Learn how to bake flat cakes every single time! A simple tutorial on how to make sure your cakes come out nice and flat straight out of the oven.
Leveling cakes is my least favorite thing to do ever. I think I’ve done it a total of ONE time and quickly looked for alternatives.
Leveling a cake is something you should do if it bakes up domed. Which, let’s be honest here, almost every single cake does.
A domed cake looks something like this:
Source: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/
Delicious as it may be, it could be more aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention the uneven distribution of frosting! Those poor middle sections.
Why Do Cakes Dome?
When cakes go into the oven, the pans start to heat up quickly. This will make the sides and bottom of the cake cook faster and set which causes the uncooked middle to rise and dome because it has nowhere else to go.
It’s not easy to stack and frost a domed cake, so it should be leveled out prior to doing so.
To level a cake, you either get a huge frikken cake knife (which I bought specifically for this job and used ONCE) and go at it hoping you can cut off the dome evenly.
Or you can buy a cake leveler which does the job marginally better (I do use this to torte my cakes though – aka cut them in half horizontally).
Either option leaves you with a crap ton of cake crumbs all over everything. This also means wasted cake, and boo to that. Ok, I know you can always eat the scraps, but STILL.
A much better alternative is to not have to level the cake at all by having it come out perfectly flat and stackable. I have a couple of tricks I use to ensure I get flat cakes. They work for me every time!
Now, before we even get to level cakes, you want to make sure that your layers are the same height. You can eyeball this in your pans, or you can be anal (like me) and actually weigh the pans to ensure an even distribution of batter.
I fully embrace my craziness. I use this kitchen scale and I LOVE it.
Now… onto Flat Cakes!
HOW TO BAKE FLAT CAKES
Baking flat cakes comes down to one simple thing: using cake strips around your pans.
This is my go-to method. All you have to do is dampen them and wrap them around the bottom of your cake pans. Perfectly flat cakes every time!
How do cake strips work?
The cake strips insulate the outside of the pan and the moisture in the strips keeps the sides of the pan cooler so your cake bakes up more evenly. Without the strips, the outsides of the cakes cook and set faster causing the middle of the cake to dome.
I soak my strips in a bowl while I’m prepping my cake batter and then gently squeeze out the excess water before I wrap them around the pans. It’s important that they’re not sopping wet or they could cause the cake to become soggy.
Here’s a side-by-side shot of the cakes right out of the oven, only one using a cake strip.
You can see how nice and flat the cake on the right is. Not only is the one in the left domed it’s also a bit darker on the sides.
The one on the right is cooked more evenly throughout. I use these cake strips on all of my cakes and they help a LOT.
It’s important to note that using these strips will cause the cake to bake a bit slower and you’ll likely need to increase the baking time on a recipe. The baking times for my recipes all assume that baking strips are used.
Baking times vary as it is because every oven is different, so it’s important to use them only as a guideline and to know your oven.
If you only do one thing, use these strips!
I have the older model Wilton brand strips that I got at Michael’s 10+ years ago. These are ok, but pinning them on is a bit of a pain.
I found these Regency ones online that have velcro which seems like a much better option so if you’re in the market for some, I would get those!
DIY Cake Strips
If you don’t want to shell out the money for these you can easily make your own at home!
NOTE: If you’re using tea towels, make sure they are fully dampened and do not use them at oven temps over 350F. You can wrap them in tin foil to prevent browning/burning.
All you need to do is cut up and old tea towel into strips and pin them onto the cake pans. If you’re really crafty you can stitch some velcro into the strips and have your own easy-to-use version.
Tea Towel Trick
If the cakes are still a tiny bit domed after using the bake even strips, there’s another thing you can do as soon as they come out of the oven. Grab a (clean) tea towel and lightly press down on any domes.
Be careful, as the pans will be hot and there will be steam coming out as you press down on the cakes. Don’t press too hard or your cake will cave in!
NOTE: This method only works on small domes and only straight out of the oven.
Since I always use the cake strips, my domes are never really that high to begin with, but the tea towel technique helps with that last little bit.
