layer cake tips + the biggest birthday cake yet
But this isn’t about my father-in-law’s birthday cake, or not entirely. (But you’ll see the recipe later, you know, just in case you ever want to make your own 12-inch square insanely chocolaty cake.) I am long overdue to share with you many of my favorite layer cake tips. I get a lot of email about them, people asking about the logistics of putting them together and I realize I’ve absorbed a lot of advice over the last fifteen or so, and I’m overdue to sum it up in one neat place. So here we go!
10 Tips for Better Layer Cakes
1. Why I am obsessed with the freezer: If you’ve read a few of my Celebration Cakes posts already, you’ve probably heard me mention the freezer, one, twice or possibly 32 times. I am clearly a little obsessed with the freezer when working with cakes and that’s for good reason: The freezer is your friend. Cakes are much easier to work with when frozen — from lifting layers to stack them, leveling the layers and even setting some frostings. How do you freeze a cake layer? I use the flash-freezing approach. I pop a single layer in the freezer either on a parchment- or waxed paper- lined tray or even still right on the cooling rack, make sure it isn’t touching a thing and freeze it until it’s solid — about 30 minutes to an hour. Once frozen, you can use it right away, or wrap it tightly in plastic until you need it again.
2. Baking even layers: If you’re going to stack one cake layer on top of another, you want the surfaces to be flat. A flat-bottomed cake layer on top of a rounded cake dome will inevitable crack, and I will inevitably throw a temper tantrum over that. It is infinitely avoidable. We’ll talk about leveling your cake next, but the best way to have less to level (and less scraps to “nom” on, because oh, you will, and then have no room for a real slice) is to bake them more evenly from the get-go. There are two ways to do this. The first is through Evenbake Cake Strips which are meshy metallic fabric strips that you dampen and pin around the outside of a cake pan before you put it into the oven. I’ll spare you the science behind it (like I get it, anyway) but they really are magical and your cake layers come out evenly. The second way to get your cakes to bake more level is the gadget-free way, and an old baker’s secret, but I would say that the results are a leetle less flat, yet still impressive. Simply bake the cake at a lower temperature (usually 300 instead of 350) for a longer period of time — that’s it!
3. Leveling: So you’ve done everything in your power to get nice even layers but guess what? You’re baking, not building a cake out of styrofoam blocks (in case you’ve ever wondered why your cakes never look like those in the wedding magazines, I have now gleefully blown their cover) and there will be uneveness. This is when you bust out the longest serrated knife you own (I fell in love with this 12-inch F. Dick — oh lawsy, the Google searches I’ll get for that — when Torrie brought it over last summer and I had to buy my own. It is the very best serrated knife I have ever used in my entire life, and for a good knife, downright cheap.) and start trimming. Oh, I know some people use a level but for me, that’s one step beyond my level of insanity; I eyeball it instead. I also even out the sides. Inevitably, even when you stack two cake layers from the same recipe baked in the same pan, their edges will not perfectly meet and any place they do not meet, you’re stuck spackling them smooth with frosting. Or you could just use the same knife to trim the sides.
4. Cake boards: Cake boards are awesome — there is no easier way to transfer a cake from a box to a platter to the fridge to wherever you need to take it. Sure, you can cut your own from cardboard and, lo, I have done that many times when I forgot to buy one or grabbed the wrong size but if you have any kind of baking supply store near you (New Yorkers, check out New York Cake Supply on 22nd Street) they probably sell them for a quarter a pop. You can buy cheap cardboard ones or thicker, decorated ones depending on your usage; I actually buy extras because they’re useful to have around. What to look for? A board that is two inches bigger than your cake. This creates a one-inch border around the cake that, when slid into a box, protects the lovely decorated cake sides from damage. If you buy cake boxes, too (again, super-inexpensive, $1 to $2 a pop or you can just go to your local bakery and beg them to sell you one), you’re looking for a size that matches not the cake, but that two-inch larger board.
5. Keeping your cakes moist: Let’s just say, for a completely random example, that you’re making a wedding cake and you’re concerned that in the time between you begin and finish off the cake, the cake might dry out a little. Brushing it with a simple syrup, one part water to sugar, or even three parts water to one part sugar (if you’re concerned about the cake getting too sweet) before you start decorating it is the best way to avoid this. Heck, I have rarely seen a layer cake that wasn’t improved by a little extra moisture. But there’s no need to be boring: you can add citrus zest or juice to flavor the syrup (or boil the syrup with a citrus peel inside), a shot of liquer or your favorite extract or any flavoring you can think of. It is especially fun to use it to complement the flavor of the cake. Want to know another secret? When I made the wedding cake, I didn’t even use a syrup on the chocolate layer, just a little water with vanilla in it.
6. Strips of waxed paper: So your cake layers are baked and you’re ready to start decorating. You gently lower your frozen cake layer onto the center of your cake board (see how easy that was when it was cold?) and you are about to get out the filling and frosting but wait! Before you take out anything else that will mess up your cake board (which you’ll probably be serving the cake on, so you want it to stay nice), slip little pieces of waxed paper underneath the edge of the cake all around its circumference until the board is covered. No matter how much of a mess you make decorating, the board still looks shiny and new when you’re completely done and remove them.
7. Crumb coating/masking: If you take not one other thing away from this post, at least promise to remember this. The difference in the appearance of cakes iced by professionals and those iced by home cooks almost always comes down to the presence or absence of a crumb coat. The crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting that is the “base coat” if you will. It sort of glues the crumbs into the cake (especially important for dark cakes with light frostings) and primes the cake for the thicker, smoother layer to follow. No need to make this coat perfect, but you do want to make sure you cover every crumb of the exposed cake or they will sneak through, trust me. Once you’ve finished masking the cake with the crumb coat, you can set it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before adding the final coat. It will go so much more smoothly than you’re probably used to.
8. Stuff that can be done in advance: Baking your cake layers. (Triple-wrapped in plastic and frozen, you can bake layers weeks in advance.) Creating some fillings. (Curds keep especially well in the fridge, often for a week or longer.) Creating some frostings. (I have the greatest success with Swiss Buttercream, which you can leave out at room temperature for a whole day without anything bad happening, or a crust forming. Presuming you don’t live in a sauna, that is.). Often, making the whole cake. (Most finished cakes will keep moist and lovely in a fridge for at least a day.)
9. Pan Size Conversions Say you want to make this 12-inch cake into a sheet cake, a 9-inch circle into an 8-inch square, a bundt into cupcakes… This cake pan size conversion chart will show you what’s feasible, and what needs to be scaled.
