Warning - this is a Super Dumb Question

For years now I have been experiencing worlds of trouble with leveling the tops off of large (12" or bigger) cakes as well as many of my bigger sheet cakes.

My problem arises once the cake is cooled on the rack. Of course the rack has holes, so I can't use the leveler (regular or extra huge) while the cake is still on it. I have been able to successfully flip the cake onto my kitchen counter, which provides a good flat work surface, but once I'm done leveling (or torting, for that matter), I find it next to impossible to get the layer back onto a board without cracks, breaks, or acrobatics (and cussing! ).

I have tried using large cake boards designed for sheet cakes, but they get soggy quickly and tend to try to bend on me, which leads to more cracking and breaking, and even more acrobatics (not to mention more cussing! )

Perhaps I should change my method of leveling? I'm no good at eyeballing with a bread knife.

How do you do it???

It doesn't sound like a dumb question to me. Of course, that could be because I don't have a good answer either.

Hopefully, someone else will give us some good guidance.

Cindy

It just FEELS like a dumb question, like back to Cake Basics 101!! Thanks for making me feel less remedial!!

Have you tried using a flat cookie sheet?

Try laying down a sheet of parchment paper before you lay the cake on the counter. Then you can slide the cake to the edge of the counter, peel the parchment away from underneath slowly, with a cake board waiting to catch it. Same method as peeling parchment away from Color-Flow or chocolate garnishes.

Theresa

When I do large cakes (which is all I seem to get requests for... figures), I flip it onto two stacked cake boards, then level using the large level. I also wrap the boards in either tissue paper or wrapping paper, then put contact paper over that so the grease doesn't stain it.

Good luck!

I cut mine while still in the pan right before I dump it out to cool off. Never had any problems. Hope that helps.

OOH I like that idea SkisInOkinawa...you don't find it deflates it at all?

I cut mine in the pan, too. I make sure the pans are full enough that they rise to the top of the pan. It makes for such precise layers.

On the rare occasion when I have to cut one outside the pan, I first flip it out onto a cooling rack, and then place a cake cardboard on top of the cake (which is really the cake's BOTTOM) and flip it again...holding BOTH the cooling rack and the cake board. It's a trick, but I'm not ABOUT to start flipping cake around without it being supported. Then, with the cake on the board, I run the large leveler over it. I find this mthod is FAR inferior to leveling it in the pan. The worst part is you must do this while the cake is warm, otherwise, resting on a hump often causes it to crack.

So - to cut it still in the pan, I would let it cool down, what - 15 minutes? Right before I would normally turn it out to cool on the rack?

If you're using a box mix or a doctored box mix, you can flatten it right out of the oven. Put a paper towel on top and press down. Caution - it will be very very hot! BTW this method does NOT work for scratch cakes.

I too, flatten my cakes immediately after they come out of the oven. I place a large terry towel over the top & press all over. This works really well. By the way, I never put my cakes onto a colling rack when they come out of the pan. I let them cool 10-15 min. in the pan on top of the rack, then turn them onto the board they will be on.

This is so easy this way, or I think it is. If you leave your cake in the pan and run the blade over the pan edge and doing it while it is some warm it will cut off perfect. Or it does for me. I also took the legs off the big cake leveler and it works great this way. Hope you can understand this. I have a super big round spatula that I slide under the cut cake and lift it off. Sandy

Do your pans get scratched up from leveling in the pan?

Cindy

Okay, so this is how I torte my cakes. First, I measure every few inches and stick in a tooth pick. Next, I score the edge of my cake with a knife. Then I place a long piece of non-coated dental floss along the score. I cross the ends and slowly pull until my cake is split through. I use a cake board that I have doubled and covered with contact paper to seperate the two pieces of cake. Now, I can fill and slide the top half of my cake back in place with out much fuss.

I level my cakes off before turning out of pan. If the pan is larger than your knife--USE DENTAL FLOSS!!!!!!!! Tear yourself off a long string and cut just around the entire edge of the cake with a knife, as the floss is NOT made for cutting LOL. Then, slip the floss into the line and run it across using both hands and the pan as a leveler. Hope that made sense. I use a board when I am filling a large cake. I cut it and slip the board in while holding the other end and remove top. Fill, and then slip the end off the board a bit and lay it where it belongs and hold that end and slip the rest of the board out while holding it up so I don't get it in the filling. HTH and good luck.