My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
Here is the recipe.
I didn't use pastry flour.


Cake
Butter and flour, for spring form pan
2 cups pastry flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows



Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt 3 times, set aside. Cream
the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a
time beating well after each addition.
Combine the buttermilk, coffee and vanilla extract.
Mix in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then half the wet ingredients.
Repeat with the remaining dry and wet ingredients, finishing with dry.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 hour, until a
skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. remove the
cake from the pan after 15 minutes. Cool completely. Cut the cake into
2 layers.
Sandwich whipped ganache between the 2 layers and spread more ganache
on the top and sides of the cake. Wrap the chocolate covered acetate
around the cake, chocolate side in, overlapping the ends slightly.
Refrigerate the cake until the chocolate in the ribbon has set.
Carefully remove the acetate before serving.

Vince Poroke wrote:
> My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
> would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
> moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.

I can't critique the recipe, but I had some other thoughts:

1) Did you open the oven too many times to peek in? (Air comes in,
cools, cake batter sinks, but outer rim is already baked, etc.)

2) Did you use a dark interior pan? (Dark holds more heat, cooks the
outside too quickly, forms a crust)

A suggestion or two - Divide the batter into two pans, which will
decrease your bake time. Also, use Magic Cake Strips next time for an
even, level cake.

-j.

Magic Cake Strips?


"June Oshiro" > wrote in message
...
> Vince Poroke wrote:
> > My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
> > would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
> > moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
>
> I can't critique the recipe, but I had some other thoughts:
>
> 1) Did you open the oven too many times to peek in? (Air comes in,
> cools, cake batter sinks, but outer rim is already baked, etc.)
>
> 2) Did you use a dark interior pan? (Dark holds more heat, cooks the
> outside too quickly, forms a crust)
>
> A suggestion or two - Divide the batter into two pans, which will
> decrease your bake time. Also, use Magic Cake Strips next time for an
> even, level cake.
>
> -j.
>

Tigger News wrote:
> Magic Cake Strips?
>

Google?

http://www.mileskimball.com/jump.jsp...ProductID=3467

-j.

June Oshiro > wrote in message >...
> Vince Poroke wrote:
> > My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
> > would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
> > moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
>
> I can't critique the recipe, but I had some other thoughts:
>
> 1) Did you open the oven too many times to peek in? (Air comes in,
> cools, cake batter sinks, but outer rim is already baked, etc.)
>
> 2) Did you use a dark interior pan? (Dark holds more heat, cooks the
> outside too quickly, forms a crust)
>
> A suggestion or two - Divide the batter into two pans, which will
> decrease your bake time. Also, use Magic Cake Strips next time for an
> even, level cake.
>
> -j.


Sorry I haven't had access to my computer. That is a good rememdy,
split it between two pans.

(Vince Poroke) writes:

>My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
>would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
>moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
>Here is the recipe.
>I didn't use pastry flour.
>
>
>Cake
>Butter and flour, for spring form pan
>2 cups pastry flour
>3/4 cup cocoa powder
>11/2 teaspoons baking soda
>1/2 teaspoon salt
>1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
>2 cups sugar
>4 eggs
>1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
>1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
>1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Looks like way to much sugar (I mean you have equal parts sugar to flour) and
too much liquid to dry ingredients (in baking sugar and fat are considered
liquids). Your recipe is definitely fercockt.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

"PENMART01" wrote in message
...
> >
> >Cake
> >Butter and flour, for spring form pan
> >2 cups pastry flour
> >3/4 cup cocoa powder
> >11/2 teaspoons baking soda
> >1/2 teaspoon salt
> >1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
> >2 cups sugar
> >4 eggs
> >1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
> >1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
> >1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
>
> Looks like way to much sugar (I mean you have equal parts sugar to flour)

If you look at in terms of weight it's a lot more sugar than flour. I'm not
a much of a pastry maker but that seems a bit odd.

-Mike

"Mike Pearce" writes:

>"PENMART01" wrote:
>> >
>> >Cake
>> >Butter and flour, for spring form pan
>> >2 cups pastry flour
>> >3/4 cup cocoa powder
>> >11/2 teaspoons baking soda
>> >1/2 teaspoon salt
>> >1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
>> >2 cups sugar
>> >4 eggs
>> >1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
>> >1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
>> >1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
>>
>> Looks like way to much sugar (I mean you have equal parts sugar to flour)
>
>If you look at in terms of weight it's a lot more sugar than flour.

Um, recipe says "cups". duh

>I'm not a much of a pastry maker but that seems a bit odd.

That? That WHAT? What seems odd, that by volume sugar weighs more than
flour... why is that odd?

What's really odd is that I haven't called you a functionally illiterate
*******, yet... so just keep critiquing my posts with your assinine comments...


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

"PENMART01" wrote in message
...

> "Mike Pearce" writes:

> >I'm not a much of a pastry maker but that seems a bit odd.
>
> That? That WHAT? What seems odd, that by volume sugar weighs more than
> flour... why is that odd?
>
> What's really odd is that I haven't called you a functionally illiterate
> *******, yet... so just keep critiquing my posts with your assinine
comments...
>

Now that you mention it, given my admittedly poor writing skills, I find it
odd as well.

Do you really think I've been critiquing your posts? Negatively?

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.

Take care,
-Mike

In article <jJYGb.11258$JD6.4505@lakeread04>, "Mike Pearce"
> writes:

>PENMART01" wrote in message
...
>
>> "Mike Pearce" writes:
>
>> >I'm not a much of a pastry maker but that seems a bit odd.
>>
>> That? That WHAT? What seems odd, that by volume sugar weighs more than
>> flour... why is that odd?
>>
>> What's really odd is that I haven't called you a functionally illiterate
>> *******, yet... so just keep critiquing my posts with your assinine
>comments...
>>
>
>Now that you mention it, given my admittedly poor writing skills, I find it
>odd as well.
>
>Do you really think I've been critiquing your posts? Negatively?

