hi everyone..

first post but bit of a stalker!!   ive been making cakes for family and friends for a while now, usually making madeira or chocolate madeira, but recently these have been quite dry, cant figure out why.. Decided to try a chocolate mud cake, the first 7inch round trial turned out perfect, small bit of bubble on the top but spot on. Went to make another one in a rectangular cake pan and I can not for the life of me get it right, the top goes crusty in the middle and almost steams underneath in the middle. the edges cook perfectly, but not the middle. Can anyone shed any light on it please..

Its being cooked at gas 1 for around 2 hours as its a 12inch pan.. low and slow ive been told!

thanks guys

https://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/754053/questions-about-mud-cake

I always use a heating core to help the middles cook at the same rate as the outsides.  If you do not have one, you can use a flower nail, which is used for piping flowers.