I've seen mentioned baking cakes in bowls, but I still have a few questions that I hope someone here can answer.

1- How big a bowl can I bake in? I would like to use a 4qt stainless steel bowl. Is that possible?

2- How do I figure out how much cake batter I need? When baked I want it to go to the rim, and even dome in the middle.

3- Since I want it to dome, should I cook it at 350, using a heating core and bake even strips? Normally I see the suggestion to lower the temp to 325 so the cake will be level.

Thanks everyone!
Kathi

I hope it's okay to bump this, the board seems much busier tonight than this morning!

I baked in a glass bowl about a week ago. I can't say that I loved the results - it browned too much on the top edges and didn't quite cook all the way.

I reduced temp to 300 and baked for what seemed like an eternity!
Used a 2.5 qt bowl, and filled it to maybe 2.5 inches from the top. Used most of one cake mix + enhanced formula recipe. I had enough left over for a perfect 1-layer 6" cake.

Good luck and post your tips when you're done!

I can't say I'm an expert by any means, but here's a few thoughts:

Use a baking core, to help it get done in the middle. Don't use the bake even strips if you want it to dome.

Measure the capacity of your bowl and make enough batter to fill 2/3 to 3/4 of it.

Anybody agree/disagree?

Well, I thought I'd post my results.

I was very disappointed. I guess 4 qts is just to big to get good results. Like you, czyadgrl, I had to bake it forever. I used a can in the center for a core, but it still took so long for it to cook through that the rest of the cake tasted burnt. It didn't look burnt, but it tasted burnt.

My conclusion is that I will bake rounds, stack, and carve to get my desired shape. I hope this helps someone else!!

Kathi

I have baked in a 4 qt. stainless steel bowl before.....you just have to cook it at a lower temp. 300-325 and it does take like 1 hr. and 20 minutes or so....took a really long time I just kept checking it after an hour until it tested done with a skewer! It tasted wonderful......I used it to make a doll cake a few yrs. ago. I didn't even know about heating cores and bake even strips or anything back then so I didn't use anything........I did put foil over the top of it after about 45 min. so the top would brown too much and it worked fine.

Maybe I'll give it another try without the core and at a lower temp.

I use a glass pyrex bowl, and cover with foil about halfway thru. It does take forever to bake!

yeah, the glass do seem to work better I think because they're thicker....the stainless steel mixing bowls (which is what I used) are thin so you definitely gotta make sure the temp. is low or else the sides will burn. have you thought about baking a cake in a wider but shallow bowl just to give you the hump on top you're looking for?? Then do the bigger bowl with the bake even strips?? That way you can ensure the sides won't get burned.......I wonder how a cake would work if it was baked in a water bath.....that's supposed to keep cheesecakes from drying out ....wonder if it would work with regular cake or if it wouldn't ever cook throroughly?

okay I just read an article about baking cakes in a water bath......and evidentally it would work. Says that it keeps the cake from doming and also keeps the outside of the cake from cooking faster than the inside. hmmmm.......I'm gonna have to try it next time I bake a cake

I dont have an answer to the bowl question, but KHalstead, why on earth would you be so excited to move to ohio this time of year? Are you NUTS? But, I guess if you are from Jersey, you are well accustomd to the bitterly, bone-chilling COLD! I spent 3 of my 4 years of college there and BRRRRRRRR!

well if you bake in an 8" bowl for example and then start the doll skirt with a 8" or 9" cake or both -- place the bowl cake on top of that -- you could bake a thinner cake in the bowl -- see what i mean -- baking super thick cake is not so easy -- i mean that's why there's holes in tube pans and bundt pans right?

just a thought for you --

haven't tried this, but it sure sounded reasonable when I read it.  A gal posted that she made an improvised 'rose nail' out of a strip of aluminum foil.  She folded it to make a thin wick, laid a bit of it on the bottom of the bowl allowing it to stand up above the batter into the air.  She wrote that it worked well for her deep bowl cake.

Cool!  I don't see why it wouldn't work, especially as you could make it as tall as you needed for the deep bowl. ( I have lots of rose nails for my 2" cake pans) but you never know I may make something different someday, so I'm saving this photo.  Thanks annebaligod.

your welcome. I'll try to post the results when i try using this in a bowl cake. 

Hi everyone,

so i tried the aluminum foil thing and it worked although i wanted the cake's top to be flat but i can just cut it out. It baked perfectly well and even. Although i might have over baked mine a bit hence the cracked top but its fine. Hope this can be helpful.

Thanks,

anne

@annebaligod It's great that you posted a follow up and with a photo.  Thanks for the info!!