10. Resources: Despite all of this, and a wedding cake too, I am no cake expert. At best, I am a cake dilettante, and the amount of advice I am confident giving is limited to what you see on this page. If you have questions beyond this, the best place to get good answers are the Wilton boards (those people know their stuff!) and site (they have excellent guides) or to get a good cake book. I would say that Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Cake Bible is probably the best of the books, but I have also not looked at many beyond it. I have yet to meet a person who regretted the $23 purchase.
One year ago: White Bean Stew
Two years ago: Italian Bread
FAQ Page: I love getting email, and I’m lucky because I get a lot of it. I also like to think that I have good manners (or unhealthy compulsions, but really, doesn’t “manners” sound a lot better?) because I try to respond to all of it. And then there are days that I look up and realize that I’ve spent half of it emailing and not, say, meeting deadlines/ testing recipes / updating this here site — whoops! And that, you see, is the very long introduction to this even longer FAQ page, in which I hope to cover the territory of most of the emails I get. Does this mean I don’t want you to email me anymore? Not one bit. But if it was a quick question, who knows, maybe I already answered it. Instead you can email to tell me how nice my hair looks that day. [FAQ Page]
Giant Chocolate Butter Cake with Raspberry Filling and Brandied Bittersweet Ganache
Adapted from Sky High Cakes: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes
The components of this cake may look familiar. We used the cake recipe for the bottom tier of the wedding cake (that post contains the recipe for a regular-sized version of the cake), though three layers tall when this one is only two (I didn’t think a birthday cake needed the height/grandiosity of a wedding cake) and the filling we used on those layers (Brandied Bittersweet Ganache) was actually the frosting on this (though realizing I’d made extra, I put a little between the layers too).
I go back and forth between this chocolate layer cake and that from the Double Chocolate Layer Cake. That one is, hands down, the most incredible chocolate layer cake — it’s insanely moist and soft and light-tasting and nobody who has made it regretted it. However, this cake also has its glories; it’s sturdier but still moist, it’s practically a one-bowl recipe and it’s a lot easier to work with because it’s not so soft that if you pick it up, you’ll end up with a handful of crumbs. (The downside of an extremely soft cake, if there could ever be one.) For large cakes and wedding cakes, or if you find soft cakes hard to work with, this is the one to use.
Last note/warning: This yields a ridiculous amount of batter, too much for my 5 quart Kitchen Aid or any of my bowls. I halve it and make the batches of batter separately.
Cake Layers
5 1/3 cups cake flour
5 1/3 cups sugar
2 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch process
6 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 1/3 sticks (20 2/3 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cups buttermilk
5 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
2 2/3 cups freshly brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature
1 cup seedless raspberry jam (for cake assembly)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 12-inch square cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and buttermilk and blend on low until moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Whisk the eggs and coffee together, and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating only until blended after each addition. Divide the batter among the two prepared pans; each pan will take about 5 1/2 cups of batter.
4. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Carefully turn them out onto wire racks and allow to cool completely. Remove the paper liners only when they are cool.
Brandied Bittersweet Ganache [Makes approximately 6 cups]
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, broken up
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut up
2 cups heavy cream, heated slightly to remove the chill
1/2 cup brandy or Cognac
1. Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. As the chocolate and butter melt, stir to blend.
2. When completely melted, remove from the heat and whisk in first the cream and then the brandy. Be sure to scrape down the bowl well and mix thoroughly. Allow to cool and thicken to the consistency of mayonnaise.
Assemble the Cake
1. Place one 12-inch layer on a 14-inch cake board. Use a long serrated knife to level it if has domed a bit on the top. Spread one cup of ganache thinly over cake layer (optional, you can have a raspberry-only filling too). Once it sets (if your cake is cold, this will be quick, otherwise put it in the fridge for a bit) spread the jam over the ganache.
2. Carefully place the second layer on top of the filling. Use the knife to even out any edges that overhang or don’t smoothly meet. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the top and sides of the cake, covering all of the crumbs. Let it set. Once set, spread the remaining ganache over the tops and sides. [I had some extra, and put it in a piping bag with a thin round tip to make the dots. You'll only need a little.]
That looks so much better than any store-bought cake and that chocolate is gorgeous! So did he love it? He must love having a daughter-in-law like you! :)
And the extra pictures and steps in your post were very helpful too, especially for those of us who aren’t very good at making cakes.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW!!! I just recently blogged about my dad’s 61st birthday :-)
Wow this is an amazing post with so many tips! I especially love them tip about the wax paper strips underneath for icing – what I usually do is wipe all the excess icing off but that sometimes still looks messy. Why didn’t I think of that before?!
Wow. That is all I have to say. You are a rockstar. Seems like you should write a baking hand book.
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous! I have utilized your website many times, and i must have looked at your wedding cake pages atleast a hundred times when I tackled my first wedding cake a while back. After reading through all your tips, I think that making cakes will be a lot easier, and less time consuming, which is very helpful since at 16 I have a ton of homework to tackle too. I definitely relate to making everyone’s birthday cake, but woe to me, i had to make my own this year, eventually i will get one from someone, i hope :)
Awesome tips! Can’t say I’ll ever be perfectionistic enough to follow them, but, never say never. It was fun reading the tutorial.
Beautiful. Awesome. It takes patience to make a good-looking cake…and you lady, obviously have some! One of these days I’ll put your excellent tips into action :)
What fabulous tips!! I’ve saved all of the links you provided. I have to get myself some of those magnetic cake strips. Thanks for putting this all in one place. Your cake looks fantastic. Hope your father-in-law had a fabulous birthday!! (How could he not have with a gorgeous cake like that?!)
Dang – I want a freezer full of cake! looks great.
Thanks for all the tips, I feel like I just read the Holy Grail
That looks delicious!
A friend of mine started blogging about her cake-baking endeavours (hurryupcakes.com) and between the two of you, my diet is in serious jeopardy! LOL!
Ohhhh, that CAKE! I’m in desperate need of a slice of cake just like that. I’m sure practicing with your tips will be delicious!
By the way, I love your site!
Thanks for the tips! If I ever make a cake (ha) I’m going to try that syrup trick. I hate when layer cakes are too dry, and they nearly always are. I usually forgo the cake and just eat the frosting since I’m a frosting-holic. I tend to regret that decision about 5 minutes after eating 1/2 cup pure buttercream, but that doesn’t seem to stop me next time a cake shows up at the office :-)
What a cute cake! It looks professionally made with a homemade slant. I’m not sure that makes perfect sense, but just know that I wish it was MY cake.
