If you bake cake... Please answer

Ilovepeppers
Ilovepeppers Posts: 396 Member
edited November 8 in Chit-Chat
I like making cake from scratch. However, when it's in the oven cooking the middle ALWAYS rises higher than the rest and makes it really hard to layer the cakes on top of each other and decorate. Is there any way to prevent this/make an even cake?

Replies

  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    You could just slice the top of it or just leave it as a single layer...................
  • soccerella
    soccerella Posts: 619 Member
    I have always flipped the bottom layer over so that the top is actually on the bottom....makes things pretty flat and nice for icing
  • Superbritt2drescu
    Superbritt2drescu Posts: 273 Member
    As the person above me said. You are suppose to trim the cake :)
  • La_Amazona
    La_Amazona Posts: 4,855 Member
    you can trim it.. i hardly ever have to though..

    if you use a rose nail in the middle of your cake (place it upside down and pour batter over it) it will help with keeping the cake even. also there are evenbake strips that wilton makes that you wrap around your pan and helps cake bake more evenly as well... i don't have them, i'm too cheap so i made my own by cutting strips of a towel up and i'll wet them, wrap them around the cake pan and bake. like i said, my cakes hardly ever have to trimmed now.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/baking-recipes/even-more-baking-questions/
  • emmamme1979
    emmamme1979 Posts: 29 Member
    Sounds like your oven is too hot. Try turning down and baking a little longer x
  • california_peach
    california_peach Posts: 1,809 Member
    trim it with a long serrated knife or wrap some dental floss around it and garrote it.
  • Iamkim73
    Iamkim73 Posts: 924 Member
    First dont overfill the cake pan and it will help. Second, you need to trim the cake and flip it like the others have recommend.
  • Micheller1210
    Micheller1210 Posts: 460 Member
    What she said
  • chelleymarie88
    chelleymarie88 Posts: 775
    Sounds like your oven is too hot. Try turning down and baking a little longer x

    This! Or maybe your stove/floor is crooked. I remember living in an apartment where the house was built on a hill, so the flooring and everything was slightly crooked- which meant the stove was as well :x
  • CHEFCH♥ZZ
    CHEFCH♥ZZ Posts: 127
    lower your oven temp
  • doctor_mike
    doctor_mike Posts: 70
    Agree...trim and/or flip...and if you trim and you are doing any serious decorating, freeze the cake overnight first, and it will trim with greater precision.....
  • SammyKatt
    SammyKatt Posts: 363 Member
    As a cake decorator I'm going to say your oven is to hot. Bake your cakes at 325* and they will come out almost level. They when it is completely cooled, trim the top off.

    The Wilton bake even stripes are a waste of money FYI for whoever mentioned those.
  • kttnply9
    kttnply9 Posts: 9
    Bake Even Strips by Wilton. They work awesome.

    http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30D620-475A-BAC0-592117323818A1AA&killnav=1
  • turleyw
    turleyw Posts: 6
    Actually the best way to keep a cake level is by using strips of cool wet strips of terry cloth around them while baking. You can buy special ones in the "cake decor" department at most hobby stores like Hobby Lobby, Joann's fabrics, Michael's, but the cloth works just as well!
  • bethanyranes
    bethanyranes Posts: 44 Member
    IKEA sells a cake decorating set for like 5 bucks that has a cool cake trimmer that looks a little like a hand saw with a wire where the blade would go. I use that, then make sure I let the cut side cool extra long so I don't tear it up while I frost the top.

    And also, mmmmmm.... cake.
  • walkwithme1
    walkwithme1 Posts: 492 Member
    My first thought was, is she getting the air ou of the batter before baking them? Lift the pan and gently tap the bottom on the counter till you see air bubbles rise. Good luck.
  • juliecat1
    juliecat1 Posts: 3,450 Member
    tap the pan on the counter before popping it in the oven. And your oven may be a smidge too warm. Back it down 5 degrees. And if all else fails.... cut off the top
  • Pinkmaddycat
    Pinkmaddycat Posts: 175 Member
    I tend to move the batter out of the middle of the pan ever so slightly so it dips, then when its cooks it evens itself out and comes out flat rather than with a peak!
  • smiler1974
    smiler1974 Posts: 33
    Hi,
    Try placing a sheet of greeseproof paper over the top of your tin and then take it off for about the last 15 minutes of baking. I found this has worked for me in the past. If you lower your temp this would mean your cake would need longer to cook and could end up being hard or dry.
    Hope this has helped!!
  • ErikaNichele
    ErikaNichele Posts: 46
    try the bake even strips and turn the temp down.. I always bake at 325.. If you are stacking the cakes definitely trim the cake level...
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