Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" cake as a 18x12 sheet cake

[cperricone]

I've made this recipe (on the back of the cocoa box) as a 9" round layer cake and it was amazing! My son wants it for his birthday party... for 22 kids + adults. I'm thinking of doing it as two 18x12 layers, baked in separate pans. Any advice? (And I've never "leveled" or "torted" a cake, so I need to keep this simple.)

[GilaB]

I love this cake and find it very reliable, but I find that when baked in a big flat pan (13x9 - I've never attempted 18x12) it not only domes, but gets a sort of bowtie-shaped depression in the middle of the dome. It's been at least 10 years since I made it in a rectangle, but the depression was so consistent and unusual that it's stuck with me.

[chowser]

Are you baking it long enough? I do it in a rectangle often and haven't had problems w/ it.

[cperricone]

My first effort did the same thing. Then I bought a "heating core" and `voila! Perfect. Also, I called Hershey's Kitchens and they said to double the regular recipe for 12x18 pan (much less batter than I expected). And reduce the temperature to 325.
NOTE: the Hershey's bakers said for 13x9 pans, do NOT increase the recipe or change the temperature..

[Tumkers]

or this link with very lovely step by step photos
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/20...

I've also made her tres leche cake for a kid birthday and it was a hit.

[Eat.Choui]

Check out this excellent post from Smitten Kitchen.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/lay...

[cperricone]

Awesome link! thanks!

[chowser]

I think it would work but you might have more luck with a Texas sheet cake, along those lines. I use coffee instead of water.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...