Leveling cakes can be one of the most frustrating and disater-prone steps of baking. Improper leveling can lead to a cake that is too short or a cake that crumbles. It is amazing how much trouble a bit of extra cake can cause! From a slight bump to a towering dome, we've all had to deal with uneven cakes out of the oven. Here are a few tips to keep your cake (and your head!) level.
Overmixing your batter can lead to air bubbles that not only create a large dome, but also a crumbly cake. The trapped air puts more space between the batter, which in turn destroys the structure of your cake. I've ended up with gaping holes in the middle of cupcakes because of this and even had cakes that deflated! Overmixing can lead to a plethora of issues, so simply mix until the batter is smooth. Any more than that is flirting with disaster!
Start with a good recipe! Using a recipe that results in a nice, dense batter will reduce the risk of a dome. Having the proper ratio of baking powder and/or baking soda will result in a cake that comes out perfectly flat every time. Raid your grandma's recipe cards, watch some cooking shows, read a cookbook, just don't use a box mix...unless...
If all else fails, use bake-even strips. If you are using a box mix or your recipes are still coming out uneven, you can use bake-even strips. This is the surest, easiest way to make level cakes and it is very affordable. You can either buy some, which have worked great for me for the past three years, or you can simply wet some strips or an old dishcloth and secure them around your cake pan. They must be soaked, just wring out the excess water before wrapping.
Any combination of these methods should lead to a perfect, lovely, stackably flat cake every time without the hassle of having to trim (or lop off) the tops.
What is your favorite trick to keep cakes level?
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