Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hello, I’m sorry if this question has already been answered but there are so many q&a about chocolate cake…!

I’ve made Paul’s chocolate cake countless times and had always turned out perfectly. I have just outsourced the actual baking of the cakes to a licensed friend, and she says she has followed the recipe exactly but her cakes are turning out differently – the main problem is that they have a hole in the centre of the cake going down about half way into the cake, the top of the cake rises unevenly, usually to one side, and also the taste isn’t the same – tastes slightly bitter similar to a Devils Food Cake. The cakes don’t have a ‘sink’ in the top as you look at it, it’s only when I start carving or layering it I find the hole – the crust on the top covers the hole over. She is buying the same brand butter, chocolate and sugar as I did, and she has a fan oven. I have even given her my tins to use!

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated because this is really frustrating!! Thank you

Hi goldengoose25

As you know some members do have a few problems with the recipe and many including yourself are able to bake it up successfully. I too bake in a fan oven and don’t seem to encounter many difficulties with the resulting cake. I have read in many forums that this type of recipe is not suited for fan ovens because of the drying effect it can have on the cake. The recipe is typical of it’s type, high ratio of sugar to other ingredients does make it crust and sometimes sink. I can only suggest perhaps read through the many member tweeks here http://www.cakeflix.com/questions/pauls-moist-chocolate-cake-my-feed-back
Read the newer comments which talk about reducing sugar, I’m sure you will be able to adjust the recipe to produce a more pleasing result.
Hope this helps.