As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/
Options
Help me make a cake
Organichu
poopspeesRegistered User, Moderator mod
poopspeesRegistered User, Moderator mod
While I'm sure you make a mean cake and have a good recipe, I am not exactly looking for the perfect cake. I am trying to recreate something my mom used to make for me. I'll be using boxed cake mix (I don't care if it's worse, shaddup!) and premade icing.
I am just looking for general 'everyone already knows these things, you idiot' tips. Follow the directions on the box and be careful for... what?
What are common baking mistakes?
Is the 'toothpick test' accurate?
How do I make it not lopsided?
etc
I am just looking for general 'everyone already knows these things, you idiot' tips. Follow the directions on the box and be careful for... what?
What are common baking mistakes?
Is the 'toothpick test' accurate?
How do I make it not lopsided?
etc
Organichu on
0
Posts
also if you separate it into bowls and add food colouring - rainbow cake! way easier than you think.
Are you making a layer cake? If so, it's a good idea to level the bottom layer. You can use a knife or buy a fancy tool http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=415-815. Otherwise if you just smooth the batter out it shouldn't be very lopsided.
Make sure you wait until the cake is completely cool before you apply the icing.
I've found the toothpick test is pretty accurate. I've found it's pretty hard to mess up boxed cake if you just follow the directions.
Also, make sure you grease the pan, or you'll have burnt cake stuck to your pan.
What I'm going for is something my mom used to make- two round cake pans (standard 9", I guess?), both chocolate. Stack one on top of the other with peanut butter between them, then cover it all in chocolate frosting.
So- level it with a knife, toothpick is ok, flavor options.
Anything else?
I bought a little mini-scale that measures up to about two pounds and use that to measure my flour instead of cups.
Cake mix in a box is perfectly acceptable, even Alton Brown says so! It has all kinds of special...uh, well "chemicals", that do stuff like make it not collapse and stuff.
You know how the box says "Stir 50 times" or something? Listen to it. Stirring forms gluten, gluten is what makes bread chewy. How chewy do you like your cake?
I'd be careful with the peanut butter, it is quite common to mix peanut butter with confectioners sugar in baking. You get something like the inside of a Reese's cup. Straight PB might be a bit strong if you put much on there.
Preheat the oven. Really.
Edit: Oh yeah, when they give you different times/temperatures for different sized pans? They mean it. The whole surface area to volume thing is pretty important.
Depending on what you are doing a trial run might be in order. Ovens vary, so on and so on, and this gives you an excuse for even MORE cake!
I was really just worried about the flavor. PB is strong stuff. Though chocolate holds it's own quite well with it. If it is served cold that can also help keep strong flavors in check.
This is going back, like, fifteen years in my memory banks, but I remember it being served very cold (and her yelling at me if I tried to get any before it was very cold).
Also, let the cake completely cool before you ice it! I am an impatient baker and I have to remind myself to wait each time. :P
When you're greasing the pan(s), try to get an even layer across the entire thing, and don't forget the sides! Sprinkling a small amount of flour or cake mix over the greased pan will also help the cake to come loose once it's been baked.
Mixing the batter:
We have baked cakes!
Now that they've cooled we can flip them out so they can cool.
We've peanut buttered the surface of the bottom layer:
I swear it's not actually lopsided, I just kind of half snapped the picture before the refridgerator door swung shut: