Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi,
Doing two 8inch round cakes, same recipe amt. required. If I don’t use fan and place cakes on the same shelf I assume cake timing will be 2hrs.
If I put one cake on top shelf and one cake on lower shelf is the timing the same for both cakes again without using fan.
If I use a fan with one cake on top shelf, second on lower shelf and reduce temperature to 130 both cakes should be ready at the same time – 2hrs?
I know it is the same amt of cake mixture but can’t get my head around the timing as the cake tins are smaller and should therefore take less time to cook especially so if using a fan which circulates air around evenly

Hi lindarodger

If you place both cakes on the same shelf in either setting they will bake at the same rate and probably will not take any longer than one cake on it’s own.
In both settings, if baking on different shelves, keep the tins off set to help the temperature circulate more evenly. I find the bottom cake sometimes needs an extra five – ten minutes to bake through. Once a cake has baked two thirds of the way through it’s given time the centre has formed sufficiently to prevent it collasping if you open the door of the oven. Obviously this all depends on the perfomance and effciency of your own oven which may be far superior to mine. I’m just saying how my oven behaves and my opinion should be taken as a guide only. Please also see my blog on baking problems and solutions which briefly covers timing. See the blog here:

Baking Problems and Solutions by madeitwithlove

Hope this makes sense and helps a little.

…….. The temperature in fan ovens should be reduced by approximately 20 degrees. Paul bakes in a non fan oven at 150c, if you bake in the fan setting reduce the temp down to 130 or how you think your oven behaves. I bake this recipe at 130 -135 in my fan oven.