Why Do Sheet Cakes Rise Tall In The Middle/low In Corners?
Decorating By charleezgal Updated 11 Nov 2008 , 5:02pm by OhioBaker
Everytime I make a sheet cake, it rises super high in the middle, but doesn't make it to the full 2" in the corners.
This is so frustrating because I have this nice dome to level, but have to trim WAY down less than 2" to meet the short corners, or just level it to edges of pan and then fill in the corners with scraps to lift it up to the 2" mark.
Any suggestions as to why this happens, and any solutions to fix it?
I wrap my pans in damp towel strips. 'push' the batter into the corners and leave a slightly lower spot in the center....bake at about 315 degrees and they come out nice and flat.
Do you mean the baking strips by Wilton? Do they make them large enough for the 12x18 size?
I forgot to mention that I used a Wilton heating core. Maybe I shouldn't?
Any comments?
I recently started doing something that has helped my cakes rise even and very high. I line not only the bottom with parchment, but I cut a strip and put around the sides also, extending above the top of the pan, and put in a little more than 2/3 full with batter. I hardly have to level and the sides are beautiful and crumb free.
I use 'old' terry cloth towels that I cut into strips....sometimes have to use two pieces to go around the larger pans. You can use the T pins or the office type clips to fasten them together around the pans. I like them to be very damp but not dripping wet!
HEre's a link that explains the science behind the baking strips, and why the cakes rise in the center; and why the corners bake done before the center: http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=3467363#3467363
Yes, you can get baking strips big enough for the 12x18. You can also pin 2 small ones together (which I do all the time).
A quick tip I use is to carefully spin the pan. This pushes the batter up the sides at the corners and gives me an even cake every time. Just be careful you don't spin it to fast or you will end up with batter all over the place
PS also don't try it with cupcakes. A non-baking friend tried it and ended up with a huge mess but it kept us laughing for weeks!
The corners drive me bonkers!!! I use the bake even strips, but I still have low corners. I have tried pushing more batter into the corners, but it seems once it starts baking it just levels out anyway. Can't some ingenious person figure out some gadget to fix this problem?!?!?
Thank you all for your advice. I will buy some of the baking strips.
I started lining the round pans with wax paper and filling them a little higher and it works great. I just didn't quite understand the science of the rectangle pans and the why the corners were so wimpy when the middle looked like a grand explosion!
Thanks again.
Ever since I started using cut towel strips dampened then wrapped around the top of the pans, all of my cakes turn out even. Round or square.
You can also grease the bottom of the pan and about 1/4 of an inch up the sides, but not the actual sides of the pan. The batter will stick to the sides a little and help it 'climb'. Then you can just run a knife around the edges before turning out of the pan. It helps a bit too.
I also use the wet towel method and it really helps. Just my two cents...don't spend the extra money on the Wilton bake even strips and just cut up an old bath towel. They work the same.
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