Struggling with Microwave Cake? Help me perfect this recipe before May!

[Chef Kearns]

I would love to perfect this recipe before May because it is a great HWC recipe. Whenever I make it it looks gross. It comes out soggy and basically like a pink wet sponge. Here is the recipe take a look and tell me if these are the wrong ingredients or instructions or what!?

Strawberry Cheesecake Microwave Cake

1 strawberry cake mix
(if you can't find strawberry you can use white, add 1-2 drops red food color and an extra tsp of strawberry extract)
1 tsp. strawberry extract
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 (3 oz. box) cheesecake pudding mix
16 oz. sour cream
½ cup oil
3 eggs
Garnish: whipped topping and fresh Strawberry fans.

Spray your Stoneware Fluted Pan lightly and dust with flour. Whisk eggs and pudding mix together in Classic Batter Bowl. Add remaining ingredients, blending well with Mix N' Scraper. Drop batter into Fluted pan and microwave on high 12-14 minutes. If you don't have a turntable, rotate every 4-5 minutes. Invert cakes immediately, but leave pan over the cake for 10 minutes. Cool. Garnish (Flour Sugar Shaker filled with powdered sugar, fresh strawberry fans made with your Egg Slicer Plus, fresh mints snipped with your Kitchen Shears) as desired.


Until I figure out what I'm doing wrong I am not going to demo this. I have not invested in the Fluted Pan yet. I made it in the Square Pan. Do you think it is because I'm using the wrong pan? Help me Help me!!

 

[pamperedbecky]

From memory, that looks like the recipe I've used. I always bring it pre-made to my May shows and I know what you mean about that soggy look. I actually take a paper towel and dab it up first, let it cool, then I sprinkle the powdered sugar on it. If I'm doing the recipe at a show, I know I wouldn't want to do that because it would look strange. I don't think you're doing anything wrong with the recipe. Is the cake still "normal" on the inside and not soggy there? The cake is so moist when I do it, so maybe it needs to do this. I'm always scared to do the recipe at shows because everyone's microwave is different and I've perfected it on mine. It does always wow people though to see it pop out, so I may have to rethink that. Good luck!

 

[Chef Kearns]

The cake was soggy inside and out. I had a microwave cake at a fellow consultant's house for Bunco and it was great! It looked spongy on the outside but was just moist cake on the inside.

When I made it it was like eating a Tres Leche cake--very very wet.

 

[janel kelly]

The only thing different with the recipe I have is there is no strawberry extract. I wouldn't think that would make a difference between it not working though. I've never had a problem with the cake. Can you microwave it a little longer? Maybe it just needs more cooking time. Maybe try a different strawberry cake mix brand.

 

[adventurechef]

I don't have a solution but a question - can this cake be baked in the Rice Cooker Plus ? I don't have a fluted pan yet but would love to try this recipe.

Thanks in advance, Linda

 

[PamperedPrincess74]

Have other microwave cakes you've made turned out ok? I NEVER do microwave cakes. I've tried THREE different times and each time, it was burned one side and totally UNCOOKED on the other. My microwave does have a turntable so I'm not sure why this happens. I vowed last time that I would never do it again.

 

[betht471]

I havent done the strawberry cake but I do the Reese's Chocolate cake in fluted stone in the microwave all the time. I have probably done it a dozen or more times and it comes out perfect every time. Now it is not pretty when you invert it which is why you drizzle it with peanut butter and then with the chocolate icing but the texture and the presentation with the drizzle is beautiful especially on the simple additions lage square plate. Hope that helps.

 

[Chef Kearns]

This has been the only microwave cake I have tried. It is not imperative that I master it. I thought it would be a nice addition to my HWC repetoire. Oh well. Thanks for the tips and suggestions.