Just made the Chocolate Celebrtion Cake in Helens new book and the batter was about right BEFORE I had to add 1 cup of hot coffe and 1 cup of boiling water. I have put it in to bake anyway bit its so runny - It can't be right......HELP. I checked the recipe and I can't see I made a mistake so if I have to do it over it will come out the same.

Probably meant to say 1 cup of hot coffee or 1 tsp coffee powder to 1 cup hot water if it is like my recipe for chocolate cake.

Is the recipe the same as this one? [www.foodlovers.co.nz]

I believe it is meant to be a runny mixture but it almosts sounds like a self-saucing choc pudding with the hot water poured over the top. might end up like a mudcake type texture. Its a bit too big to make for an everyday trial cke for me

I just checked again and it definately says 1 cup (250ml) boiling water and 1 cup (250mls)hot black coffee. Typo maybe? The cake turned better than I thought but it didn't rise that much, got big cracks on the top, although hasn't sunk in the middle. The surface has a wierd orange peely tiny broken bubble effect but I am going to use it anyway and slather it with ganache. Cross fingers it tastes OK.....no time to make another one anyway.

Yes J1, almost exactly but without the vanilla and the 2 cups of boiling water are instead 1 cup of boiling water and 1 cup of hot coffee. Have you made it before and was it meant to be like this - I nearly had a fit when I poured it all in at the end (probably shouldnt have in hindsight?) still, as above cake has turn out better than I imagined it would

Danube, no, I've not made that one although I have other recipes that have high liquid content. I'm glad it turned out pretty okay for you.

The cake is absolutely as it should be - sorry I have been in Samoa with no internet connection otherwise I would have said so at the beginning.
I am slighly perplexed at the orange peel looking surface but that would be covered in icing anyway.
Danube was it OK when you cut it?
I have made the exact recipe endless times and it always works out.

Hi Helen, Yes it tasted great, thank goodness! It came out very well in the end. I think one of my problems was that initially I wanted to do it in a round springform pan as it was my only round tin large enough and I loved the photo in your book, even managed to find the last of the strawberries, but when I saw how thin the mixture was I panicked and quickly lined a normal square tin. I have never made a cake with a high liquid mixture like this and my baking can be touch and go anyway, I am always making small changes which throw out the recipe (ie wrong sized tin) so I felt sure I had done something wrong with this, I still can't believe it cooked up as well as it did

I have a favourite choc cake recipe which also produces an alarmingly thin batter. I too cook it in a round springform tin and to be safe I always put a pan underneath the tin as it often leaks through the base a little.

It always comes out great though!! A great cake.

Danube my cake tin is spring form and although the batter is very runny I don't have problems with it leaking out.

I am so pleased it worked for you as it is a great feed a crowd cake.