The Basics of Cake
- Skye Holley
- Jun 25, 2024
- 5 min read
As many of you have likely arrived here looking to buy a custom cake, I think sharing my work's basics is the ideal way to kick off this blog. Today, I'd like to share some of my must-haves and some top tips to help you get started making your own custom cakes.
This post may contain affiliate links.
In this post
Recipes
The journey to creating exquisite cakes begins with finding a dependable recipe that serves as the foundation for culinary creativity. This pivotal first step often involves a lot of trial and error. It's not uncommon to encounter a recipe that shows promise but needs a bit of adjustment to truly shine. This was precisely the case with my best-selling almond cake recipe.
Through the art of adaptation and innovation, I transformed a good recipe into a masterpiece that has captivated the palates of many. By carefully tweaking ingredients, adjusting proportions, and experimenting with various techniques, I honed the recipe to perfection, achieving a perfect blend of flavors and textures that delighted the senses.
In the realm of cake making, the evolution of a recipe is a labor of love that culminates in the creation of confectionery delights that not only taste amazing but also evoke joy and wonder.
The key to the success of my cake business is that, not only do my cakes look beautiful, but they also taste incredible. It's important that people remember not just the appearance of a cake, but also enjoy its delicious flavor.
Top Baking Tips
When it comes to baking delicious cakes, my top advice is to prepare your cake pans properly. In my opinion, this step is crucial in the cake-making process. Without well-prepped pans, achieving a beautiful cake is nearly impossible!
In order to prepare your pans, it is essential to place a layer of parchment paper at the bottom. It is important to note that wax paper and parchment paper are NOT the same. Wax paper can melt and even ignite when exposed to the oven, so it is important to use parchment paper for baking. You can either buy a roll of parchment paper and cut it yourself or buy pre-cut parchment for your pan. I will link the ones I use below.
Next, it's important to grease the pans. Each baker has their own preferred method for this step. While some prefer to butter and flour the pans, others opt for a homemade pan-release made of flour, shortening, and oil. Personally, I find using a cooking spray like Pam to be sufficient. As long as the pan is of good quality, any of these techniques should work well.
For a flat top on your cakes, it's essential to have all ingredients at room temperature when preparing the batter. The temperature greatly influences the outcome of your cakes, preventing them from having a domed shape. Another effective method to regulate temperature is by using cake wraps during baking to ensure even cooking. You can buy the wraps provided in the link below or create your own by cutting a tea towel, dampening it, and securing it around the pan with a safety pin. This technique helps maintain a cooler exterior of the pan, promoting more uniform cooking throughout the cake.
My last tip for baking flawless cakes is to avoid leaving them in the pan for too long after taking them out of the oven. Allowing the cakes to sit in the pans for an extended period can lead to moisture building up between the cake and the pan, resulting in the cake sticking. I personally remove the cakes from the pan as soon as I can handle them without getting burned. If you use cake wraps, the wraps will cool down more quickly than the metal pan. In the video below, the cakes were left in the pan for around 5 minutes. If you are not using wraps, you may need to leave them in the pan for a bit longer or use oven mitts to remove them carefully. Regardless of your chosen method, I don't recommend leaving cakes in the pan for more than 10-15 minutes.
Check out the video below to learn how to remove your cake from the pan easily and ensure it has a nice flat top.
Basic Equipment
Here are a few essential items that I use daily and believe every baker should have readily available. If you don't bake frequently, you might not need all of these items, but they have definitely simplified my baking routine.
Pans
Whether you are simply baking a birthday cake for your child or aspiring to establish your own cake business, one essential item you must have is high-quality cake pans. I have pans in all shapes and sizes to accommodate any cake order, but for your average baker, there are only a few you really need.
Every baker should have a few different-sized round cake pans. With 6", 8", and 10" pans, you can cater to a range of servings from 14 to 40. These three sizes are the ones I use most frequently in my bakery, which is why I always have multiple pans of each size available.
Another essential pan to have available is the 9x13, also known as a quarter-sheet cake pan. This size is ideal for making straightforward sheet cakes, brownies, and various other baked treats. A quarter-sheet cake can accommodate about 36 party-sized servings (2"x3") or about 56 smaller event servings (1"x2").
Scale
Achieving a flawless cake hinges on accurately measuring the batter. I always advise against using measuring cups and opt for weighing ingredients in grams instead. This method guarantees precision, resulting in consistently perfect cakes every time.
Stand Mixer
This is the one piece of equipment I can't live without. I rely on my three stand mixers for my growing business. Starting with a KitchenAid 5qt. tilt head, which is suitable for most bakers, I now prefer the professional 7qt. bowl lift mixer for making larger batches of batter. I have not ventured out to brands simply because I can't think of a reason to. I use these all day, every day, and have never had an issue with any of them.
My Favorite Things
When it comes to baking, having the right tools and equipment can truly make a difference in the ease and success of your endeavors. From versatile kitchen gadgets to essential bakeware, several items can streamline the baking process and enhance your overall experience in the kitchen. Here are some of the things I like the most.
To sum everything up, while baking can be rewarding and enjoyable, having the right tools at your disposal can elevate your experience to a whole new level. By investing in quality equipment that suits your needs and preferences, you can make baking a smoother, more efficient, and ultimately more enjoyable part of your culinary journey.
Comments