I don't know if you mean to but you sure seem to be habitually following up my
posts with ridiculously redundant comments.

>I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season

I am, thank you. I'm snug at home preparing a fabulous dinner for eight (and
baby sitting) for a passel of house guests who left early this AM to attempt
sking Windham (I say attempt as the temps here have been unseasonably warm-
40F.ish- guessing they're blowing snow during the colder nights). Um, I'm way
too old and sage to careen down mountainsides.

I hope your Holiday is terrific as well.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

"Vince Poroke" > wrote in message
om...
> My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
> would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
> moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
> Here is the recipe.
> I didn't use pastry flour.
>
>
> Cake
> Butter and flour, for spring form pan
> 2 cups pastry flour
> 3/4 cup cocoa powder
> 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
> 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
> 2 cups sugar
> 4 eggs
> 1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
> 1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
> 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
> Milk Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows

If the formula is well balance and your oven is properly calibrated, the
reason that cakes form an outer crust is that the temperature is too high.
When cakes fall in the middle it is because they are under-baked. You
should get an oven thermometer and verify that your oven is calibrated. You
also need to test for doneness before removing the cake from the oven.

I see a couple of issues with the formula. First, as others have mentioned,
there is more sugar by weight than flour. Unless you are using a "hi ratio"
shortening with emulsifiers, then you should have the same weight or less of
sugar as you do flour. In this case you have 400 grams of sugar and 250
grams of flour. The small amount of cocoa isn't enough to offset the excess
sugar and has no structure forming proteins

The second issue is the leavening. The general rule is that you need 1/4
teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of flour. You also need enough acid
ingredients to react with the soda. It looks like you have too much baking
soda. If it all reacted, that would account, in part, for the collapse.
Too much leavening causes a cake to rise beyond the limits of the structure
and then it collapses.

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message >.. .
> "Vince Poroke" > wrote in message
> om...
> > My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
> > would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
> > moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
> > Here is the recipe.
> > I didn't use pastry flour.
> >
> >
> > Cake
> > Butter and flour, for spring form pan
> > 2 cups pastry flour
> > 3/4 cup cocoa powder
> > 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
> > 1/2 teaspoon salt
> > 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
> > 2 cups sugar
> > 4 eggs
> > 1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
> > 1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
> > 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
> > Milk Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows
>
> If the formula is well balance and your oven is properly calibrated, the
> reason that cakes form an outer crust is that the temperature is too high.
> When cakes fall in the middle it is because they are under-baked. You
> should get an oven thermometer and verify that your oven is calibrated. You
> also need to test for doneness before removing the cake from the oven.
>
> I see a couple of issues with the formula. First, as others have mentioned,
> there is more sugar by weight than flour. Unless you are using a "hi ratio"
> shortening with emulsifiers, then you should have the same weight or less of
> sugar as you do flour. In this case you have 400 grams of sugar and 250
> grams of flour. The small amount of cocoa isn't enough to offset the excess
> sugar and has no structure forming proteins
>
> The second issue is the leavening. The general rule is that you need 1/4
> teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of flour. You also need enough acid
> ingredients to react with the soda. It looks like you have too much baking
> soda. If it all reacted, that would account, in part, for the collapse.
> Too much leavening causes a cake to rise beyond the limits of the structure
> and then it collapses.


Thank you very much for the scientific approach to answering this. I
pulled this recipe off of Foodnetwork.com. I would have thought that
they would know what they are doing.

"Vince Poroke" > wrote in message
om...
> "Vox Humana" > wrote in message
>.. .
> > "Vince Poroke" > wrote in message
> > om...
> > > My cake sunk down in the center and formed a crust on the edge. What
> > > would cause this to happen? The flavor was wonderful and the cake was
> > > moist but it just didn't have the consistancy that I was hoping for.
> > > Here is the recipe.
> > > I didn't use pastry flour.
> > >
> > >
> > > Cake
> > > Butter and flour, for spring form pan
> > > 2 cups pastry flour
> > > 3/4 cup cocoa powder
> > > 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
> > > 1/2 teaspoon salt
> > > 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
> > > 2 cups sugar
> > > 4 eggs
> > > 1/2 cup plus 2 ounces buttermilk
> > > 1/2 cup plus 2 ounces espresso coffee
> > > 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
> > > Milk Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows
> >
> > If the formula is well balance and your oven is properly calibrated, the
> > reason that cakes form an outer crust is that the temperature is too
high.
> > When cakes fall in the middle it is because they are under-baked. You
> > should get an oven thermometer and verify that your oven is calibrated.
You
> > also need to test for doneness before removing the cake from the oven.
> >
> > I see a couple of issues with the formula. First, as others have
mentioned,
> > there is more sugar by weight than flour. Unless you are using a "hi
ratio"
> > shortening with emulsifiers, then you should have the same weight or
less of
> > sugar as you do flour. In this case you have 400 grams of sugar and 250
> > grams of flour. The small amount of cocoa isn't enough to offset the
excess
> > sugar and has no structure forming proteins
> >
> > The second issue is the leavening. The general rule is that you need
1/4
> > teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of flour. You also need enough
acid
> > ingredients to react with the soda. It looks like you have too much
baking
> > soda. If it all reacted, that would account, in part, for the collapse.
> > Too much leavening causes a cake to rise beyond the limits of the
structure
> > and then it collapses.
>
>
> Thank you very much for the scientific approach to answering this. I
> pulled this recipe off of Foodnetwork.com. I would have thought that
> they would know what they are doing.

I have concluded that Food Network is all about entertainment and very
little about cooking.