Alright. We can figure this out. It just may take a little trial and error.

So, this cake is really easy to make in a regular oven…I’m not sure about a convection oven, since I don’t have one. Like you said, from what I’ve gathered, it’s a matter of timing and temperature.

This is a total guess, but try lowering the temperature to 325 degrees and start checking it after 20 minutes. Since I don’t have a convection oven, and you’re not sure how to bake a cake just yet, I think the most helpful thing I can do is tell you what to look for as the cake bakes–and how to tell when it’s done. If you can, turn off as many of the fans as you can (or put them on low), and definitely don’t set it on turbo.

SO! Make a practice cake first, way before your son’s actual birthday party.

Mix the batter up, slap it in the pan per my instructions in the post above, and grab a seat by the oven. You’re going to hang out with the cake while it bakes. Be sure to mark down the time you put the cake in the oven, so you can figure out how long it actually took.

While the cake is in the oven, use your eyes, your nose, and your fingers to figure out how it’s cooking. I’m oversimplifying here, but you’ll see what I’m getting at:

As the cake starts to bake, the batter will poof up a little. Then it will sort of get solid looking from the outside moving in. The outer edges will start to look like cooked cake (and probably be a little raised), but the center will still be dark and liquidy looking.

Then, the whole thing will look like it’s cooked, but when you move the pan gently with a potholder, the top of the cake will wiggle and jiggle (so you know it’s still a little liquid, and isn’t cooked through the whole way). At this point, pay attention to the very outer edges. If they’re starting to burn, that’s a sure sign you need to lower the temperature a little next time.

Then, the cake will start to firm up, so that it doesn’t jiggle any more when you shake the pan. When you press on the top of the cake near the center, however, your finger will leave a little dent that doesn’t spring back. This means it’s still not done, but it’s getting really close.

Finally, when the cake is fully baked, you’ll be able to press on the surface gently with a finger (near the center) and the cake will spring back. This tells you that the cake is baked. You can also check it with a toothpick test (http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/01/22/basic-cooking-how-to-test-a-cake-for-doneness-with-a-toothpick/).

Give that a try and see how it goes. It will take a little more of your time, but hopefully you’ll learn a little about how your oven bakes. And once you get a handle on that, you’ll be able to adapt other recipes.

Oh, I did find this thread on Chow about using a convection oven. It seems like it might have some good info for you:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/308161?tag=sidebar%3brelated_boards_small

If your model come with an instruction manual, that’s probably your best guideline.

Let me know how it goes! Best of luck to you!

And happy birthday to your son! Thanks so much for reading!

+Jessie

i want to bake him a cake instead of buying in the store but i’m kinda’ hesitant because i’m just using a mini convection oven. in the past, i’ve tried a few recipes but it was either over or underbaked. i’m not sure if its d temperature, the heating direction (up,down or both) and the turbo fan function. i know that using a convection oven lets u cook /bake faster than the conventional type and the temperature settings are different. like when it say, 350 deg., should the equivalent be 180 or 190?. i’ve followed some online conversion sites but still i get the same results either over or underbaked

what do u think should i do if i’ll try your recipe? will i be successful even with just a convection oven? so sorry for taking this long. i just really want to learn. baking classes here are expensive and i couldnt get to enroll to one because we have to prioritize our family needs, (we have 2 kids) so i’m just learning online.

thanks for your time and hope to hear from u! God bless!

+Jessie