About those cake boards: Have you reused any? I’m trying to be very Earth-conscious this year (and pray that it sticks) so I’m wondering how I can use something fantastic like a board – more than once. Have you ever tried covering them yourself? Do you know if there are products out there, similar to foil or wrapping paper, that are food safe and come in colors and such so that you can reuse the boards?
Thanks for the tips… I have a wedding cake to do next year- I know it’s far off, but seriously, every piece of information is going to help me out bigtime!
Thanks for reminding us about your FAQ page. I’ve been searching your site looking for where you mention your spice containers. I didn’t want to email you b/c I was sure you had it posted someplace! Well, I just ordered some. I’ve been wanting to change my spice organizing system for a few years. yeah!
Your Valhrona is killing me.
So many times I have combed your cake posts because I thought I remembered “she said something about a crumb coat”..or whatever. One day, nervous about an upcoming cake project, I went through several sites and gleaned off all of the tips that I found and put them in one document that I keep on my computer. I’m sure I missed many. This will save someone (me probably) alot’o lot’o time! Thanks, Deb!
Awesome instructions. Thanks so much. Next time I make a cake it won’t be horrendously impossible.
Abby — I have never reused one. They’re cardboard and they get greasy — and most are one layer and infinitely recycleable. I suppose you can line them with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, but I also think that might defeat their purpose if the cake could slide off. I suppose the more decorative, silver-paper coated cardboard one you see in this post could theoretically be reused but a) the chance is good that someone will cut through it when cutting the cake and b) I’ve only used them for bringing a cake to a party and never once considered bringing it home.
Those pictures are spectacular!
What a sweet daughter in law. I love visiting your site. It really lives up to the name “Smitten Kitchen,” I bet all your readers are as smitten I am with you:)
You seem like such a warm person:)
That cake looks so rich and chocolatey too!:)
I’ve been looking at the Pink Lady Cake to make for a friends birthday this month. Yesterday I lucked out at Tuesday Morning and bought a copy of Sky High cakes for $9.99! Then today you post another Sky High Cakes recipe, what’re the odds? I am SO going to also try and bake the Chocolate peanut butter cake. Thanks for all the inspiration you give me to bake and cook!
Thanks for all the instructions. Question: Is the crumb coating a first layer of frosting, or do you make something else?
This is such a beautiful, yummy looking cake! And, thanks for all the tips. I learned a few things, which is always good!
What a gorgeous cake for your father-in-law. It’s not his 60th birthday – how we say it is — it’s the 10th anniversary of his 50th, which is what one of our friends in the islands now calls his birthdays. Sounds younger I think.
My birthday is…………Just kidding, but who wouldn’t be happy to have you fix that cake for them on their birthday. Here’s to many more birthdays to your father-in-law.
Sam
I absolutely love your blog!!! I get on here everyday just to see if you post anything new!!! I made my friends wedding cake about a month a go (it was my second wedding cake so I’m just a beginner!) and I did the crumb coat and everything but yet I couldn’t get the edge of the cakes to not show through. It took me so long and it finally worked , but I wondered if you had any ideas of how to get the very edge coated well??
Wonderful!! I now I have to make this cake! I wonder who has a birthday coming up?………
Unconfidentialcook — Yes, it is the base coat.
Alexandra — You may need to use an additional layer of frosting if the cake is still showing through. Or a thicker/heavier one.
Oh Deb, I can’t thank you enough for this. I’m about to embark on the first of two wedding cake projects (yet, I know I’m mad!) and I know this is going to be invaluable.
If it wasn’t for you, birthdays in my family would involve very boring cake projects. So thanks for being a source of inspiration.
You have crazy cake baking skills! Keep it up!
Thank you so much for the tips!
Holy guacamole. That photo of the melted chocolate in the bowl stopped me dead in my tracks. These are great cake-making tips – thank you so much for sharing! This post has been bookmarked for upcoming v. special birthdays. (Now off to track down the Irish cupcakes post from a couple of weeks ago…. :).
Oh c’mon, what’s wrong with bakery cakes? You missed out on getting him a “60 years you are” cake!
your blog is brilliance! thanks for the inspiration!
-erin @ vittles
I can assure everybody – this was the most delicious cake I ever tasted. All my guests LOVED it!!!. Even the crumbs were gone within 20 minutes.
Thanks again, Debbie!!!
H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y post – really. Anything chocolate that you post makes me WEAK at the knees! Lovely bang-up job – really! You always inspire me! THANKS!
This cake looks amazing. And thank you for the tips. I was always nervous about freezing, but you have reassured. To be honest, I would take this scrumptious cake over any bakery overly fondant done way to far in advance. I got to be honest, I am very sick of all these wedding cakes being more about how they look than how they taste. Your cake looks and probably taste amazing, plus it looks great! What more could you want.
Stunning as usual – and oh my does that look chocolate-y – and the raspberry – you are killin’ me!
Thanks for taking the time to write up all your tips/tricks/techniques!
oh my goodness! Simply amazing… hmm, when is there a birthday coming up, FAST?!
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Oh my. Just curious — about how many guests did this serve? A Very Happy Birthday to Alex’s Father!
Welcome back from your vacation. Dreamy scenery. Was it hot (as warm weather hot)? Gotta get a plane ticket and go.
I wish I had someone like you around when my birthday rolls in! This cake looks beautiful. I’m making your double chocolate layer cake next week for my sister. She’s convinced there is no way a homemade chocolate cake is better than a box mix…wait till she tastes this. Thanks Deb!
Deb,
Hope you had a wonderful party and a big Happy Birthday to Alex’s father. The cake looks heavenly. I will keep the recipe and cut it down for our birthday celebrations–kids help in making our cakes (and eating of course). I think they will really like this one.
Mary Ann
mmm! Chocolate-y goodness! What a lucky family to have a dependable supply of good cakes!
You are totally my new favorite person. In fact, you got my favorite person award for the day! I added myself as one of your followers. Thanks so much for the wealth of your knowledge! LOVE the blog! Love the cakes!! Love the ideas! love love love! hahah
~Kin
what an interesting post. thanks for sharing this useful info :)
By the way really nice cake :)
Bowl of Plenty: I love that site. :) (I’m afraid one of my cake creations will end up there one day, though – the finer elements of cake assembly seem to elude me…)
I love this post. I love it so much. love. love. love.
also, one time I made a cake and it was one of the ones where you slice a normal cake in half so you’ve got two very thin layers. and because the cake was pretty soft, I used a really long string of dental floss to cut the cake, instead of a serrated knife (I’ve never gotten good results with those). a little hard to penetrate the cake at first, but then the floss just glided through, very evenly. just another tip!
