Does anyone know how you cook recipes from this book in pans that are 2 inches high. I really can't understand the directions for this size pan. I know it's probably something obvious but i'm just missing it. Help!
I have the cake bible and I make the white velvet cake often. I have used three inch pans and have been fine. I normally double the recipe if I am making large cakes. If I remember correctly when I make just the 8 in rounc all it takes is one recipe. Hope this helps.
MC
Normally i would just split the batter into two different pans. I don't get the author's footnote on the side of the page of the recipe. Something about if using a 2 inch pan use 2/3 for one layer and 1 1/3 for two layers. What does that mean?
They all have the same directions. Look on the right page of the recipe, on the side. It's sort of a footnote.
I am not looking at the recipe, but maybe it means the recipe makes enough batter for a 3" high pan and if you are using 2, 2" high pans you may need to make 2 recipes in order to have enough. In other words, use 2/3 of the batter for each pan. (2/3 + 2/3 = 1 1/3). I'm just guessing, though. I guess you could make cupcakes with the leftover 1/3 from each recipe (or make a 3rd layer with the extra 2/3).
Does that make sense?
It kinda makes sense but seems really ridiculous. I've been baking from scratch for years and have never seen a recipe worded like that. Now i have leftover batter and either throw away or bake cupcakes?
I made the triple layer devil's food cake for a wedding recently--I measured the amount of batter and figured out that I could make one 10x2 layer and one 6x2 layer from each recipe. I filled the pans half full and used magic cake strips on the pans. I also used a 14" square and made two recipes for each layer--with a bit left over after I filled the pans. It came out great!
The name of the book is called "The Cake Bible" I am not sure who the author is but is a great recipe book....wonderful tips and then some.
MC
I apoligize for not being more clear. The Cake Bible is a cookbook which i bought because i noticed a lot of people on this website refer to it.
It took a few trial and errors on part when I first bought the book. Now I dont know what I would do with out it. It has some wonderful recipes.
MC
as long as we're on this topic, I've tried the 3-tier chocolate butter wedding cake recipe twice and have thrown it out both times. It was so dry! I have oven thermometer, and watched it closely. Anyone else have any experience with this recipe? The others in the front of the book are great and I always use the silk meringue buttercream recipe. I don't know if it's the mixing method or what.
I don't have this book, nor have I read through all of the responses (so it could have already been answered). In regards to the author noting for 1 2" pan use 2/3 and for 2 2" pans use 1 1/3 I am going to guess that she means use 2/3 of the recipe and 1 1/3 of the recipe if using those 2" pans instead of the 3" the recipes are written for.
It seems all of her recipes are written for 1 1/2 inch pans. I only use 2 inch pans. that's were the confusion comes in.
I agree with you that it seems kind of odd that the recipes are written for 1 1/2 " pans. Is she from another country maybe where they use different pans as standard than we do here in US?
I know that some folks here on cc use her recipes, I have never read about them having to make adjustments for 2" high pans.
I'm curious what other responses you get because I have been wanting to try her white velvet cake everyone raves about.
That's the cake i've been wanting to try also. I'm thinking of just making the batter and splitting it between the two pans and see what happens. I'd just hate to waste my time and ingredients. What do you think?
That's what I will probably do. Just use 2 pans, 2" high and split the batter between them. If they only fill about 1/2 way, wouldn't that essentially be the same as using a 1 1/2" high pan and filling it 2/3?
We can always make adjustments from there. Let me know if you end up making it before I do. I probably won't get to it for a couple of weeks.
Hmm, I don't see anything in mine mentioning 1-1/3 or 1-2/3 on the side notes in my copy of her book...
I see where it says "Finished Height: Each layer is about 1-1/8 inch" or whatever the height of the layers will be for each cake. "Or Finished Height: 1-1/2" It just means that is about how deep each will be when removed from the pan and before any leveling that you might do. Which means some very thin layers! If that were the case, I'd need three or four layers baked to make one tier 4" deep with filling.
She does usually show using pans as 9" by 1-1/2". I never have any problem just splitting the batter between two 8" or two 9" rounds. Mine are all 2" deep. I don't have any that are 3", so if you were using 3" pans, you'd probably want to just measure the batter into them (or just split it between) to make sure you have an equal amount in each, then watch your baking time.
P.S. On the chocolate cake note--I have tried to use her chocolate butter cake and find it to be dense but too dry. I gave up and went to Toba Garrett's instead.
It's either right above or right under where it talks about finished height. It talks about using 2inch high pans. I'm going to try just splitting it between the two pans.
I've seen something similar to this in another cookbook. You put 2/3 of the batter in one pan, and the remaining 1/3 in a second pan. After they've cooked you tort the cake that was made with 2/3 of the batter. You then have 3 equal layers of cake to stack. The height of each layer would depend on the amount of batter and size of pan.
Do you think this is what she means?
I use several recipes. I test them as is in 2" pans no problem. If you are concerned about the height of the cake, measure the volume the recipe makes and fill your cake pan accordingly. Ex: A 6"x2" round pan takes 2 c. of batter. If your recipe makes 6c. of batter, you will get three cakes. I have never had a problem adapting her cakes to larger size cakes. Test them to see if you like the way they taste and then multiply them to get the amount that you need. My favorite cake in there is banana and I use it for wedding cakes frequently.
I agree with you that it seems kind of odd that the recipes are written for 1 1/2 " pans. Is she from another country maybe where they use different pans as standard than we do here in US?
These are what's most widely available (check your local supermarket or kitchen shop). Lots of really great bakers never enter the Wilton/decorating world where 2" pans are standard.
I've seen something similar to this in another cookbook. You put 2/3 of the batter in one pan, and the remaining 1/3 in a second pan. After they've cooked you tort the cake that was made with 2/3 of the batter. You then have 3 equal layers of cake to stack. The height of each layer would depend on the amount of batter and size of pan.
Do you think this is what she means?
I think it's in the WBH book that they do this as well. I'm guessing that's what she means in The Cake Bible.
Yellow jacket is correct.
I have 3 layer pans that measure about 8.5 inches by 1.75 inches deep. Every recipe in the front of the cake bible makes three perfect layers in this size. It is a standard european metric cake pan. I would bet that many of Ms. Birnbaum's recipes are adapted from european recipes, and her directions are to compensate for the American sizing of the pans.
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