4 Layer Cake Bulges And Tilts To The Side, How To Avoid This?

Baking By CrimsonRose25 Updated 15 Jan 2019 , 3:40am by SandraSmiley

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CrimsonRose25 Posted 13 Jan 2019 , 8:19pm
post #1 of 4

I have never had this problem before and I really want to know how to avoid it in the future. I made an absolutely delicious four layer reese’s cake (super moist chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream) and with every layer I added, the bottom layer continued to bulge more and more. It’s as if the top layers were pushing down on it and flattening it if that makes sense. I have made four layer cakes before without any problems. Is the cake too soft? The recipe I used produces a super moist, spongey chocolate cake. Do I need to use dowels, or do something else? Thank you everyone. 

3 replies
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kakeladi Posted 14 Jan 2019 , 12:18am
post #2 of 4

There  is a general 'rule' that if  you stacked two 2" layers w/filling between them, anything more should be placed on a cake circle w/dowels in the part already put together.   I have done 3 layer cakes many times w/o problems.  Could it be your layers were not baked enough?    BTW: your cake flavor sounds super good.  Just shoot me a nice BIG peice to enjoy tonight.  LOL!

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kakeladi Posted 14 Jan 2019 , 12:36am
post #3 of 4

Oh I forgot to ask:  did you level each layers??  That is very important - to be super sure each layer is level before putting them together.

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SandraSmiley Posted 15 Jan 2019 , 3:40am
post #4 of 4

I am guessing that the culprit is the peanutbutter, which makes for a soft frosting and the soft cake probably doesn't help either.  I usually have no trouble stacking four layers, but last week I made a copycat Ding Dong cake that had about an inch of filling between the two layers (not torted) and I had to dowel the cake to keep the top tier from sliding off.  It bulged anyway.  My neighbors loved it and wanted me to teach them to make it.  To overcome the problem with the soft filling, I converted the Ding Dong cake into a Hostess Cupcake - baked the cake as cupcakes and filled them with the filling and topped with ganache.  Same flavor and problem solved.

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