Abby (no. 14) and Deb–Before I moved back to NYC, I always used masonite boards covered in colored/embossed foil. I had three or four boards in the cake sizes that I used most often and bought boxes to match; one could buy masonite boards (as well as plain brown waxed cardboard rounds and squares) and either cut by-the-inch or full 6-yard rolls of waxpaper-backed foil (there were dozens of color/pattern/surface options) at several baking supply houses. I also cut many a interesting shape myself–sometimes it’s nice to have more variety than gold and silver. I didn’t find it a big deal to ask for the boards back. Now that I’m in NYC again, I find it is easier to not store more things than I have to.
I learned sooo much from this post…Thank you!
NAOmni
How extraordinary! I love vicariously cooking through you. My kitchen is so small is barely exists unfortunately. LLGxx
I knew the smear of buttercream to fill in the cracks and level out any bumpy bits was useful! Didn’t know it was called the crumb coating though, now I am secretly pleased that I have been using a proper baking technique rather than “making a mess” like my flatmates claimed. Thanks! :)
This may be the most informative and consice cake info I’ve ever read! I will really have t remember this next time I make a cake.
Thanks for the tutorial! Totally awesome!
That was so informative and your cake looks divine! A baking tip I learned a while ago from a pastry chef was to use mayonaise instead of oil in any cake recipes to add an immense amount of moisture. Have you tried this trick and if so, how does it compare to using your syrup combination/trick for the moisture?
Thanks! Lisa
ahhh that cake looks soooo good!thanks for the tips!
This looks so great. Yeah, once again, I used your wedding cake blog to make my wedding cake this past january. Thanks for all the tips.
In terms of cutting layers, or “torting”, I used a serrated knife as a guide, and then fishing line to cut through the enormous 14 inch cake. It worked really well, especially for a novice. The thing to remember is that you ahve to keep the fishing line taught or else you will loose some precision.
Also, I do love me some swiss meringue buttercream. Heating the whites to 140 is a great way to circumvent that 5 minutes of uneasiness when it looks like your buttercream is not going to come together.
Yeah for cakes!
you are just amazing.
Just wanted to let everyone know that if they wrap wet paper towel in aluminum foil and secure that around the cake pan they work the same as the cake strips. For those of us who don’t bake enough cakes to bother buying them (or never think of it until they are making a cake for the next day) they really are great. I rarely ever have to level my cakes anymore and I no longer get the nasty ring of over cooked cake because the center took too long.
1. Very good cake lesson! I approve. That is what I do when I make wedding cakes, or any stacked celebration cake. I crumb coat my cakes while they are still pretty cold from the freezer. It helps the crumb coat set up faster, and it helps reduce crumbs.
2. I approve of your chocolate choice. Valrhona is by far the best I have EVER used for baking. (I is also good to eat as well). I make some really fudgy brownies with valrhona, and top it with a butter chocolate ganache.
3. Another trick to level-out-of-the-oven cakes is to mix them as little as you can manage. The less gluten you develop the less likely it is to erupt in the center. One of those things I leaned in my Cakes and Quick Breads class. It seems to work pretty well for me.
4. I love my freezer too. I have a second on in the garage for cakes, and other things.
Thanks so much for the tips…I’ve been baking homemade cakes for nigh on to 44 years … Gosh, I’m OLD! But I’m still always looking for good advise!
I have one recipe from the Cake Bible…The Chocolate Angel Food Cake recipe! Awesome! I’ve had that recipe for years after I had borrowed the book from the library! Now, I need to buy it!
Thanks again!
Great tips, and the cake looks gorgeous. I have to say, I have the Cake Bible and rarely use it — my go to book for special occasion cakes is Dede Wilson’s Wedding Cake Book — multiple flavors (including Spanish Chocolate (a grated chocolate and ground almond cake I used for my own wedding cake) and lemon buttermilk (used for a friend’s wedding cake). OTOH, Rose’s recipes and tips for basic decorating (like her chocolate plastic recipe) are invaluable.
The cake is beautiful! Thanks so much for all the tips. They are super helpful. I am planning on making my daughter’s first birthday cake soon. I want to make a two tiered pink cake. Do you recommend using cake board between the layers or using rods? Thanks!
What a FABULOUS creation and what a useful post, too. I too am a compulsive cake baker for birthdays and I always jump at the chance to make celebration cakes. I will definitely refer to this post for my next one! Thanks so much.
um, salivating….
The cake looks amazing, and all of the chocolatey photos… oh my!
I adore your blog and photos sooo much! The cake looks just great, hope the taste was even more better :)
Yum! Chocolate and raspberry is one of the all-time best combinations.
This IS the best chocolate cake ever! I made this and your white cake for my parents 50th wedding anniverary. Yours were much more professional looking than mine, but they sure were delish!
Beautiful cake!! Can you bake me one for my birthday :)??
I think I need to make a birthday cake now! Thanks for the motivation and instruction!
Ginny — You’d need both dowels and cake boards for a tiered cake — I can’t imagined how else it could be done. Wilton’s site would be a good resource for this kind of information.
This is the most helpful post I’ve read in QUITE some time. Thank you tremendously! You’re absolutely right about how these little things make such a difference in your baking. I’m about to embark on making my friend’s wedding cake. I’ve already printed out this post so I can tape it to my kitchen cabinet during the process. The photographs are beautiful as well, by the way. Reading your blog is such a joy. Thank you!!
Love the gigantic cake and great tips as well. Happy birthday to your father-in-law.
Thank you soooooo very much for all the helpful tips!!!! I love baking, and often end up with uneven layered cakes. I have my credit card in hand ready to order the Evenbake Cake strips. I agree with you. There’s nothing like a home baked cake.
Great tips! My mom taught me about the freezer trick, and it makes such a big difference. Beautiful cake and happy bday to your father-in-law!
what a fabulous cake… and even better tips :)
Thanks for the tips, I am especially digging the Cake Pan Size Conversions link – THIS IS FANTASTIC, this will make my life so much easier :)
Amen Sister! I believe in home-made cakes. Every time I go to a party and there is a (shudder) bakery cake I think “why didn’t they just ask?” You have done us a great service here today. Thank you. and while I’m at it, thank you for all of the smitten kitchen goodness!
I love your blog, it inspired me to start mine.
Beautiful cake!
