Cake Baking Tips And Tricks

Baking your own cakes can be a rewarding and successful experience. This is a guide containing cake baking tips and tricks.

Solutions: Cake Baking Tips And Tricks

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Tip for a Moist Cake Every Time

Adding 1 tablespoon of honey to any cake batter keeps your cake moist. The honey draws moisture to the cake and it stays moist from first slice to last. You do not need to change any ingredients and it can be added to a box cake mix or a homemade cake.

Source: A master beekeeper in PA.

By Lisa from Alexandria, VA

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Make Pan Liners from Paper Bags

When baking layer cakes, I cut pan liners out of brown paper bags. I lay the pan down on a bag and draw around it, then cut it out. If there is any printing on the bag, put it face down. This way, you never have to grease the pans or worry about the layers sticking and tearing.

After cooling 10 minutes in the pans, I run a butter knife around the edges to loosen, then turn the cake over onto my hand, peel off the paper, and turn the cake back over onto a cooling rack.

Source: my mother

By karenbuddy from Mobile, AL

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Bake Two Cake Layers with One Cake Pan

Many times a cake recipe will tell you to use 2 round pans. I eliminate using 2 and use only 1 deep pan. Then when the cake is cool enough to handle I take a piece of sewing thread about 16" long and wrap it a finger on each hand. Then slowly start pulling it through the middle of the cake. Continue until the thread cuts through the cake completely. And now you have 2 cake rounds. Happy dividing!

By Joesgirl

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Cake Making Tips

Tips for making a cake. Post your ideas.

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Cake Baking Tips

Tips for baking cakes. Post your ideas.

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Tips For Baking a Flat, Even Cake

This is in response to baking a flatter cake. All you have to do is either torte the mound off, torting means to cut the cake in several layers or just the top or in half horizontally (not up and down). Or just turn over with the cake bottom up after cooling about 10 minutes, you will have a perfectly flat cake all the time.

If you do not want to use the wet rags around your cake pan, (this only works with round, square or oval pans, character pans have to many corners to put wet towels around), put a Pizza stone in the bottom of your oven.

Try to keep it away from the pilot light, like putting it on risers. If you have an old oven, the pizza stone will help to keep an even temperature in an uneven oven.

If you put a pizza stone in your oven and it breaks, leave it there and get another one, this will increase the chances of better - even temperature also.

Source: This information comes from the years of baking cakes for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, etc. and from teaching cake decorating.

By Mary from Atascadero, CA

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Questions

Here are questions related to Cake Baking Tips And Tricks.

Cake Rises Higher in Center

Why does my cake rise higher in the middle?

By Paula

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Most Recent Answer

By redhatterb 04/29/2012

I'm 72 years old and every cake I have baked in my life is always a little highter in the center. It has never made any difference to me. The same goes for everybody that I have ever known. Of course none of us are professional bakers, but the way I look at is if the texture is good and the cake tastes good why worry about it.

Cakes Sticking to the Pan

What is the easiest way to bake a cake without it sticking to the pan and spending all this time scrubbing the pan?

By booboo kitty from Jacksonville, FL

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Most Recent Answer

By 1Dianne 10/28/2009

I got this hint from some ladies in a cake club who swear by this recipe that works like a charm & I never use those sprays anymore.

Pan Release:
1 cup Crisco Oil
1 cup Crisco Shortening
1 cup flour

(I have also used no-name brands & they work well too.)
Use equal amounts of each to make the amount you will want. Blend together and store in an airtight container & spread on your pans with a pastry brush.
I personally use 1 cup of each & store the jar in the cupboard or fridge if the weather is too hot.
*The first time my daughter tried this method, the cake came out so fast it ended up on the floor!!*..I have never had one stick and the pan washes easily. Hope this helps..Dianne

Pound Cake Came Out Dry

My pound cake came out dry, although I used 7 eggs as the recipe called for. My oven cooks slowly and I had to leave it in 15 minutes beyond the recommend cooking time. Could this have caused the dryness?

