Cake Baking Tips & Techniques

Bakeware: For your recipe, be sure to use the pan size called for. To check the pan’s width, measure the top from inside edge to inside edge.

For cake baking, use shiny metal pans. They reflect the heat and produce a tender, lighter-colored crust.

Dark nonstick baking pans or glass baking dishes requires caution. Always read and follow the manufacturer's directions. These pans absorb more heat. Because of this, it is best to reduce baking temperature by 25° F.

Before Baking: Grease and/or flour pans as directed in recipes for butter-type cakes. Unless directed in the recipe, do not grease pans for angel, sponge and chiffon cakes.

You want to fill cake pans no more than half full. This allows for rising during baking.

Baking; Unless the recipe states differently, always bake cakes with the oven rack placed in the center of the oven. Bake only on one rack.

Cooling: You want to cool your cakes completely on wire racks. For round cakes, allow them to cool in their pans 10 minutes, then loosen and remove from pans to wire racks. Rectangular cakes (often in 13x9-inch baking pans), you can cool them totally in the pan or cooled them 10 minutes in the pan and then removed to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting: You want to frost your cakes after they are completely cooled. If not, your frosting will melt or slide off the cake.

Storage: You want to cool any unfrosted cakes completely before storing. If not, they become sticky on the surface.

Us a cake saver or large inverted bowl to store cakes with creamy frostings.

Store in the refrigerator cakes with whipped cream toppings, cream fillings or cream cheese frostings.

Cutting Us a sharp, long, thin knife to cut butter-type cakes.

Us a long, serrated knife or electric knife to cut angel food, chiffon and pound cakes.

Make a Cake Recipe into Cupcakes: If your recipe does not have specific instructions, know that you can make most cake recipes into cupcakes. Use the following guidelines.

You want to line cupcake pans with paper baking cups. Then fill cups 1/2 to 3/4 full with cake batter.

Bake cupcakes at 375° F. for 16 to 20 minutes.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Figure you will yield of about 1-1/2 to 2 dozen cupcakes from a recipe calling for about 2-1/4 cups of flour.