Comment, il n’en reste plus… vous ne m’avez pas laissé un morceau? dommage! il avait l’air délicieux. Bon anniversaire :)
That cake is beautiful!! Your father in law is very lucky to have you as a daughter tin law, not to mention your mother in law being lucky too!! An your parents must be so proud of the wonderful person you are, and all that you give of yourself.
I will be 60 tomorrow, I could only dream of a cake like that!!
All the best to all of you!!
Oh please post the recipe soon! I’ve got a commission to bake a (chocolate with chocolate frosting) cake for a retirement party and I wouldn’t mind trying something new.
Ugh, nevermind. I see the recipe right there. I think I’ve been hitting the crack…
Thanks for this great, comprehensive post! Thanks for the frosting base coat. Who knew? That’s a wonderful tip!
Thanks, Courtney, for the tip about “home-made” baking strips. Thanks, Kelly, for the thoughts about not overmixing.
I noticed that the cake recipe given calls for buttermilk. Buttermilk is the home baker’s best friend. Buttermilk biscuits. Buttermilk waffles and pancakes. Buttermilk in scones and muffins. IMO, buttermilk is what guarantees a moist baked product that stays moist!! Over the years I have reduced my layer cake recipes to those that contain buttermilk.
Oh what a timely post. I have to make a cake for my Dad’s 80th. I am so excited now! Thank you
What a wonderful post and as always great pictures. So, my birthday is in January and I was just thinking…hehehe. Never knew that buttermilk is so commonly used in baking cakes. Thanks!
Sorry, but I’m going to have to disagree with you on the best chocolate cake recipe you’ve done. The chocolate cake part alone of the one you made with peanut butter frosting for your husband last year and which I have now made for three different birthdays is by far the best. Seriously, that cake … oh dear, now I feel sad, it’s been gone from me for two months at least and … and … I have no good reason to make it again for two more weeks! But then it’s my three year old’s birthday, and she wants chocolate cake, and guess what she’s getting. I’ve tried your other favorite (not the wedding cake one, though, I can’t justify not making the first one again at this point) and the cake for your husband’s birthday last year was better by far.
Sorry to be all argumentative on your post and all. I know, it’s totally combative and unreasonable of me.
By the way, your hair looks FABULOUS today.
Many thanks for the helpful tips which come in very, very handy for a novice baker like me. By the way have I said that I absolutely love your blog. Have tried a few of your recipes and they have turned out GREAT!
thank you for all these tips!!! it is an amazing help.
Wow. I am absolutely bookmarking this post for future reference. Thanks for all the great tips!
Kristina
Erica — So contentious! Just kidding. So, love the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (duh) but I felt that the chocolate layers themselves, stand-alone or as a layer cake like this, didn’t have nearly as good chocolate flavor as the Double Chocolate Cake or this one. Certainly not bad, but you know, I think those two are the best. And how did you know about my hair?!
Wow! This definitely beats the layer cake I made for Michael’s bday. You’ve got some great tips too!
this looks so good. what camera do you use? i always love your pictures!
Hi Deb! Thanks for all the helpful tips on cake baking (I love baking cakes and this is some great advice to keep in mind!). I have a question – when you say you used a ziploc bag for piping, it looks like you have some kind of attachment for it? Would it be possible to make the piping bag for icing with just a ziploc bag, or is there somewhere I can get that nozzle attachment? Thanks!
Hi Deb!
How much batter would I need to make a (round) 2 tier cake in a springform pan?
Thank you for all the great advice!
HI Deb,
First let me say you are really an inspriation and guide to me as I am going to make my own wedding cake. At the moment (while there is still time to hire a baker easily) I am doing a full scale mock up of my cake. I’ve got two of the tiers baked and in the freezer (can’t fit the 3rd unfortunately!) I am planning on filling and frosting with buttercream before covering the outside with chocolate faux bois. Am I reading right that you are saying I can frost the frozen cake just fine with out defrosting? (obviously frosting at room temp!). How long should a frozen cake stand at room temperture before serving or frosting if I assume incorrectly?
Thanks!
Mary
Angelina — Our photo information is in this post.
Megan — It is a coupler, and it holds the piping tip. It is available at any baking supply store, and many cooking supply stores.
Reigne — Tip 9 links to a place where you can figure out your pan size conversions.
Mary — It depends on the kind of frosting. It cannot hurt to try a patch and see if it works just fine when still very cold. If not, let it sit at room temp for an while before frosting it. There is not a set amount of time; it will have more to do with the temperature of your kitchen.
OMG! The cake conversion chart!! Thank you. Thank you!
hi deb! i know i’ve seen this before on your site, but can’t find it now…. what baking store in NYC do you go to? my sweet little spanish grocery store in queens doesn’t have parchment paper or baking chocolate! seriously!! barbaric. thanks for all your great advice!
Hi Deb!
I’m newish to your site but I Love it! I tried your gnocchi recipe and I cant get my husband to stop begging me to make them again! We love them and they were so easy!
Do you maybe have a chocolate cake recipe that doesn’t use coffee? I don’t like coffee and don’t drink coffee, but I sure LOVE chocolate cake! And I have a pretty new cake stand I’ve been dying to use! I’d love to see a tasty moist chocolate cake recipe without coffee.
Thanks for the delicious food ideas!
Coffee is often used in chocolate cakes because it enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. If caffeine is a concern, you can use decaf. If you just don’t want coffee, period, you can swap it with water, but you might want to step up the other flavorings to compensate.
This looks amazing. I do have a quick question: could you subsitute a cooking spray like Pam for the butter in the cake pan?
thanks!
I guess this week was the cake making weekend… I was also asked to make a “baby shower” cake… the 2nd time I am asked to make a cake for a big audience… people loved it… I am by no means like you… I use Rose’s book as well though.. your tips also inspired me.. I am not very experienced in frosting/icing… and the crumb layer will help me so much… I struggle with those a lot…
deb, the email i sent you bounced back… I had a question about recipe posting copyright issues…
Courtney — If you use a Pam butter/flour spray you can. Otherwise, no.
Gina — My email address is not bouncing, try again. That said, I am not the person to ask about copyright issues. I am not an expert and not particularly comfortable advising as if I were. There are lots of web resources that can better answer blogging copyright questions. (Can you tell that I get a lot of emails about these things?)
This looks amazing – and way beyond my baking skills or patience.
Can I bribe you to the sunshine drenched shores of Australia to make my wedding cake? (kidding, but seriously…)
Hi Deb,
I’m using 3 different frostings.. from the Cake bible- praline silk merangue buttercream, a white chocolate ganache (from Dorie’s baking book) and the cream cheese frosting from Sky high)
If you’ve not used these before and I do a test patch, what exactly am I looking for as signs of success.. or failure?
