I don't care. I'm taking it anyway!

[Feralpeg]

You will certainly enjoy the class!! I took all 3 courses several years ago and later on I worked at a Publix bakery as a decorator....even did some wedding cakes!! I started developing carpal tunnel though and that was one of the reasons I don't do it anymore. And a good way of testing a cake to see if it is done it to insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean it is done but if it comes out with anything on it(goo) it is not. Another way is to touch the top lightly with your fingers and if the cake springs back it is done but if you can tell where you put your fingers it will need to bake longer.

Thanks for the info! I've baked many cakes in my life, but never one this thick. Also, it is the first time I've baked a cake using this oven. I'll know what to expect in the future.

Sparx and Dana, thanks for the entertainment! You were the highlight of my evening!

 

[icebrat001]

:

You fed me DOG cake???????

Thanks, I needed that!

 

[dmslush]

Okay, I have slept, rested, etc.. and I still cannot believe that kid fed me dog cake. I hope all of you people on here that just love her can now see what a snot she really is!! I am the best mom in the world and she feeds me dog cake!!!!!!!!!! EGADS!!!!!!!!

 

[Southern4sure]

I took the three courses of cake decorating just for fun though. I love making them but I dont like eating them. I have never liked buttercream icing and such. My suggestion while taking the course would be make two 8 inch like you normally would do and stack them. My instructor didn't require a thick cake. You could make them ahead of time and freeze. Take out one layer and decorate when needed. We were told only to use Duncan Hines mixes. Have fun and I would love to see pics of your cakes!

 

[MsDisney23]

aw:

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay, I have slept, rested, etc.. and I still cannot believe that kid fed me dog cake. I hope all of you people on here that just love her can now see what a snot she really is!! I am the best mom in the world and she feeds me dog cake!!!!!!!!!! EGADS!!!!!!!!

Ahhh yes....the joys of motherhood!!! Is the cornbread still a go???
And Peg....your cakes are going to be just gorgeous!! I've always wanted to take a cake decorating course but lack the patience. Maybe we'll be seeing some of those cakes being delivered to our resorts...I have a dd with a 13th b-day coming up next Oct!!!!!!
Now, back to the mother/daughter bash!!

 

[Mom2Ashli]

If it makes you feel any better, I've seen our cat lick some undesirable spots as well. That's why I'm not going to eat it. I'm going to tell DD that I made it all just for her!

Okay just remind me never to eat any cake made by a DISer!

Way to much dog and cat cake floating around this place.

By the way my Cat get into everything she can before she gets caught.

 

[Aneille]

A few months before my wedding I got a puppy.

We have the wedding, the reception, then head back home to change because our parents rented another location for the evening. We put the cake on the counter.

We come down ready to leave and our puppy had eaten over half of it! We saved what we could to put in the freezer but I don't think we will ever eat it!

So 2 days later we leave for our Honeymoon. My sister is taking our dog to her house to watch. We told it was trained and shouldn't have any real accidents since she was pretty much trained, just make sure you take her out frequently.

Well my sister never said anything until I got back but the dog I guess had some real bad accidents in her house! And she couldn't understand why it was happening and why I didn't tell her it wasn't trained!

Once I found out I told her it was because she ate my wedding cake!

Its pretty funny thinking back. My poor sister!

 

[MrsPete]

I've been baking/decorating cakes professionally for more than 20 years, and I'm familiar with those extra-deep Wilton pans -- in fact, love them! Are you using the 3" deeps or the 4" deeps? I've never had a problem with 8" cakes, but larger ones can be difficult. Here are a few hints:

Do you have an oven thermometer? I suspect your oven temp may be set a bit high.

I always bake larger/deeper cakes at 325 for a longer time; for a really large cake, like 18", I even go down to 300 degrees. It prevents the problem of "mush in the middle, burned around the edges". When you change the cake pan size, the recommended cooking time is completely useless. Watch for the sides of the cake to start to draw back from the pan, and stick a toothpick into the middle to test for done-ness.

I also suspect that you may have put in more batter than recommended for the pan. I am awful about doing this -- oh, it's just an extra cup of batter, and I don't want it to go to waste -- wrong. The cake simply won't get done, and you'll have a mess. Do you have the Wilton yearbook? On one of the back pages, there's a chart that lists all the Wilton cake pans, the #of cups of batter each holds, how many cups of icing required, how many people it serves, etc., etc., etc. I don't know about cake mixes fitting into the pans; I only make homemade cakes, which is why people are willing to pay an arm and a leg for my cakes!

Putting two thin 8" cakes together is a great idea, but then you do have the problem of the "hump" on the side where the two come together -- this is sometimes difficult for me.

