Chocolate Guinness Cake - in a number shaped tin?

[Sl1nkyMalinki]

Hi all

I've been asked to bake a chocolate guinness cake in the shape of a 50 for a 50th birthday.

I don't think the cake is going to be easy to shape into a number so thinking that a shaped tin is the way to go.

Has anyone attempted such a cake in a shaped tin? Any tips if you have please? I fear I've bitten off more than I can chew with this one, I don't do fancy cakes, I just do cakes!

Thank you :)

You would definitely need the shaped tins. It's a very damp cake and I'm not even sure how well it would work using them.

That's what worries me. It's been dropped on me that this is required for Saturday :/ I think I'll be managing expectations and will have to make a couple of back ups. I'll get the tins tomorrow and see if I can make it work, it couldn't have been an easy number could it!!

hi all, you can buy cake release which you spray inside, its only few pounds.

Thanks Nanny. Is it easy to get hold of? I probably don't have enough time to get it online and delivered in time. Shedloads of marge and greaseproof should help?

I tried one in one of those shaped tins (a heart rather than a number) once and it refused to turn out. It a cake that needs the persuasive power of lots of baking paper, since it's so wet. I find the best cakes for intricately shaped tins are the almond based ones such as in sachertorte, where the yolks and beaten egg whites are mixed in separately. They're quite firm textured and sturdy. (And no, the cake release i used didn't help one bit)

If you're set on the number, then either cut it out of a plainer shaped cake or 3, or make a firmer cake, flavoured with malt extract and put the guinness in some buttercream to decorate it with.

ouryve, that's what I was afraid someone more experienced on here would say! It has to be specifically this recipe :/ If I had time it wouldn't be such an issue but knowing I have my usual order to work through as well as this is making me antsy. I think all I can do is try it and cross fingers. And make sure there's a back up!

I don't understand why there would be a problem with the cake turning out if you line the cake tin on the bottom and the sides with baking parchment or greaseproof paper - you won't need cake release spray, which is just for silicon cake moulds. If the cake is a bit squidgy, let it cool in the tin and then turn it out.

Well all i'm saying i made afootball cake and do you think the bloody thing would come out even tho i greased it well ok i didnt use any greaseproof paper which to be honest would have been impossible, someone suggested the cake release and sure enough it worked a treat.

It's a tricky shape to line, I think I'd spend more time lining and greasing than actually baking!

I've spoken to the client and given that the brief was pretty vague I've suggested in a please please let me do this instead way 50 Guinness cupcakes. Decorating those will be easier too. Fingers crossed, eh?

Good luck, tell us how you get on.