How to bake a cake

So, you are probably saying to yourself  "I already know how to bake a cake!"

Well, great!

However, at some point I learned these tips I am going to share with you.

And most of my friends don't know all of these tips, so I bet most of you will not know at least one of these helpful hints.

So keep reading.

First of all, I use boxed cake mixes for my cakes.

Gasp! 

I know, I know. 

But when you can make them taste awesome, why bother with a from scratch cake.

Those can be really dense anyway, and that's not what we want.

(I do make cakes from scratch sometimes, just not when they require a lot of decorating.)

So, when baking a cake. First, preheat your oven.

Then, go warm your eggs.

?

Bring them to room temperature. 

Either set them out for  a while before baking so they can warm on their own, or put them in a cup with warm water for a few minutes and that will take the chill off faster.

Keep them in their shells for all that. 

When mixing the ingredients for the cake FOLLOW the DIRECTIONS. 

Seems like common sense, but most people just mix everything for about 30 seconds, until it looks done. 

No.

Don't do that.

Beat all ingredients ( like oil, water, eggs, dry mix, whatever your mix calls for) according to the directions.

Most mixes say something like this:

"beat on low for 30 seconds, then beat on medium or medium/ high for 2 minutes."

I always set a timer for 2 minutes and don't stop until the timer goes off.

The cake batter should be smooth and fluffy. 

Next COAT your pans with this:

Baker's Joy.

This is a picture of my pan with the baker's joy on it. 

The spray should be thick enough that it looks white. 

(Bad picture, I know...)

 Pour your batter into the pans, filling them 2/3 full.  This will allow the cake to fill the entire pan and usually puff up some.  That way you can cut the tops of the cake off to get them level. 

Once you put the cakes in to oven use your cake box, or an old cereal box, or any cardboard to make a cake board.

I used the paper that came in the cake pan to trace the size for my boards. 

You can trace the cake pan itself, also. 

Cut out your boards and cover them with plastic wrap or wax paper. 

Set these aside the cake is done baking.

When your cake is done a tooth pick inserted near the center should come out clean.

Once you remove the cakes from the over, immediately run a knife around the edges of the pan to loose the cake.  The turn the cake out onto a cooling rack, or plate, or whater. 

Put your cake board on the cake and flip it over so the board is on the bottom of the cake. 

Working quickly, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, sealing the edges, and put in the freezer.

This cake has the board under it, is wrapped up, and ready to freeze. 

You want to freeze the cake right away so that all the moisture get sealed in the cake.

This will make your cake nice and moist when you eat it. 

It is also much easier to frost a frozen cake.  It cuts down on the loose crumbs a lot. 

I like to leave the cakes in the freezer for at least a day.

Once frozen and you are ready to decorate, level your cakes by trimming off the puffy tops with a knife.

Be careful, it is hard to cut through the center of a frozen cake...

Ouch, I learned that the hard way.

Next frost the cakes with a crumb coat.  Frost between each layer first, if you are stacking cakes.

Then frost the top, and finally the sides. 

A crumb coat should be a very thin layer of frosting. 

Smooth it out as best you can and then let it dry before frosting the with the final coat. 

For ideas on how to decorate click here.