Ok - I am still new to this whole thing, and I just baked my first 11x15 cake. It completely fell apart on me when I tried to turn it out of the pan. I let it cool for 10 minutes, and the pan was well greased and floured (the problem was not sticking to the pan). Is there a secret to flipping a large cake out of the pan and then back over so that it can be leveled? How do you transfer a cake that size to stack on another layer, also? I hope this all makes sense. This is my first paying customer, and I am kind of under a time crunch here!!!!

hi, sorry to hear about your cake troubles. what kind of cooling rack are you using? What I normally do is let the cake cool for 10 or so mins and then put the cooling rack on top of the cake and grab hold of the whole thing and flip it. I would then leave it on the rack to completely cool before trying to move it again. I've had breakages before and learnt from my mistakes. lol
I use a couple of HUGE spatula's to lift the cake once cooled and also when torting and putting layers together.

hope that helps and good luck!

After cooling it for 10-20 minutes...Put the cooling rack on top of your baked cake that is still in the pan and flip it over. Then let it set like that until the bottom of the cake (which is now facing up) is cool enough to touch then put your cake board on top of it (so your cake is "sandwhiched" between the cooling rack and your cake board) then flip it back over. Then the "right side" will be up and you can level it.

If your cake is REALLY unlevel after you bake it...you might want to trim off of some of the top before you tip it onto your cooling rack ~ otherwise your cake may crack just from the gravity and being unlevel. If you use heating cores or flower nails in your cake (just place straight down in the batter in the middle of the cake before you bake) then remove when it is baked ~ that will help with it baking level.
Good luck!!

I do the same as everyone else so far. Let it cool a few minutes, put the rack over the pan and flip it over. I don't leave the pan on it though because I don't like it "steaming" and continuing to bake. I do cover it with a lightweight cloth though until it's cool.

If the cake is really un-level, rather than try and cut and level a warm cake, I just take another cooling rack, set in on top of the cake (that is now upside down on a rack) and flip it back over so the unlevel top is facing up.

If I am doing a cake that is going out on the same day I usually let the cake cool completely in the pan. When I am ready to turn the cake out I use the cake board that I am going to decorate the cake on and place it on top of the cake then I turn the cake and board upside down and WALLAH! If I have time, I like to freeze the cake over night in the pan I baked it in and pry the frozen cake out of the pan, it keeps it's shape that way too. Hope this helps.

I recommend what hsmomma posted. I always cool my cakes 20 minutes... enough time for it to cool and not crumb but not long enough for it to "marry" the pan.

If you are having problems with your cake being too unleveled, use baking strips that you wrap around the pan while baking so you will have a clean and smooth cake

I'm gonna throw in my 1 cent (discounted lol cause it aint worth much LOL) anyways....I flip my cake pan onto the board where the cake is going to stay....leave the pan on till the cake and pan is totally cool...it keeps the moisture from leaving the cake... and if you have a cake that has come up over the pan it actually levels it to if you weigh the pan down


That's the way I do it

Have a great day guys!

Christi

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. Now that the kids are in bed, I am going to try again. Wish me luck!!!

i like the "flip the cake onto the board and leave to cool in the pan" idea. i'll try that one next time!

i gently shake the pan until it pops out. then i flip it over fromthe back side of the pan to a cake boarda ns level it
Hope this helps

I use "glad bake" usually which is a silicone baking paper but generally i dont have many problems with sticking - I agree with the person who said weighing the cake down lightly when it comes out of the oven. It levels everything and you have an almost perfectly flat cake.