Baking choc cake, what am I doing wrong?

3kids3pets, Jun 22, 8:50am
no matter what recipe i use for choc cake, they NEVER turn out :(The only ones that cook properly for me are the edmonds packet ones! They dont cook in the middle but burn on the outside, i follow the recipes properly. What could i be doing wrong?

jag5, Jun 22, 8:52am
Are you using round tins or square? I find my cakes in squares tins do not work out, but round ones are perfect. Also, perhaps get the thermometer checked in your oven. Could be too hot.

3kids3pets, Jun 22, 8:53am
Round tins! Hmm but why would the packet ones work perfectly? ? doesnt make sense? thanks :)

catlover28, Jun 22, 8:54am
Hey, Ive got a similar problem. Its like the cakes "bubble".

dollmakernz, Jun 22, 9:20am
This a really good basic recipe that a friend gave me many years ago when I just couldn't make a chocolate cake. Its impossible to stuff it up!
Christine's Never Fail Chocolate Cake
1c sugar, 1 egg, 1Tbs cocoa, 1c milk,
113g butter, 1½c flour, 2tsp baking powder, 1tsp b/soda
1Tbs cornflour

Take 1Tbs of flour out and replace it with cornflour. Cream butter and sugar, add beaten egg. Sift flour and baking powder, Blend cocoa, milk and baking soda. Fold flour and cocoa mix alternately into the creamed butter. Bake 180º for 1 hour.

Good Luck!

wheelmann, Jun 22, 9:31am
What height shelf do you bake on?
What temp?

Some metal tins, need a slightly lower temp. 10 - 15 degrees.

chicco2, Jun 22, 10:21am
Do other things you cook in the oven, cook quicker than the recipe states? Such as casseroles, fish pie, bacon& egg pie? If so, the other posters might be right and your oven is hotter than it should be. If not, do you line your tins with baking paper? Try makingcupcakes and see if they cook better. Make sure no loud bumps or bangs during cooking?
It must be very frustrating and put you off baking. Maybe go to a friend or neighbour with your cake mixture ready in the tin and try their oven.

antoniab, Jun 22, 9:23pm
Yeah I would say your ovens too hot. Turn it down and cook it until a skwer comes out clean - you can usually tell when its cooked as you will be able to smell the cake. My oven in the UK was like that - even on 180 like the recipe said I would have to turn it down to 150 or 160 and just cook for a wee bit longer.

lespat, Jun 22, 9:57pm
Do you mean take the TB out of the 1 1/2 C flour & replace with the cornflour at end of your recipe?

lindi4, Jun 23, 5:40am
If i cooked a cake in my ceramic top oven which cooks very hot at 180 degrees... it would burn... the other thing is the positioning of the racks is a bit odd in them use the middle rack not the bottom one and cook at 160 degrees

dollmakernz, Jun 23, 11:11am
lespat, measure out the flour then take away 1Tbs of the flour and then add 1Tbs cornflour.

kuaka, Sep 1, 7:40pm
try those silicone baking "tins", I find them much better than the normal tins, they seem to absorb the heat more evenly, and since I've started using them I haven't had a failure nor any "King Alfreds" (he burnt the cakes if you remember)