By EasyLikeSunday from Philadelphia, PA

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Most Recent Answer

By av8rs3 10/16/2009

Use 2-3 more eggs and use mayonnaise instead of oil. Also only cook it in the time alloted and remove it from the oven (as it will still continue to cook) or turn the oven off 10 minutes before the cooking time is finished.

Cakes are Not Rising in the Center

I have been baking for a home industries shop for 3 years now and lately my cakes are not rising properly in the center. They seem to rise nicely, then after 3/4 time has elapsed, they sink in the middle. I have changed my flour and baking powder, and reduced my oven temperature. I am now at a loss as to what to try next. Please can someone throw some light on this problem.

Carolyn from South Africa

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Most Recent Answer

By marcelle (Guest Post) 02/14/2008

You can try to add a little more flour .I have found that some recipes from the coastal towns don't rise and if you add a bit more flour it seems to help not too much or you will have to adjust the liquid as well in some cases.Also check if your raising agent is fresh as stale raising agent can cause cakes to flop too.

Cakes Sticking to the Pan

My cake stuck to the pan. I greased and floured the pan (Wilton 9 inch round). I just started cake decorating class and thought baking would be the easy part, I guessed wrong. How do I stop the cake from sticking? Now I have a clumpy mess of cake so I will have to make a new one. Any hints or advise would be appreciated. Thanks.

Janet from Ontario

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

I found if I wait for about a minute before I try to "depan" the cake it's less likely to stick. (01/26/2009)

By Glenn'sMom

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

After your cake comes out of the oven lay the hot pan onto a wet dishrag and let the cake cool completely before attempting to remove it from the pan. (01/26/2009)

By theseamstress

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

You need to let it cool in the pan for about ten minutes before you take it out. If you leave it in too long, it will stick; but if you put it back in the oven briefly (to heat the pan), you should be able to get it back out.

Another trick is to line the pan with foil or parchment (just the bottom if you use parchment), and grease and flour that. Then if it doesn't slide out, you can lift the foil out and peel it. (01/26/2009)

By Jilson

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

Before putting the batter in the pan, make sure you lightly grease the pan (I've always used Crisco) and then lightly flour the pan. The key is lightly so you don't add extra grease or flour to the batter itself. This works every time. (01/26/2009)

By me13

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

I grease and flour the cake pans and I also cut two round pieces of parchment paper which I line the bottoms of the pans before I pour in the cake batter. (01/26/2009)

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

The easiest way to be sure the cake won't stick is spray your pan with Pam cooking spray, not the Olive oil spray it does not work for baking. Once you have sprayed your pan just pour in your cake batter. You don't have to flour the pan it won't need it at all. Let your cake cool about 10 minutes before turning out of the pan. Works every time. I bake a lot. (01/26/2009)

By Tiffany

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

The parchment and then letting them cool in the pans is the key. I let mine cool about 10 minutes. After they're cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze. They're easier to frost. A cake baker taught me this. Happy baking, and don't get discouraged. (01/27/2009)

By keeper60

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

I always line my cake pans with wax paper. Just trace an outline of the pan and cut out. I still grease and flour the pan. A nice trick for flouring is to use flour for light cakes and cocoa for dark ones. (01/28/2009)

By piki viki

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

I use a can of spray called Baker's Joy and have never had a problem with a cake sticking. Works great. (01/28/2009)

By Joyce

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

I have been making wedding cakes for many years and I also use the waxed paper rounds on the bottom. I also use the Pam Bakers Spray which has the flour in it. Spray the pans over the sink so it doesn't get all over everywhere, let the cakes cool on baker's rack. Then run a moist knife around the inside edge and flip over on the plate. Now peel off waxed paper and you have a clean, crumbless surface to frost. (01/28/2009).

By Virginia Pride

RE: Cakes Sticking to the Pan

I also took a cake decorating class and was told to spray my pans and then put a paper towel (with no design imprint) in the bottom. When you get ready to dump your cake, all the crumbs stick to the paper towel. (02/05/2009)

By L Ward