If you want to create a perfectly flat, well-decorated cake, you must learn how to level a cake correctly. When leveling a cake, there are a few ways to do so. Two of the most common being, with and without a leveler. In this guide, we've outlined the most common leveling methods and a few of our favorite tips and tricks. Continue reading to determine which way is best for you, and start leveling. We are confident that once finished, the cake you make will be the best decorated one yet. Let's get started!
Why Level a Cake?
When baking a cake, you might have noticed it come out of the oven with a bit of a domed shape. This curved-like top can usually be attributed to the batter rising in the oven, and because the edges of a cake bake quicker, the center usually rises for longer and creates a dome. Aside from looking more professional, this flat surface helps tremendously in the decorating process. So, how do you take a domed-shaped cake to a flat one? It requires a bit of leveling, which means that you must cut off the cake's unlevel sections.
A flat cake top will be easier to frost and prevent additional decorations from slipping off to the sides. Whether you choose to ice your cake, write on your cake, adorn it with fresh fruits, add sprinkles, or all of the above, leveling a cake will make the decorating process much more enjoyable.
Aside from improving the appearance of the cake, leveling it will also give the texture a boost. By removing the hard crispy part, you are left with a light, fluffy and moist cake that everyone will rave about. Additionally, if your cake has layers, it's best to level each one to ensure that it remains sturdy and straight until you're ready to enjoy it.
How to Level a Cake
Finding the Right Recipe
Before decorating any cake, it's crucial to find a recipe that you enjoy baking and eating. Using a recipe that you're comfortable cooking will help make the decorating process easier. Mainly because you'll know the texture, colors and flavors, you're working with before beginning. Read over your favorite cake recipe, check that you have all the necessary ingredients, and start baking!
For an easy-to-make cake that tastes great, try out this White Cake Recipe.
Let Your Cake Cool
Now that the cake is out of the oven, it's time to level the domed shape that it has baked into. Let your cake completely cool before moving or leveling it. Transporting or leveling a cake that's still warm will cause the cake to crack, making it much harder to level and frost later on.
Begin Leveling
Move the cake to a flat surface and make sure the domed side is facing up. Place the palm of your hand on the cake and lightly press down to prevent the cake from moving as you're leveling it. Next, take a cake wire cutter or a thin serrated knife and remove only what's necessary from the top. While you'll want to remove the domed part, be careful not to remove too much. Doing so will leave holes in the cake. You can fix these holes later by filling them in with frosting. However, it's best to keep the cake entirely level from the start.
If you remove a large amount from the top when leveling your cake, don't throw it out. Instead, set it to the side and use it later on as trifle layers or turn it into cake pops!
Torting
Now that the top of the cake is leveled, it's time to begin torting. Begin with a leveled cake and mark the halfway point on the side of it. Next, much like leveling, press your hand firmly on the top of the cake and use a serrated knife in a saw-like motion to slice through the side of the cake, creating an extra layer. Once the layer has been cut, lift it and place it on another plate, a cake circle or a cake lifter.
Using a Turntable to Torte
If you're using a turntable, the torting process is made a lot easier. Using the same method as above, instead of slicing through it, make a shallow slice on the cake's side. Then rotate the turntable slowly. While the table is turning, move the knife gradually towards the cake center until the cake layers split. Cautiously lift the layer and insert a cake circle or a cake lifter.
Tip: Not a fan of using a serrated knife? Use a cake leveler! Explicitly designed for leveling cakes, a cake leveler is made with several different notches so that the cutting wire is easier to adjust to the correct height. Using a cake leveler will ensure that your cuts are straight and that the cake is precisely leveled.
Leveling Without a Leveler
Don't have a leveler or specific serrated knife that you plan on using? Don't worry; there are several ways that you can bake a leveled cake without these tools. To make an impressive cake without all the extra work, follow the easy steps below.
Mix Things Up
Eager to create a level cake? Start the leveling process while the cake batter is being mixed. To help make a cake that is level straight from the oven:
- Try reversing the way that you mix the ingredients together.
- Instead of simply combining wet and dry ingredients, start with the dry ingredients first.
- After dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add butter and then add in additional liquid ingredients like eggs and extracts.
Mixing ingredients this way will prevent the butter and sugar from creaming, and because less air is caught in the process, the cake won’t rise and fall as much while baking.
For an easy-to-bake batter, make this Crazy Cake from scratch.
Tap the Tin
The key to achieving a naturally leveled cake? Make sure the cake batter is level before placing it to bake in the oven. As you pour the cake batter into the pan, give it a quick tap on the counter to level out the batter inside. Tapping cake pans before placing them in the oven will also help remove excess air and bubbles that might have popped up. When completing this step, don't tap the pans too hard. While a gentle tap will help level things out, tapping too strong will throw the batter around, leaving you with an uneven cake.
Pat Your Cake
Just as tapping a cake before baking helps level the batter out, patting the cake down once you remove it from the oven is equally effective. Upon removing a cake from the oven, place a clean towel or cloth on top of it and gently press it down on your cake while it's still warm. While you're pressing, be sure to keep your hand as flat as possible to avoid creating uneven curves.
While patting down this Buttery Yellow Birthday Cake will help level it, it surely won't remove any of its flavor!
Tips for Leveling Without a Leveler
While cake cutting wires and professional cake levels may make the process a bit easier, you can create a beautifully leveled cake with a serrated knife. Plus, ditching the fancy kitchen tools is an excellent way to keep your kitchen stocked with just the essentials.
Here are a few tips to remember when using a serrated knife to level a cake:
Keep Things Room Temperature
It's important to let your cake cool before attempting to level it. That being said, it's just as important to use a room temperature knife. While you might think that a chilled knife will cut better, introducing various temperatures to a freshly baked cake may cause it to fall or crack.
Start at the Cake Dome
Leveling the top of the cake? Be sure to start cutting at the top of the cake's dome instead of the edges. Doing so will ensure that you waste as little cake as possible. The result? A well-leveled and decorated cake that will stand tall and sturdy.
Keep Your Blade Parallel with the Countertop
If you're using a serrated knife to level your cake, you won't have a pattern to help you keep things even. Use the countertop as a guide, and be sure to keep the knife parallel to it while leveling the top of your cake. Slice down about an inch or so into the cake dome, and then turn the cake until you have sliced around it.
Ready to get started leveling your cake? Use the cake leveling tips listed to create a beautifully leveled cake that will stand tall and withstand all of your favorite toppings. Once you've removed the cake dome, it's time to start frosting it. There are several different frosting techniques. Find which one works best for you, and start decorating. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, happy baking!
