Pan For Chocolate Guinness Cake

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake (from FEAST) has a batter that is mixed together in one saucepan and is on the liquid side, but this makes for a very moist cake. The cake is best in a 23cm/9-inch springform pan as if you bake it in a solid-based pan it can break up as you try to remove it from the pan, even if you grease and line the pan. Fixed based cake pans are also not usually as deep as springform pans and the cake may bubble over the top of the pan. When you close a springform pan it is worth making sure that the base is the correct way up and properly aligned with the groove at the bottom of the pan, as this will give the tightest seal when the pan is closed.

If your pan still leaks slightly then transfer the filled pan to the oven as quickly as possible and put the springform pan on a baking sheet in the oven, to catch any small leaks. Sometimes it can help to line the pan with the baking parchment (parchment paper) going slightly up the sides, but bear in mind that the paper may leave some marks or indentations on the side of the baked cake.