My Cake is Doughy in the Middle

Gary1914

Hello Everyone. I am trying to help my wife out by baking a pound cake. I volunteered after going over the recipe. Actually it seemed simple enough and I thought it would be a snap to do.

I was wrong.

The problem is it looks fine in the oven. It rises nice and high even though the surface is not smooth and seems to be cracked open in places. The minute I take my nice, high cake out of the oven it goes flat and when cut into is doughy in the middle.

Does anyone know what I am doing wrong? I tried to Google for the answer but was unsuccessful. So I am turing to my friends here.

Here is the recipe I am using.

5 eggs, 3 cups sugar, 3 cups flour (I am using all purpose), 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup butter, 1 cup shortening, 1 cup milk, lemon extract, vanilla flavoring.

I have thrown away two cakes already and cannot afford to throw away anymore.

Please........someone........anyone....HELP!

calamityjane

What pan size do you have it in? What heat are you using and how long are you baking it for?

Gary1914

Hi. Thanks so much for responding. I am using one of those silicone (spelling?) 12 inch bundt pans. I bake the cake for 1 hour. The first one though wasn't brown on the top after an hour and so I let it stay in for another 15 minutes.

jgnat

This one is too easy. Keep it in the oven five minutes more. The exterior finishes before the inside.

To double check if it is done on the INSIDE, stick in a wooden toothpick. If it's got dough stuck to it, put the cake in for longer. You may have to do this up to three times before done.

I hate the toothpick method, so I've come up with my own. I knock on the crust. If it comes back bouncy and hollow-sounding, I know it's done. But I suspect this is a trick for experienced cooks.

The cracked surface is fine, nothing to worry about.

Mulan

Lots of recipes have the baking time wrong. Just cook it 5 minutes more at a time until it's done. Oven temperatures vary and climate issues can have an effect too. I've had to add as much as 20 minutes for some recipes.

Gary1914

Hi Jgnat.

So does it mean that the middle part is not cooked?

It looks cooked, just doughy.

In fact, I sliced off a piece and ate it and it tasted fine. It looked terrible though. I did the straw thing and it came out clean.

calamityjane

Listen to jgnat, she's got it right, but the toothpick method is great. Sometimes you just have to cook a cake a little longer than the recipe indicates.

Hope this one works for you

La Capra

Make sure the pan is exactly the right size. Glass pans can be put in a slightly cooler oven.

BUT TRY THIS

Make sure the oven if 100% preheated before you put that poundcake in.

Use an oven thermometer to make sure the oven really is as hot as you think it is.

Do the toothpick or knife test. Slip one into the highest part of the cake-it should come out clean, or with a couple of really tiny fully cooked crumbs. It should not look like you just stuck it in a bowl of pancake batter.

Shoshana (who treats baking like her high school chemistry labs-follow all directions exactly, leaves nothing to random chance...)

P.S. pound cakes are hard to get right, because of the density of all the ingredients. But the ones at Whole Foods are quite perfect.

mariposa

Yeah, my question is the same....how long are you cooking it for? It sounds like you need to cook it longer.

We just moved to a rental house that's old and the heater element in the oven cooks on like nuclear! I can't cook anything over 300 degrees cause it will burn. I've done 2 cakes and I keep checking em every once in a while. Stick a knife (or toothpick) into the middle and see if anything sticks to it. If it does keep cooking until it comes out clean.

Jourles

Your elevation is also a factor....but really only if you live above 4-5k feet.

Jourles, of the former 10k foot class where the cakes rise too quick and then fall into a gooey mess

My Cake is Doughy in the Middle

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