OMG that looks good. You’re amazing!
no problem deb… I actually did some research and I think I got what I needed… i actually thought you do get “lots” of questions and didn’t want to ask in the first place… I usually post knits and didn’t have to post recipes from books… but I get asked for my recipes so much and some have portions from books. I will look into it and see if it can be done without taking credit…
well instead, I will compliment you on your wonderful cake… and your nail polish.. I am impressed that you even had them to start with :) these days I bite my nails and chase toddlers when I am not in the kitchen or knitting.. I better start getting a manicure to get ready for the spring…
Holy cow! A freezer full of cakes! An absolute delight for sure. And a great source of information on cakes in general. What a treat to read this morning.
What great tips. I’ve made a wedding cake and covered a few of the things you advise, but the trick for keeping a cake moist is priceless. Thank you! My next layer cake will be even better! can’t wait.
Thanks for all the tips—I would love to bake grand celebration cakes like this!
Looks fantastic!
Question – do you let the layers cool completely before putting them in the freezer, or put them in right away?
Depends on how much of a rush I am in!
Great list of tips! I always end up with wonky cakes, so I`ll have to try your ideas. :) Thanks!
Here’s an easier question for you :) Do you pre-cut your layer cakes after you’ve assembled but before you frost or do you prefer to cut them once they’ve arrived?
I’m not sure that I understand the question.
This is so amazing and helpful! I will be baking a friend’s wedding cake soon and it will be a real challenge for me as although I’m a regular baker, I’ve never done anything with multiple layers or in such a large quantity – your post has been v inspiring!
I am making my first celebration cake for my husband’s 40th birthday on Saturday–I was planning all along to make the Double Chocolate Layer Cake, but your comments about the cake crumbling have freaked me out a little bit! I looked at the allrecipes.com conversion chart to try to scale this cake to 2 10-inch round pans, but wasn’t able to find any conversions based on 12-inch square pans.
In your respected blogging opinion–Double Chocolate Layer or this cake? And if it’s this cake, could you point out the appropriate scaling info? Thank you!
Hey Deb! i’ve always had trouble leveling cakes. Never mind the domes, because i cannot cut them even enough. When stacked (especially 3 layers), they look crooked.
I have trouble splitting a cake layer in two. First is that the crumbly waste and general flimsy-ness. Should i freeze before cutting? Second, I don’t like using the silly toothpick/barbeque skewer in the middle of the cake. I usually miss and create unsightly holes or i miss it when cutting the cake all together and end up with another crooked cake. i’m thinking next time i’ll a guide by setting the cake to height between two upside down cake pans and cut even to the cake pans.
one last thing- do you guys like the edges of the cake? do you think it get in the way of the consistency of your cake texture or is it a good thing? so, i cannot make up my mind whether to trim or not.. this is a on-going debate in my head… i’m wierd. i know..
Jeni — If you have trouble splitting a cake layer in two, bake it in two pans for half-height layers and save yourself the drama. As for the edges of the cake, if they’re not tasty it’s probably because the cake was overbaked or it’s not a great recipe. I have never cut off the edges for taste reasons on any of the recipes on this site.
Mary — I mentioned in the recipe notes that I think this recipe is better suited for larger cakes. A 3-layer, 9-inch round version of this recipe is available here. Perhaps you can scale that instead.
Just an aside: I seem to be getting a lot of scaling questions and honestly, I’m flattered that people seem to think that I have all of these things in my head, but I most certainly do not. Perhaps some cobwebs, maybe… If I were answering the question for you, I would go to that exact chart I linked in #9 or I occasionally use the base area of cake pans to scale things. But do that only if you are confident in your math skills.
Hey Deb,
What’s your source for those huge bars of Valrhona? I’d love to be able to buy in bulk.
A really good tutorial with lots of good tips. The cake looks really amazing – so far superior to the store bought for sure.
Hey…. 60 is the new 40.
Marguerite — Whole Foods or New York Cake and Baking Supply. Neither are really “bulk” though. Valrhona is almost always in those half-pound bars. Not sure about outside NYC but I am sure they can be ordered a lot of places online.
Lucky lucky bday boy!
FINALLY! Someone puts all this info in one place. I wish I had seen this three years ago when I was starting to do cakes. When I do them, I add one extra step: after freezing the cakes, when you first put it on the cake board (lined with wax or parchment paper!) I take a pastry brush and gently brush off some of the crumbs.
Also, you can check out Toba Garrett’s books about using a mixture of cake crumbs and buttercream to act as a very good spackle for filling in any holes in your cake. It works like a charm!
Thanks for sharing these great tips! I’m planning to attempt a cake for my parent’s 30th anniversary next month and will certainly be back to re-read your post when baking day arrives.
I took a cake decorating class a few years ago and the instructor had one of these icing tips. It’s about 2″ wide and has about 1/8″ opening. You have to sacrifice a piping bag to use it but it makes getting that base coat of icing on a cake so much faster and you know you’re getting a fairly even layer all around.
Here’s a ‘in action’ shot and how to:
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/icing/using-decorating-tip-789.cfm
and a link to buy:
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30C1CD-475A-BAC0-5CDB07AA69762110&killnav=1
BTW I don’t work for wilton or anything this is just one of my favorite gadgets.
Gorgeous cake! Two questions:
1. Is the cinnamon desperately important?
2. Is it OK to use hershey’s cocoa? Do you have any particular preferences?
The cinnamon can be skipped, of course. I actually use Hershey’s cocoa for this because I the recipe for the first time when making a wedding cake and considering the expense of better cocoa, thought it would be worth seeing if it would be good enough with the cheap stuff. It was more than good enough and so on this recipe alone, I still use it.
Happy Birthday! And many more . . . . . and yes, we are of the same school of thought: all cakes, but esp birthday cakes–absolutely only homemade!!!
Thank you– it is such a joy reading your blog :)
The cake looks delicious!!! My mom used to bake cakes for people when I was younger, she used to wet old towels & pin them around the pans while baking to make them come out flat, worked like a charm!
Why is your crumb coat vanilla when your frosting is chocolate?
The only picture I had of doing a crumb coating step was from an older entry.
Sorry, another question! When you freeze your layers, do you allow them to cool completely first, or go straight from oven to freezer? I’m guessing the former, but wanted to check. Thanks!
