Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi Paul! If you was baking a 10″ cake 4 inch high with separate Jam and buttercream filling would you bake each cake layer separate or all I’m one go? Struggling with either the cake not cooking in the centre or lots of wastage. Thankyou Leanne

Hi Leanne

Is it possible that you’re baking on too high temperature? Large deep cakes do much better baked longer on a lower temperature. If you have a fan assisted oven the temperature should be reduced by approx 15-20% or what ever the oven manufacturer recommends. When I bake a large deep cake this is what I do. First preheat the oven, then line the tin with parchment paper so it is approx 2 inches above the lip of the tin. Once the tin is filled, scoop the batter from the centre to the sides so you can see the bottom of the tin. Place the tin on the middle shelf and bake. The tall parchment paper prevents the heat from catching the top and sides of your cake, making the well enables the bottom of your tin to warm up so that all the batter starts to heat up evenly. The batter at the centre of a cake tin does not rise as quickly as the sides, if baked too hot the sides will cook more quickly and the middle remains uncooked. Once baked you will have a level cake which is baked through and no waste. I bake 10″ cakes 3″ deep at 140c fan assisted for approx 2 hrs 15 mins, so bake a 4″ for a further 15 mins and check it to see if it’s done. If not, check it every 5 minutes until it is. Have a look also at this blog http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/baking-the-perfect-cake-why-things-go-wrong, there may be some information which might help you.