How Do I Make This Cake More Dense??
Baking By GeminiCake Updated 17 May 2010 , 8:26pm by GeminiCake
I love using Cake Man Raven's red velvet cake recipe because its supermoist, however, its so moist I can't use it to stack. How can I make it more dense in order to stack?
The recipe is as follows:
2.5 c. Cake Flour
1.5 c. sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vinegar
1.5 c. veggie oil
1 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
Thanks in Advance!
Do I need to add more of something, or less of something? Does anyone know?
Have you tried switching out to all purpose flour? You do have to add something like 1Tablespoon for every cup of cake flour. I don't remember the exact amount, but you can google it and get an answer.
Or instead of oil you can put in butter. But you won't match 1.5 for 1.5. I don't know exactly how much you would need to substitute. It will probably trial and error.
Oil will give a moister cake. I feel I get a very nice moist cake using butter instead of oil. So you won't be sacrificing anything. I haven't made a stacked cake yet. But I have read a lot about it. 
I have yet to find a recipe in any cake decorating book that uses oil for their cake. I think you need the butter as a solid substance in the cake to with stand the weight of stacking, IMO.
Do you mean stack in 2-3 tiers, like for a wedding cake? Cake supports or straws in each lower tier usually does the trick for me 
Do you mean stack in 2-3 tiers, like for a wedding cake? Cake supports or straws in each lower tier usually does the trick for me
curious what you mean by stacking also. I can do a 4" tall cake with the recipe with no problems. If you're stacking tiers on top of eachother, the supports are what holds the top tiers up, not the cake below.
Do I need to add more of something, or less of something? Does anyone know?
Some people use "straight from the box" cake mix and stack their cakes. Cake does not support cake. The sucess of a stacked cake depends on your support system, not the cake. This receipe should be fine for stacking as it is with no adjustments. 
Do you mean stack in 2-3 tiers, like for a wedding cake? Cake supports or straws in each lower tier usually does the trick for me
curious what you mean by stacking also. I can do a 4" tall cake with the recipe with no problems. If you're stacking tiers on top of eachother, the supports are what holds the top tiers up, not the cake below.
didn't see your post before I posted.
Gemini, are you putting each tier on a cake board before stacking them? You should, and then the board (not the cake) rests on the dowels or straws in the tier below. Now, if you're CARVING the cake, you would need a more dense cake, but that really shouldn't matter if you're just stacking.
Have you tried switching out to all purpose flour? You do have to add something like 1Tablespoon for every cup of cake flour. I don't remember the exact amount, but you can google it and get an answer.
Or instead of oil you can put in butter. But you won't match 1.5 for 1.5. I don't know exactly how much you would need to substitute. It will probably trial and error.
Oil will give a moister cake. I feel I get a very nice moist cake using butter instead of oil. So you won't be sacrificing anything. I haven't made a stacked cake yet. But I have read a lot about it.
I have yet to find a recipe in any cake decorating book that uses oil for their cake. I think you need the butter as a solid substance in the cake to with stand the weight of stacking, IMO.
Linda, the "weight of stacking" is supported by your supports (straws, dowels,cardboard, SPS). Cake does not support cake. Don't matter whether you use oil or butter in your cake.
Robin,
Thanks. This is good to know because I thought I would need a different cake to make my GD's cake. I'll now have to check out the SPS system then, I didn't think I needed it.
Robin,
Thanks. This is good to know because I thought I would need a different cake to make my GD's cake. I'll now have to check out the SPS system then, I didn't think I needed it.
Linda, since you said you didn't think you "needed" the SPS I'm curious as to what kind of supports you were planning on using? You don't "need" the SPS (although I do recommend it) there are other options. How were you planning on stacking your cakes? Most of the time I use straws and cakeboards since most of my cakes are only two tiers.
Sorry op for hijacking the thread.
I wasn't planning on using anything at all. I was just going to stack them. Looks like before I get the urge to make a pretty stacked cake, I had better do some reading up here. I figured the dowels, straws, etc were for just larger than 2 tier cakes. 
I do amaretto cakes and rum cakes and stack them and they are moist cakes. Of course if
I am doing a 4 tier or five tier cake I would not put the moist cakes as the base of my cake.
But for a few tiers it's fine.
Linda, here is a basic video on stacking
Edna
I wasn't planning on using anything at all. I was just going to stack them.
Looks like before I get the urge to make a pretty stacked cake, I had better do some reading up here. I figured the dowels, straws, etc were for just larger than 2 tier cakes.
Oh goodness 
I'm so glad that you have found out BEFORE attempting to stack your cakes that you cannot do it that way. If you stack a 6 inch cake on top of an 8 inch cake without any supports that 8 inch cake will collapase on you. The rule of stacking, is supports for every 4 vertical inches. Of course I wouldn't stack without using supports even if it was 3 1/2 inches.
Edna is right. Watching the tutorials will be very helpful.
Thank you so much guys. I appreciate your help. You are the best!
Wow thanks for the responses! The reason I asked is because I made just a regular cake using 9 in pans, and it was so moist that when I put the cream cheese icing on it, it kind of split in the middle. So now I am afraid to create a tiered cake for fear that once I put in my supports the cake will tear away from them because its so moist.
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