Cake baking question

[serious]

I'm making a cake - chocolate - that would be made according to recipe in 2 9" pans. The cake should be taken out of pans and cooled on a rack. I'm traveling with this and, therefore, making it in a rectangle, and leaving it in the pan to cool. What impact will this have on the cake? Is there some way I should adjust the cooking time? Thanks

[AlaskaChick]

I bake them all the time in a 9X13 pyrex pan and cool on a baker's rack in the pan, then frost and take with me without problems. I usually underbake my cakes a bit anyway - moist crumbs on the pick is the key.

[serious]

Thank you for all the comments, I've regained my confidence to just go ahead and bake in the one larger rectangular pan, monitor the end progress, and cool and frost. Now to remember not to eat it, but to carry it to the event.

[fayehess]

What happens when you leave a cake in the pan to cool is that moisture can build up between the cake and the bottom of the pan. It's not that much of a problem though if you just cool the cake, still in its pan, on a cooling rack. If you want to get the cake out of the pan for service, be sure to use parchment paper to line the pan. Be sure not to use pyrex, which will hold its temperature after the cake leaves the oven, but do not overcook the cake. You will end up with a dry cake. Bake as long as you normally would, looking for moist, but not wet crumbs that cling to a cake tester when you stick it in the middle. fayefood.com

[fayehess]

It is rare that a cake made in a sheet pan is flipped onto a cooling rack. It is typically left to cool (in the pan) on a baker's rack.

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

You'll likely want to bake the cake a bit longer. I'd still check it at the normal time, and then just keep poking in on it every few minutes. Leaving it in the pan may overbake the cake (especially if you're using Pyrex), so I'd recommend taking the cake out of the pan, then putting it back in the pan once it has completely cooled.

[serious]

Thanks - (kindly come over here and take it out of the pan for me for the cooling!)

[Morganna]

To remove the cake from the pan, get two baking sheets. I recommend covering them with some foil or something. Place it upside down on top of the pan, the entire cake should be covered by the pan. Turn the pan with the baking sheet on top upside down and thump it a bit to get the cake to come out. It will be upside down when you pull away the cake pan. Place the second sheet on top of the cake and turn the whole thing over (both baking sheets) so that the cake is now right side up. Et voila, cake out of pan for cooling. :)

[cakesncookies]

this is a good way to remove cakes. cooling in the pan will lead to a soggy cake.