There are many things you could say make the world go around. For me, it is cake! You can sing this part: Big cake, small cakes, tiny cakes, tall cakes, long cakes, short cakes, fruit cakes, bundt cakes, and frosting!!! That was fun. Alright, onto some major cake baking tips.
The How, Should, and When of Cakes
No one is immune to the sudden need to Google “Should I grease the cake pan?” or “How long do you cream butter and sugar?” We gathered a list of the most common culprits of flat cakes and are now sharing with you how to avoid them. Check out these cake tips for perfect results every time!
Quality Ingredients. The better the quality of the ingredients the better your cake. Use a high protein flour, creamery butter, hormone-free milk, etc.
Room Temperature. Bring everything to room temperature. Everything! By doing so you will give yourself the best chance at a light, fluffy texture. For instance, cold milk or eggs will solidify the creamed butter. Pro tip: If your recipe calls for separated eggs do that first before bringing to room temp. Eggs separate easier when cold.
Cream it Good. Cream your butter and sugar thoroughly. It should be light in color and have a fluffy texture.
Be Careful Substituting Fats. Most recipes call for butter or shortening. You can substitute one for the other or split the two in even halves. But do not substitute a liquid for a solid. If you are looking for healthy alternatives check out our article on Common Baking Substitutes.
Mix, Scrape, Repeat. Mix your batter thoroughly and stop occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl. Flour and butter are very good at hiding on the sides and bottom of the bowl. Use a silicone spatula. This will not only keep your bowls safe from scratches, but it is easy on the creamed butter and sugar, and least likely to become a magnet for sticky ingredients.
Grease, Line, And Flour the Pans. I recommend greasing the bottom and sides of the pan (shortening works the best for me) then place a piece of fitted parchment paper on the bottom of the greased pan. If you share my pet peeve of trying to cut perfect circles for cake rounds, check out pre-cut parchment. Proceed to grease the top of the parchment paper and add your flour. Spread the flour evenly by lightly tapping and rotating the pan so the bottom and sides are covered. Tap out the excess and you are ready to pour in your batter.
Smooth and Even. Once the batter is in the pan it should be smooth and even. The more even the batter the more even the cake.
Cool Out. Cakes turn out best when cooled on a rack rather than in the pan. After removing the cake from the oven let it cool about ten-fifteen minutes in the pan before inverting it onto a wire rack.
A Few Extra Cake Tips
- Follow the recipe as closely as possible.
- Try something different! Instead of chocolate or yellow cake, make a shoo fly cake!
- Set all the ingredients out before you start
- Preheat your oven and make sure you
- Bake on the center rack
- Have fun and enjoy!