When baking a cake, how can I get the layers to be flat?

Question

When you bake a cak in two round pans that you would end up putting one on top of the other, how can you bake it to where both layers will be flat when you stack and ice them? Mine always come out with a kind of round point on top where I guess it realeases air during baking. Does anyone know a fix to this?

Answer 1

I learned this trick from my grandma, God rest her soul. When she was baking cakes, she would put the normal about of batter into each of the pans, half in one and half in the other. Then once the cakes were done, she would take the cakes out of their pans, have the cake on the counter top like it was in the pan, take dental floss or a strong string and "saw" threw the cake to take the "hump" off the cake. Then she would take the bottom cake, cut side down, put frosting on it so as the top cake would stick to the bottom cake. Then take the top cake ...cut side down same as the bottom layer. Then frost the sides of the two and fill in the gap so to speak and then frost the top. Worked for us every time.

Answer 2

I have a cake business and I, too, hate to cut the tops off my cakes. One, it leaves a lot of crumbs to take care of when icing (I know, use a crumb coat, which I do).
The reason cakes dome is because the outside of the cake (closest to the pan) sets before the interior of the cake is finished rising. Thus the dome.
Wilton has a product called "Bake Right Strips" which is just a piece of heat-resistent fabric that you soak in water and pin (with a straight pin) around the pan. That keeps the outside of the pan cool and prevents that part of the cake from setting before the middle and the whole cake rises perfectly evenly.
I once made a cake at my mother-in-law's house and forgot the strips. I folded papertowels to the same depth as the pan, soaked them in water (not dripping, just pretty wet) and pinned them around the pan. By the time the cake was done the towels were dried out (but hadn't been so long they'd catch fire). You could also use old cotton fabric scraps.
Cakes aren't in the oven more than 30 minutes and most of the time the fabric/towel is wet, so you really shouldn't have any concerns. But the Bake Right strips come as a pack of 2 and are only like $7.
Hope this helps!

Answer 3

I bake wedding cakes and it is imperative that my cake layers are flat when stacked on top of each other. The best way to accomplish this is to slightly overfill your pans so that the batter DOES raise up over the sides and puffs up in the center. When the cake it done, remove it from the oven. Then use either a long serrated-edged knife or a piece of wire and slice through the cake that is above the sides. You can use the actual cake pan as your guide for where to position your cutting utensil. Take a spatula and remove the portion of cake that comes off the top. You're left with a flat layer. Immediately, turn out that layer on a rack or other surface to cool. Spread icing on cake layer(s) when cake is completely cool.

Answer 4

Wilton used to have "bake even" strips that you get wet and wrap around the pan and it bakes the cake more evenly but this only works on the round pans. check a cake/candy supply store, or wilton.com.
I don't know if they are even still on the market, but the ones I have work for me If you cannot find them just level the rounded tops. Don't put the rounded tops at the base of you cake of it will be us steady.

Answer 5

Every cake does this during baking. To make them flat, you have to get a long serated knife and cut off the rounded part. Put the cut side towards the inside layer of frosting, so you don't get crumbs on the top layer of frosting. Also, another tip before you frost the outside of the cake, put it in the freezer for a couple of hours to avoid crumbs in your frosting.

Answer 6

Generally when making a layer cake, you have to cut the top with a knife to make them flat. The cake will rise during cooking, this is why its rounded on top.

Answer 7

The only thing is to use a long knife and use the top of the cake tin as a guide and cut off the top of the cake and it will be flat.
it is the only way i was taught in catering college.

Answer 8

Put the rounder layer on the bottom, flat side up. Ice it, then put the other layer on top, flat side down. If it too uneven on the top, then you can trim it. Trimming it makes it more difficult to frost, though.

Answer 9

You have to bake the cake at 250. It will take alittle longer but they will come out flat and more moist. My mom is in the cake decorating bussiness and this is how she does hers!

Answer 10

Before there done, hit the pan on the oven rack or anything else that's hard, and then they'll be flat, but if they're still round at the top, just cut that part off!!

***Abby***