(And I must say, I returned from lunch seriously craving a huge slice of chocolate cake (thankyouverymuch pregnancy) and this post has about done me in!)
Q: How does the freezer affect the cake flavor/texture? I’m a little skeptical, partly because official wedding cakes are famously mediocre and that’s one of the tricks they use. I haven’t had much luck moistening up cakes myself, but I might’ve been too scanty with the syrup.
p.s. to everyone: I recommend NOT cheaping out and trying to make your own Magi-Cake strips from damp paper towel and sheets of foil. Trust me.
Most wedding cakes are famously mediocre because they use shortening instead of butter, vanillin instead of vanilla and god-knows-what-else to keep their costs down and transportability/shelf life up. Shudder. They’re also usually thrown in with a single wedding cost, and rarely shopped for at a choice bakery. And, uh, understandably so. The good ones cost a fortune.
The trick to freezing a cake so that nobody will ever know it is to wrap it extremely well (I suggested/suggest 3 layers of plastic wrap in differing directions to ensure there are no possible gaps) and not to keep it in there too long. In my freezer, I never have cakes in for more than 10 days because I know it might pick up a dull smell after that. Get to know your freezer and you’ll know the max in it. (I am sure you can go for longer in better freezers. Even in the worst one, a week should be fine.)
my mother always freezers here cakes and preps frostings ahead. she’s made a number of wedding and celebration cakes and it always works well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for these tips! I’m plotting my next cake right now.
Wow, I didn’t know a fraction of that! Thanks for the tips.
I have a question in regards to Tip #8: Do you think that I could make the Peanut Butter Frosting for the Sour-Cream Chocolate Cake? Would this frosting do well being made a day or two in advance?? If anyone has some insight on this it would be GREATLY appreciated.
P.S. The cakes are already in the freezer and I can’t thank you enough for all the cake tips you took the time to post. I LOVE THEM! :)
I was always curious about those Wilton Evenbake cake strips. Thanks for confirming that they do work! I’ll have to pick some up before I do my next big cake. Great post and the cake looks fantastic! I’d be thrilled with it :D
Thanks for all the tips! Wow … this is seriously the best advice I’ve read for baking cakes. And this cake. OH MY! I will definitely be making this soon. I also wanted to mention – I LOVE that you include links to the recipe you did a year ago, two years ago. Because of that, I found the “Home-made Hostess Cake” recipe a few weeks back. I made it once for my husband’s office .. then a few days later made another one for my kids’ teacher’s 40th b-day. EVERYONE raved about the cake! It’s a clear favorite in this house! Thanks so much!!
I am dyyyying to make this but there are no special occasions coming up!
Hi Deb,
A link on a friend’s Facebook led me to this site the other day, and since then I’ve been so engrossed in your recipes and tips, that I’m in real danger of not getting very necessary things done!
I tried baking my first chocolate layer cake for a birthday last summer–I think it was the Ultimate Chocolate Cake on the BBC Good Food website. The birthday boy wanted to taste coffee in the cake, so I increased the coffee (not the liquid) exponentially. The result was not a cake that tasted of coffee, but one that tasted even more intensely of chocolate. It was delicious, if I do say so myself, and 4 people demolished the whole thing. But oh how I wish I’d found your blog before I made it! I tried to handle the layers when they had only barely cooled, and the result was was a clumsily homemade appearance. Now I know to freeze the layers first and to apply a base coat of frosting. Thank you. :)
One question, though. The recipe I used called for baking one fairly large cake and then cutting that in half horizontally to make the layers–is that easier to do once frozen as well, or should I make them in ’sandwich tins’ separately?
This is making me so hungry, I need this cake made for me now! Thanks for the recipe, great site!
Jenn — I mentioned in comment 122 that if you think cake layers will be hard to split, just to bake them separately. I couldn’t imagine even thinking about splitting a 12-inch square cake, no matter how sturdy the recipe. I don’t think a 9-inch (especially with a 12-inch serrated knife) would be particularly hard.
I’m going to have to agree with Erica. The chocolate cake in your PB cake recipe is the best you’ve posted. Then the double chocolate. This one is a distant third. It’s still a good cake, but the flavor is a bit… lacking.
OMG! That chocolate cake looks INSANELY RICH!!! I’d definitely give this recipe a try! :D Do you think this recipe would make a great cupcake recipe as well? I’m still looking for THE chocolate cupcake recipe and still haven’t found any.
Love your site btw! Superb looking photos :)
Thanks for the great tips! You helped make my first layer cake a complete (and beautiful) success!!
I love to bake Birthday Cakes as well. I do use the freezer also. It’s best to frost when the cake is frozen. This is such a beautiful looking cake you made for him.
I always bake my cake ahead and freeze them. I put a cake board under them then wrap them and pop them on sheet pans in my deep freeze. I find cake easier to layer, ice and assemble frozen. I usually ice my cakes late night before the occasion and the cake frosted and thawing is perfect to set it and keep it nice and fresh. I think I have been doing this method for about 17 years. Tried and true I swear by it.
I have a recipe that calls for a syrup to be poured over the cake while it is warm but because I am making a layer cake I need to trim/flatten the top of each layer to stack evenly. If I pour the syrup and then trim when the cake has cooled I am worried that I will be trimming away most of the flavor. If I cool then trim then syrup I am afraid the flavor won’t be what it is supposed to be. Do you have any advice on the order of this?
I have a cake splitter and I couldn’t level a cake without it.
This is the type of leveler I use: http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Leveler-w-Adjustable-Wire/dp/B001AGO60I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1238617880&sr=1-4
Can I put the syrup on a cake after it has cooled or does it need to go on when the cake is warm?
Sorry for commenting again but I think my question got buried in the rest of my blather.
You can do it at either time.
Man, if only this post were around last November when my dad hit his 60th, and for my sister’s recent baby shower! (Though not to brag, my family had no complaints.) But just like your pancake tips, I will be liberally
stealingborrowing (heavily) of these tips for the next baking occasion. Many thanks!PS – If it hasn’t already been mentioned, Broadway Pandhandler on East 8th between Broadway and University Place has been of help regarding baking supplies.
I was wondering, I noticed that for the cakes that you’ve baked square, it was easy to cut off the sides that usually turns the hardest first when baking. Do you have any suggestions when it comes to baking round cakes that gets crusty at the side?
Thanks!
You can still trim the sides, it’s just a little trickier.
You are my hero! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I’m so excited about building a cake for my boyfriend’s 30th and this article was exactly what i need, plus i’m New Yorker and I’m going to the cake place today!!!
