Cake Baking…it’s a beast…particularly, layered cakes! I find recipes with pictures of these flawless, beautiful cakes and they always claim, “easy”, “foolproof”, “simple”, etc. Lies, all lies! A layered cake is not for the faint of heart! It’s a challenge and one that I have been attempting to tackle! I am determined to master this thing! So far I have attempted a layered yellow vanilla cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting, a layered dark chocolate cake with a peanut butter buttercream frosting, and a layered chocolate cake with an Oreo buttercream frosting. Side note, it’s “frosting” if it’s thicker, fat-based, and holds its shape when spread. Icing is generally thinner, liquid-like, doesn’t hold its shape and its main ingredient is powdered sugar mixed with a liquid. Anyway, that little tidbit was free! All of the cakes were moist and tasted great, there wasn’t a single crumb to be wasted!
I AM DETERMINED TO MASTER THIS THING!
But they weren’t holding their form well, they were incredibly difficult to get out of the pans all in one piece which made layering difficult and they would crumble when trying to apply the frosting. I had leaning, sinking, odd-looking cakes! My kids would smile and say, “Don’t worry momma, it tastes great!” Sweet kids but my perfectionist nature said “Nope, that’s not gonna do.” So I researched and kept trying. I haven’t reached perfection yet (what is that really?!) but I have learned a bit and those layer cakes are getting better! So here is what I learned so far:
– Be exact in measuring! This is probably the most important thing! Baking is a science and the proportions of ingredients are very important. For example, when you measure the flour, don’t eyeball it! Use the back of a butter knife or some kind of straight edge and level each cup. Be precise like a scientist!
– Butter, eggs, milk, and any other refrigerated product need to be at room temperature. It’s not just a suggestion if the recipe says this. As for the butter, don’t try to cheat and just melt it, that’s not room temperature and it will create an odd consistency.
– Be sure your oven is preheated before placing your cake in the oven. The heat needs to be the exact temperature from the get-go!
– Keep an eye on your cake while it’s baking. It’s not like a crockpot where you stick it in and walk away. Don’t walk away! But don’t open the oven! The heat needs to stay as consistent as possible. Typically, recipes will give a time range. Always start with the smallest time. Test the cake with a toothpick.
– Use parchment paper rounds at the bottom of the cake pans. Otherwise, getting it out in one piece to layer is almost impossible!
– Let cakes completely cool before trying to layer them and especially before frosting the cake.
– For the frosting…again, make sure the butter you are using or the cream is at room temperature. This ensures the soft, fluffy consistency that you want.
– A frosting spatula is important and helpful in getting the frosting spread without tearing up your cake. A rubber spatula doesn’t work. If you don’t have a special frosting spatula, I would say use something flat and metal.
As I said, I’m still learning but it’s getting better!
