Are you torting your 2 inch cakes a little under 2inches to accomodate for the frosting to reach the 4 inch high height suggested on cake decorating guides?
I noticed on cake decor guides and regarding the subject of SPS system 4 inch high cakes is often discussed. I know you can make a cake higher than 4inches and you adjust everything to the height, Yet I am wondering about the 4inch measurement suggest in Earlene's and Wilton guides. Also is the wooden dowels and plastic dowels cut even with the outer layer of frosting? I generally cut a hair slightly above,
I usually use 3 x 1" tall layers with 2 layers of icing + the icing and fondant on the outside and my cakes all come out at 4" tall. I find when I use 4 layers of cake and 3 of frosting my cakes are 5-5.5" tall. I've never tried 2 x 2" tall layers but obviously it will come out taller than 4" once you have a filling and outside coats on.
HTH
Re cutting your dowels - For fondant cakes, the dowel should be *slightly* above the top of the cake (approx. 1/16") or your fondant may crack. For buttercream, the dowel should be the exact height of the cake. HTH
Lisapeps may I ask what size pans do you use to get 1" layers? I like the 3 layer cake and two fillings but hate the waste with my 2" pans any ideas??. I agree with the dowels on buttercream level to the buttercream smidge below - good info for fondant.
Lisapeps may I ask what size pans do you use to get 1" layers? I like the 3 layer cake and two fillings but hate the waste with my 2" pans any ideas??. I agree with the dowels on buttercream level to the buttercream smidge below - good info for fondant.
I like 3-layer cakes too. I guess it comes from making cakes from my Sky High book. It's all 3-layer cakes.
I weigh my batter. Then divide the weight by 3.
I get my 3 2inch-high pans, and fill them with the amount needed (using the scale, of course).
That way, each of the 3 pans have an exact amount of batter.
My cakes usually come out flat, but if they do not, then there will be a minimum amount you have to cut from the top of each.
I bake my cakes in 3" tall pans but only fill them enough so they bake to just over 2" tall. I use homemade baking strips around the sides so I get a really flat top with those. I then use my agbay to torte them all to 1" tall. I am left with only a tiny bit of waste. The only problem I have at the minute is that until I buy some more pans I have to bake it in two sessions. Depending on how much batter my recipe makes, I bake an extra layer and put it in the freezer.
Thanks so much for the info ladies, will be trying it out this weekend. Have a great one!!
If you are cutting the dowels yourself, then it doesn't hurt if your cake is a little taller than the 4 inches. If you are using something like the SPS or something that comes with pre-cut dowels then yes it would be more of a concern.
Interesting information to ponder on. I actually cut my dowels the 1/16 inch above the frosting and fondant....... I fill my pan up half way with the decorator strips. Indeed they do not have much of a dome if any. I just wondered if there was some trick or tip I didn't know to get "that 4inch cake". (of course it is 4inches if 2-2inch cakes are upon one another prior to frosting. Personally I tried trimming the cake to 1.5 inches each with the frosting in the middle and on top but couldn't get that magical 4 inch height with frosting in the middle and on the outside like what is described in books, etc) I don't like having a lot of waste if I could help it. Bad enough I always have an surplus of egg yolks tossed with the WASC. Waste not want not......Huhhh.......
Imagenthatnj, please tell me how thick is the batter in the 2" pans when you fill them. I have a tendency to overfill my pans and they overflow on me. Wasting alot of batter and making a mess.
You mean how high in the pan? I wouldn't know what to tell you. I have 3 of each size. And it all depends on your batter and the amount it's set up to give you.
I bake a lot from this book called Sky High, and it has 3-layer cakes, every one of them. It will usually tell you to divide the batter between 3 pans that are 8" in diameter, 2" high.
http://sweetapolita.com/2011/05/vanilla-buttermilk-cake-with-instant-fudge-frosting/
You shouldn't fill your pan more than 3/4 of their height. All I can tell you is that when I do those 3 pans, I come to a little less than half the pan full.
But not all recipes tell you to do that. Some people would divide the batter between two pans and since I have never done that, I don't know how much I will get into each!
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