Need cake help NOW please...

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

Making a chocolate cake for dd's birthday tomorrow. Recipe is 175g butter, 150g flour, 50g cocoa powder, 150g sugar, 3eggs and 250ml souur cream. Recipe says to cook in one tin - 20.5cm/8in tin = for 40-50 min at 180 and then cut cake in 2 and sandwich together. Wouldn't it be better to put in 2 slightly smaller tins and not have to cut cake in 2? If so can I cook at same temp but I guess for a shorter time - say 20-30 mins? TIA

[stealthsquiggle]

Unless you have the time and ingredients to start again if it doesn't work, I would go with the recipe - it sounds like quite a dense cake, and they generally don't like being cooked shallow, IYSWIM - they come out very dry.

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

Thanks very much stealth. I'm not that dextrous so hope it doesn't go all over the place when I try to cut it.

[stealthsquiggle]

just make sure you keep the cake the right way round.

OK that sounds really dumb. What I mean is, you probably won't cut it 100% level, so it needs to go back together the way it was, IYSWIM. I have been known to stick a cocktail stick in top and bottom at a certain point on the edge so that I can match them up again. Does that make any sense at all (it's late and I really should be in bed..)?

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

Yes, thanks again. It does make sense and is helpful. Have just taken cake out and it has fallen a bit already and cracked at the top but hopefully nothing that can't be hidden with lots of icing. Am obviously not very mentally dexterous tonight either.

[stealthsquiggle]

ice it upside-down