When baking larger cakes, you can take an empty, clean soup can (or large fruit coctail can if you need something slightly bigger around) that's cut out on both ends (so that it's a tube) and put it in the middle of the cake pan BEFORE pouring in the batter. This gives you a doughnut-shaped cake with "more edge" and less middle, and the cake'll cook more easily. Of course, then you have to place a piece of thin cardboard (cut from a cereal box, perhaps) wrapped in wax paper over the hole before you can decorate. I have several sizes of cans that I've been using for years; I store them with my cake pans, and I wouldn't know how to bake an 18" cake without them.

This is off-topic, but avoid large, square cakes like the plague. They are soooo difficult to bake. I know, it doesn't hold up to common sense, but they are really, really difficult. I make them, but I charge way more than for a round cake.

Finally, you can buy decorating dummies (made of foam) for practice. They are wonderful because they're perfectly flat.

 

[Southern4sure]

Putting two thin 8" cakes together is a great idea, but then you do have the problem of the "hump" on the side where the two come together -- this is sometimes difficult for me.

When baking larger cakes, you can take an empty, clean soup can (or large fruit coctail can if you need something slightly bigger around) that's cut out on both ends (so that it's a tube) and put it in the middle of the cake pan BEFORE pouring in the batter. This gives you a doughnut-shaped cake with "more edge" and less middle, and the cake'll cook more easily. Of course, then you have to place a piece of thin cardboard (cut from a cereal box, perhaps) wrapped in wax paper over the hole before you can decorate. I have several sizes of cans that I've been using for years; I store them with my cake pans, and I wouldn't know how to bake an 18" cake without them.

I have not had any problems with a hump on the side..I use the 3 inch pans but I only do it for fun.

I like the idea about the can in the middle. I never heard of that. Do you use this for 3 and 4 inch pans? Do the people know there is a hollow center before they buy it?

 

[hiwaygal]

So, Feralpeg....did you have to tell your teacher that the cat ate your homework????

 

[agotta]

Thanks for all those who pointed me this way. It needed the laugh.

We once had friends over who weren't "dog" people. They watched my puppy climb onto the table and start to pull some steaks back under with her! My friends just stood there and asked what she was doing. Eating your dinner!!

 

[Feralpeg]

I've been baking/decorating cakes professionally for more than 20 years, and I'm familiar with those extra-deep Wilton pans -- in fact, love them! Are you using the 3" deeps or the 4" deeps? I've never had a problem with 8" cakes, but larger ones can be difficult. Here are a few hints:

Do you have an oven thermometer? I suspect your oven temp may be set a bit high.

I always bake larger/deeper cakes at 325 for a longer time; for a really large cake, like 18", I even go down to 300 degrees. It prevents the problem of "mush in the middle, burned around the edges". When you change the cake pan size, the recommended cooking time is completely useless. Watch for the sides of the cake to start to draw back from the pan, and stick a toothpick into the middle to test for done-ness.

I also suspect that you may have put in more batter than recommended for the pan. I am awful about doing this -- oh, it's just an extra cup of batter, and I don't want it to go to waste -- wrong. The cake simply won't get done, and you'll have a mess. Do you have the Wilton yearbook? On one of the back pages, there's a chart that lists all the Wilton cake pans, the #of cups of batter each holds, how many cups of icing required, how many people it serves, etc., etc., etc. I don't know about cake mixes fitting into the pans; I only make homemade cakes, which is why people are willing to pay an arm and a leg for my cakes!

Putting two thin 8" cakes together is a great idea, but then you do have the problem of the "hump" on the side where the two come together -- this is sometimes difficult for me.

When baking larger cakes, you can take an empty, clean soup can (or large fruit coctail can if you need something slightly bigger around) that's cut out on both ends (so that it's a tube) and put it in the middle of the cake pan BEFORE pouring in the batter. This gives you a doughnut-shaped cake with "more edge" and less middle, and the cake'll cook more easily. Of course, then you have to place a piece of thin cardboard (cut from a cereal box, perhaps) wrapped in wax paper over the hole before you can decorate. I have several sizes of cans that I've been using for years; I store them with my cake pans, and I wouldn't know how to bake an 18" cake without them.

This is off-topic, but avoid large, square cakes like the plague. They are soooo difficult to bake. I know, it doesn't hold up to common sense, but they are really, really difficult. I make them, but I charge way more than for a round cake.

Finally, you can buy decorating dummies (made of foam) for practice. They are wonderful because they're perfectly flat.

Thank you for the great information! I did put the entire cake mix in the pan. It was very full. I'm sure this is just like anything else, practice makes perfect. I will need a lot of practice!