This will perfect for my mom’s 50th birthday! How deep was the pan you used?
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday this past Friday and even though a crazy number of shenanigans could have had this thing ending up in the cake wrecks hall of fame (the 1st half of batter burnt out my hand mixer, I only had enough buttermilk for half the batch, and had to stay up until three baking because I only had one working cake pan for reason that are too boring to recount here) it was pure unadulterated magic. If you weren’t married, also a woman, I’d be in love with you for this recipe alone – people were like, this looks like you bought it! but every recipe I’ve tried on this website works. It’s unreal. And I’m usually the worst when it comes to baking – I’m much better with just regular cooking, so this is a revelation, and I’m going to keep baking cakes now in the hope that my sister might actually let me make her wedding cake next year. Big words, but oh. It’s so weird to have confidence in myself for something as intimidating as baking and icing a three layer cake. Here’s a picture of the finished product – I think I’m going to frame it, I’m just so proud! Thank you!
this cake looks great! here is a little trick i figured out the other day that can apply to most cakes: if you save the parchment paper scraps from cutting circles out to line the pans, you can use them to protect your cake plate/ board. simple, and obvious, but pleasingly efficient…
This is so good of you to share these tips in such great details! Baking a bday cake with multi-layers is always a daunting task to me although I do like to bake in my spare time! Thanks for this post, if I can find a little more confidence in myself, I’ll definitely try out your tips.
A question if you don’t mind – how do you make “crumb coat”? Is it just a thicker version of a regular frosting? Thank you again!
Deb–let’s say you’re making a layer cake with buttercream frosting, and you’d like to sandwich a layer of raspberry preserves AND a layer of frosting between the layers. Which goes down first–the preserves or the frosting?
Depends on which is heavier. If the frosting is light, probably the jam first.
I love to bake cakes and I am only 9 years old1! I love to bake two layer cakes and it rocks when you see the final touches and details!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Deb – I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the tips you gave in this post. I made the giant chocolate cake for a family event and it turned out perfectly thanks to your advice! I’m pretty new at layer cakes and let’s just say a little bit clumsy so it was quite a feat for me. Thanks again!
Deb, It’s the same time of year you made your first wedding cake last year that I am embarking on mine in 2009. For 75 people, chocolate/chocolate cake. I think one person asked my question before, and you suggested raeding through your 10 tips for better layer cakes post (which helped!) but I still haveahve to ask one thing on timing: You baked the layers of cake the week before and froze them… 1) WHEN did you take them out to fill with layers of filling in between (how long before wedding day? 2) did you crumb coat the cakes while frozen? I guess in general i’m interested in knowing how long cakes assembled in their layers (each tier-size together) defrosts then? THANKS SO MUCH you are SO inspiring!!
Deb, thanks to your suggestions (on the best birthday cake post) I ended up making this cake and the sour cream chocolate frosting, both of which are delicious. Or at least the crumbs and blobs I’ve tried are. The cake is really intense, sort of like the cookie part of an Oreo!
For anyone else making this: I did some math and halved the recipe, figuring it would fit into two 9-inch round pans, and it did…just barely. I’m glad my pans are 2 inches deep because if they weren’t I think the cake would have overflowed. Next time I would probably put a bit less batter in each pan and use the rest for a couple of cupcakes or something.
When my dad turned 75, we had to fly to his town to see him, so we asked if he wouldn’t mind terribly much getting his own cake. He said it was no problem. When he brought it out at the party, we saw what he had the baker write: “Bob – Happy 75th – You’re the Greatest!” We all got a huge laugh out of it. That’s my dad, RIP.
SO… is it safe to say that i can half the recipe and bake a 8*8 square cake?
8*8*2layers = 128
12*12*2layers = 288
Yeah, that’s how I usually approach the math. But keep in mind they’ll be very tall layers, as tall as the 12-inch cake plus extra because 128×2 is <288 — not a bad thing if you want a big ta-da. You’ll be safest with pans with 3-inch sides.
I just had to leave a comment on this post and tell you how invaluable it was for me when making my son’s birthday cake in September. I used every single one of your tips which helped immensely. Also, after two failed attempts at buttercream, I used your swiss buttercream recipe and it came out absolutely perfect – perfect consistency as well as volume to frost three layers. Thank you so much for the information – love the website. (you can find a picture of the final product on my blog). Happy cooking!
OK, I made your cake – it is amazing! I’ve been trying several. I’m fairly new at baking, and will be making a 50th birthday cake for a dear friend (and 75 guests) in two weeks. It will be three 2-layer cakes stacked (using cardboard and dowels between each) and shaped like a teapot, which for presentation purposes will be covered in fondant. This is definately the cake recipe I will use! Couple of questions before I embark on this journey: Since I anticipate a lot of assembly time, I’m doing that the day before. I plan on using a raspberry (chambord) flavored simple syrup to mosten the layers. That shouldn’t be a problem, right? Also, I think I’m using half of this receipe for each of the 14 inch layers, does that sound right? Thanks for this blog – I’m totally psyched about this adventure, thanks to your expertise!
I’m going to make this cake but don’t get one thing. There’s a picture (step 7 coating) with white icing, but in preparation instructions nowhere is a part for icing exept Ganache. Does it mean this cake comes without icing?
Deb-
The reason behind the strips being around the cake pan is that they prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, thus ensuring flatness.
So much cake! It does fit just barely in a 6 quart kitchenaid – but with many many pauses to push the dough back down while adding the butter/buttermilk to the dry ingredients. I haven’t had any of the cake itself yet (it’s for a party tomorrow) but the batter was excellent!
Deb,
I really found the tips helpful. Your cake looks amazing. I am wondering about buying boxes for transporting my 3 layer cakes. If I am making 8 inch three layer cakes and I get a 10″ cake board to put them on how high should the box be the transport them in? It seems like 5 1/2″ might not be hign enough…what do you think. It looks like I am going to have to buy in bulk quantity so I want to get the right size since the shipping $ is high. I live in Santa Barbara, CA and I am not sure if there is a cake baking supply anywhere close. Thank you.
Wow, this post is infinitely helpful. Reading about glazing with sugar syrups (which I never knew existed for cakes, silly me) has just brought to memory a terrible cake I had at a wedding at this exactly explains what went wrong! The cake was like eating a wet sponge and water actually seeped into our mouths with the first bite. And it was cold. And on the way home we stopped for ice cream to erase it from our memory. Perhaps the cousin-turned-exceedingly-bad-chef that created drowned it? Thank you for giving some kind of explanation to this previously unanswerable situation!!!