Hello everyone. Usually we bake with 9x1.5 round cake pans, but we recently purchased some 9x3 round pans. Just for grins, we used a boxed mix tonight and poured it all in the new pan to bake. Took a lot longer to bake, but we expected that. It was still runny in the very center, but not very deep, so since I was leveling it and would be removing part of it, I figured I'd be ok. My main concern is that I really had to cut a lot off to get it level--seemed like it was shaped like a cone. It actually came out lower than the two cakes I baked (using one box mix) in my two 9x1.5 pans after both were leveled. Seems like this rookie is doing something wrong. Any ideas or suggestion? Thank you so much for your time.
I would place a flower nail in the center of the pan (nail pointed up) before putting the batter in the pan. (Be sure to grease the nail a bit too.) This will help it bake in the center a little more equally. After you cool and take cake out of the pan, you take the nail out of the cake. Frost as usual.
We primarily use 3 inch pans where I work. What I notice is that it takes a lot longer for them to bake in comparison to the 2 inch pans. At times about 20 minutes more on overall bake time. Sometimes we actually drop the oven temperature a few degrees if we notice the edges are baking faster than the center to ensure the cake get done and the outside of the cake does not burn.
My suggestion is to reduce your oven temp to compensate for the amount of batter in the pan.
In addition to the flower nail, I'd wrap the cake in bake strips. You soak them in water and wrap them around the outside of the pan so that it keeps the outside edge of the cake from setting before the inside (causing a dome).
Here's a thread I did on another forum which talks about level cakes, flower nails, and Bake Even strips. The cakes were in 2" high pans, but the same rules apply.
http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=148262&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=
Thank you all SOOO much. An absolute wealth of knowledge here! Just finished reading up on making my own baking strips so I'm going to give that and the flower nail method a try tomorrow night. For those that use the Wilton Bake Even strips and 3" pans, do you use two or just center the strip on the pan? Thanks!
Oh behalf of everyone here, you are welcome. When I started learning cake decorating 2 years ago, the members of CakeCentral helped me ALL THE TIME! They were always gracious and wonderful about sharing knowledge.
I don't use 3" high pans (a personal preference), but I'd suggest you center one strip on the pan. By using a damp towel strip or damp Bake Even strip, you are reducing the heat getting to the cake batter on the edge, by using the metal flower nail in the center, you are delivering heat to the batter in the center.
The reason you get a dome on your cake is that the outside batter is exposed to more heat (from the metal pan edges) and therefore cooks faster than the center. Once the outside edge batter cooks it will "set" and then the inside of the pan has nowhere to go but up. By lowering the temperature to 325 degrees (it will take longer to cook), including a metal flower nail in the center, and using damp strips, you will make the entire pan filled with batter bake very evenly, thereby eliminating the dome.
One thing I always do besides the flower nail is as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, put a clean dish towel or tea towel on top of the dome and with a cardboard circle that is a bit bigger than your pan, push the dome down. You push down until the circle touches the top of the pan. Hold it down for 10-15 seconds. This will level your cakes to the exact height of your pan. You won't have to saw off the dome. But this must be done while the cake is still hot! Not 2,4 or 5 minutes after it's cooled. The dome will pop back up if you wait. I do this religiously and it works! My cakes are all the same height and very level and they are not smushed. I hope this helps!
One thing I always do besides the flower nail is as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, put a clean dish towel or tea towel on top of the dome and with a cardboard circle that is a bit bigger than your pan, push the dome down. You push down until the circle touches the top of the pan. Hold it down for 10-15 seconds. This will level your cakes to the exact height of your pan. You won't have to saw off the dome. But this must be done while the cake is still hot! Not 2,4 or 5 minutes after it's cooled. The dome will pop back up if you wait. I do this religiously and it works! My cakes are all the same height and very level and they are not smushed. I hope this helps!
It seems to me that this completely depends on what kind of a cake you're making. If it's pound cake (something dense), then I guess that's okay, but I'd never do this to one of my cakes. I don't want them compressed.
Sweetdreams, it really doesn't affect the density of the cake. I thought it would too but after trying it once, I got hooked. Unless of course the dome is super tall, then I guess it would be better to cut it off. I got this tip from a poster here on CC (can't remember who!). I think the website is monkeysee . com http://www.monkeysee.com/play/983-cake-decorating-three-ways-to-get-a-level-cake (mod edited to provide working link to exact video) and search 3 ways to level a cake. She demonstrates it there. You should try it!
Sweetdreams, it really doesn't affect the density of the cake. I thought it would too but after trying it once, I got hooked. Unless of course the dome is super tall, then I guess it would be better to cut it off. I got this tip from a poster here on CC (can't remember who!). I think the website is monkeysee . com and search 3 ways to level a cake. She demonstrates it there. You should try it!
I certainly will have to try it! Gotta say though, I haven't had to level a cake in a really long time. The bake strips really work for me.
Thanks for the tip.
Tried a new cake tonight in my 8x3 pan, flower nail and homemade bake strip. Used a regular box mix and poured 3 1/2 cups batter in the pan. Looks like I have about 1.75" of usable cake once I cut the top off. Here's a picture showing the dome. Does that look like what I should expect? Thanks!
I use to use the strips, but then I turned the temp back and I notice the cakes are more even when they come out....I use the cone in cakes over 10 inch.....
I use to use the strips, but then I turned the temp back and I notice the cakes are more even when they come out....I use the cone in cakes over 10 inch.....
Thanks, I'll try 325 without the strips next time.
When I use my 3inch tall pans, I get a 3inch tall cake. If you used a 3inch tall pan and got a 1.75inch tall cake, I think you need to add more batter.
When I use my 3inch tall pans, I get a 3inch tall cake. If you used a 3inch tall pan and got a 1.75inch tall cake, I think you need to add more batter.
I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I only added enough batter (that was supposed) to get me 2" per the Wilton website. Thanks.
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