because it broke apart.  It was embarrassing to serve a dry broke apart cake at my daughter's party. Any helpful advice would be appreciated. 

4 replies
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TC123 Posted 22 Jan 2017 , 3:54pm
post #2 of 5

Hi... I'm so sorry to hear about your dear daughters cake. Of course it's all of our worst fear and I'm very sorry it happened to you.

I do not use Wilton pans anymore, so I don't believe using a non-Wilton pan was the issue. I could be wrong, but I think it had either to do with the cake mix itself or possibly the baking time (or maybe even the oven?).

I usually bake from scratch, but always keep Pillsbury mixes on hand for those who prefer them. I use Fat Daddio pans now. I used Wilton many years ago when I first started my passion for baking/cake decorating. Then I tried one Fat Daddio and just fell in love with them.

Anyway, with box mixes, I either follow the instructions on the box (if that is preferred by the recipient) but I most prefer to modify the box mix recipe.

I'm not sure about you, but every time I bake any cake I start checking it before the standard baking time. I then keep an eye on it closely and get it out of the oven as soon as it's done. And I get them out of the pans as soon as I can.

I also think that subtle changes in how we mix can affect how it bakes. For example, I feel certain that overmixing, or even slight changes in the amount of water and/or oil can affect the final outcome, as well as the weather and environment. My oven is on-point as far as temperature and there are times when the cake is done before the standard baking time, and there are times when it's taken a few more minutes.

I'm sorry if I am not too helpful here. I wish I had "the" answer for why this happened to you. But I just think it could be a number of things. Things we might not otherwise notice.

(((Hugs!)))

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kakeladi Posted 22 Jan 2017 , 9:50pm
post #3 of 5

The type/brand of pan should have little to no bearring on a cake being dry.  It has to be the recipe used.  Maybe your baked it too long/at too high a temp.  I don't particulary like DH cake mixes.  I prefer Betty Crocker but have used DH from time to time and have not had a dry cake as you describe. 

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-K8memphis Posted 22 Jan 2017 , 11:03pm
post #4 of 5

i'm wondering how many cake mixes you used per pan -- how much batter was in the pans?

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Jlb136 Posted 22 Jan 2017 , 11:11pm
post #5 of 5

The cake did break apart. I don't know if the exposure to air dried it out or not. I am estimating it was broke apart for 2 1/2 hours.

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