Newbie Advice Needed For Half Sheet Cake

Baking By juliel Updated 26 Mar 2017 , 1:33am by juliel

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juliel Posted 25 Mar 2017 , 4:57pm
post #1 of 3

Hello,

I'm new to this site, and pretty new to baking. I'm looking for some advice on how to make a half sheet cake. I've perfected my own recipe in a small batch (kind of reinventing the wheel due to dietary restrictions), but I'm pretty intimidated by the logistics of making a half sheet cake - as far as not breaking it after it's out of the oven...

I ordered a 16.38 x 11.38 x 2 cake pan, a 16.9 x 11.4 x 0.6 cooling rack and 13 x 19 cake boards 

My embarrassing newbie questions:

1. I'll butter the pan, but should I also line with parchment paper (and if so, do I try to line up the sides at all, or just bottom)?

2. When I take the pan out of the oven, approx how long should I let cool in the pan before taking it out?

3. When I take cake out of the pan (eek!), place cake board over top, flip out, and immediately another cake board on bottom to flip right side up? Can I place cake on cake board on top of wire cooling rack or do I have to transfer bare cake onto rack? 

Thanks for any advice!

2 replies
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kakeladi Posted 25 Mar 2017 , 8:01pm
post #2 of 3

Hey, don't be embarrassed  by 'newbie' ?s.  We all had to start somewhere :)

1. I'll butter the pan, but should I also line with parchment paper (and if so, do I try to line up the sides at all, or just bottom)?

Just line the bottom.  You mention buttering the pan, but then you need to dust it w/flour.  Do that to the sides along w/the bottom......yes, even if you line w/parchment.

2. When I take the pan out of the oven, approx how long should I let cool in the pan before taking it out?          I usually let it cool about 10 minutes.   Everyone is different:)   Much longer and it can become almost impossible to get the cake to come out w/o breaking.

3. When I take cake out of the pan (eek!), place cake board over top, flip out, and immediately another cake board on bottom to flip right side up? Can I place cake on cake board on top of wire cooling rack or do I have to transfer bare cake onto rack? 

You can leave the hot cake on the board it is flipped onto (the 2nd one).   It should be prepared/covered as it will be where the cake will be served on. 

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juliel Posted 26 Mar 2017 , 1:33am
post #3 of 3

Thanks so much for your help!

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