what went wrong with my chocolate cake?

Question

Ok first attempt at baking a cake today.

I put it in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees (gas mark 5)
instead of 30 min stated in the reciepe, i used a 24cm round tin, when i took it out i should have knifed the middle before i took it out i know but i thought it had been in long enough at 40 minutes considering it states only 30 minutes to cook it.

The outside was cooked and was solid and i did not want a dry cake, yet when i turned it out it collasped to a sloppy mess as the middle was not cooked and it looked like it could have done with at least another 20 minutes!?!

What did i do wrong, the mixture was fairly solid
before i put it into the cake tin, it was not runny or
anything, in fact i had to scoop most of it into the
tin out of the bowl as it was not runny?

Do i need to bake it longer than the 30 minutes thought at the same time i want to avoid a dry cake?

Or is it because i am a male :-)

Yip i did it from scratch and did follow the reciepe to the letter, i used the lower rack rather than the high rack and i did let it cool for 15 minutes before turning it out.

The receipe is from the Edmounds cookbook from New Zealand where i am from, its a cookbook that is well known and has been around for 30 odd years, i followed the receipe to the letter. The tempature i used was 180 degress celsius as that is what we use in NZ which is about 357 degrees fahernheit

Answer 1

Most of the cake recipes I've looked at calls for 350 to 375 F and anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.
Gas Mark 4 = 175 C = 350 F
Gas Mark 5 = 190 C = 375 F

Basically, it sounds like you pulled the cake too early.
You really shouldn't worry about dryness if you have a good cake recipe. Yes, you can dry out a cake by over-cooking, but if you're over a few minutes, you should be fine.

To check a cake for doness, you take a tooth pick poke the middle of the cake. If the tooth pick comes out clean, then it's done... if the tooth pick comes out with batter, you need to bake longer.

Also, how did the cake look when you pulled it out? What it golden and brown, light or dark? Do you think it would have baked longer without burning? If it was too dark, then reduce the temperature and increase the time. If the cake looked okay, then stay at gas mark 5 and increase the temperature.

Also, if you made the cake from scratch (not a box mix), then did you check the baking powder? If you take a small spoonful of baking powder, add a couple drops of water, the powder should foam up. If it doesn't, then you need to buy a new tin of baking powder.

No... it's not because you're a male. The world's best chefs are male.

Edit...
Also, times can vary from the recipe since ovens may not be calibrated properly.

What kind of cake are you making?

Answer 2

First of all u needed to follow directions of the recipe ..Also u probably needed to change the temp to 350 or 375 and bake for 30min depending on the recipe and what it called for. Also the size of the pan really should not matter it just makes the shape of the cake when fully cooked. By the way where did u get the recipe? Also where did u come up with the 180 mark why did u increase the time?

Answer 3

I haven't cooked a cake in ages, but used to make monster Christmas puds. Basically, follow the recipe to the letter. It sounds like you may have had the temperature too high, hence the uncooked middle - like barbecued sausage.

You may have had a big air bubble in the middle, so it may have been the way you mixed the cake, or the raising agents. But, as it was the first time, keep at it. After all, on the first attempt we can't always have our cake and eat it.

The one thing not to mix are imperial and metric measurements. Anyway, good luck. I used to bake bread and it did not always turn out right despite careful cooking.

Answer 4

where did u put it in the oven it should have been on the top shelf if not this could have caused the problem. did u follow the recipe exactly? u should have tested it by putting knife or something in middle when it comes out clean (ie not covered in mixture) cake is done, u could try covering the top with foil to prevent the cake getting too hard on top and cook it a bit longer if your knife shows its not cooked. cant see many other reasons why it would not be cooked, and certainly not because ur male. have another try.

Answer 5

Isn't that interesting! Most cake recipes call for an oven temp of 325 degrees fahrenheit. Forty minutes might or might not have been correct.

Please re-read your instructions. Where did they come from?

Gender has nothing to do with baking skills. We bowl with a fellow who's 300+ lbs., and works in plumbing. He discovered baking, and has won many ribbons for his creations. He LOVES it, and everybody loves it when he shares.

Answer 6

Did you let the cake cool before turning it out of the tin? If you took it straight out the oven then turned it out, it would still be runny but when it cools it would go a bit more solid.

Answer 7

if it was just plain heavy.....sieve the flour properly and beat it until you can see plenty of bubbles......this is achieved by 'lifting' the mix out of the bowl when you whisk in a high circular motion........if it appeared sunken in the middle.....then dont open the oven door. However if you want a very very fluffy cake separate the mix into two cake tins.....and microwave it....make sure they are micro safe!!! the manual that came with your microwave will usually supply a recipie

Answer 8

I thank the temp was to high and that's why it started to cook the out side first, Try with a lower temp and maybe a little longer.

Answer 9

Move it to a different rack (lower or higher depending on what you did the first time.
Keep the same temperature

Answer 10

follow the recipe next time and u will have better luck and it has nothing to do with male many great chefs are male