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Avoid These Layer Cake Mistakes

These two common baking mistakes can compromise the success of your layer cake.

These two common baking mistakes can compromise the success of your layer cake.

Cake layers that are domed won’t stack securely. Doming is caused by cake pans that are too small or an oven that’s too hot; use an oven thermometer to check. If your cakes do dome, slice off the dome with a serrated knife.

We tested our yellow layer cake baked side by side on one oven rack, on two racks with one pan directly above the other, and on two racks with one pan on the top left and the other on the lower right. Only the cakes on the same rack baked evenly. The reason? Although ovens heat differently, hot air can always circulate around cakes baked side by side. Switch the cakes once during baking so that each layer spends an equal amount of time in each position.

DOMED CAKE

DOMED CAKE: Doming is caused by cake pans that are too small or an oven that's too hot. 

UNEVEN BAKING

UNEVEN BAKING: Only cakes baked on the same rack will bake evenly. 

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