I don’t know how well it would work on a cake with a large dome. By the time I was done taking pictures, the domed cake was starting to cool, so pressing down on it didn’t help too much.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Cake strips really are one of my very favorite tools/hacks in the baking kitchen. They make my life easier so I hope you give them a try!
Recipes you may like:
- Simple Vanilla Buttercream
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Classic Vanilla Cake
- Classic Chocolate Cake
- Classic White Cake
Quick links to help you bake flat cake layers:
- The secret to getting flat cake layers: Evenbake Strips
- My very favorite kitchen scale: Jennings Kitchen Scale
- The best aluminum cake pans: Fat Daddios
- If you need to level your cakes or cut them in half: Cake Leveler
Simple Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk, room temperature
Vanilla Buttercream:
- 6 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla or flavoring of your choice
- 4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Vanilla Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Distribute batter evenly between the two pans. Place damp baking strips around the bottoms of the cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on a wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Vanilla Buttercream:
- Prepare a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip butter until creamy.
- Reduce speed to low and add in icing sugar 1 cup at a time until well blended. Increase speed to med and beat for 3 minutes.
- Add vanilla and 2 Tbsp cream and continue to whip on medium for 1 minute. Add more cream as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Whip until the frosting is smooth and silky.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layer and crumb coat the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake and smooth with a bench scraper.
- Decorate as desired.
Recipes You May Like
Originally published Aug 2014
Dez says
Will the cake still pull away from the sides using these strips? My oven is old, and really the only way I can tell if my cakes are done (and not overdone) is that they pull away from the sides of the pan. Will the baking strips prevent that? I am not a very experienced baker, and the toothpick method has never worked for me. By the time the toothpick comes out “clean” the cake is over baked. 🙁
Olivia says
Hi Dez! Yes, the cake should still pull away from the sides. The baking strips will make the cakes take a little longer to bake overall, but mine pull away. This may depend on the type of pans too though. In case it’s helpful, here are the steps I run through to see if my cakes are done:
1. Peek through the oven window. To see if the cakes are a nice golden brown (doesn’t really work for chocolate cakes).
2. Nudge the oven. Gently nudge your oven (assuming it’s free-standing and not built-in). If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, leave the oven door closed and bake for a few minutes longer.
3. Nudge the pans. Open the oven and gently nudge the pans. If there is any jiggle in the center of the cakes, close the oven door and bake for a few minutes longer.
4. Poke the cake. Gently poke the top of the cake with your finger. If the cake is firm and springs back, it’s ready for the next step.
5. Toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. When there are a few crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is ready. You want crumbs on there because the cake keeps cooking when you take it out of the oven.
You definitely don’t want that toothpick completely clean. A few crumbs sticking on it is ideal as the cakes keep baking once you take them out of the oven. I hope that helps!
Tamara says
Love the help and information, trying to bake a cake for my niece . These are easy to understand
Olivia says
Hi Tamara! So glad you found this post helpful 🙂
Sharon Bonsall says
The amount of better you put in each pan is 580g! Is this for all layers of does it vary?
Olivia says
Hi Sharon! It definitely varies depending on the recipe.
Diane says
Have you ever tried the foil method on a rectangular cake pan? I have a large Wilton cake pan. It measures 18 x 12 x 2 inches.
Olivia says
Hi Diane! I haven’t tried it myself but I’m not sure it would work so well on such a large pan without something else helping even the heat. You can get these things called heating cores (https://amzn.to/3gkiR7p) that you place into the cake pans before you pour the batter in. If you scroll down to the reviews at that link you can see some photos 🙂
Tammy says
Diane, I have the same size pan and use it all the time. What I was taught years ago in a cake decorating class was to take a bath towel and cut it into strips that you dampen and put around the pan. I pin them together with a straight pin so that they overlap slightly. Be sure and pull them tight around the pan as they will stretch a little as they dry and I have used them for years. Hopefully this will help you as it works for me.
Risse says
The sides of my cake never stay straight. The top ends up coming away from the pan and the bottom stays more to the pan sides. So when I remove it, it looks like 2 different sizes of cakes. How do I fix that? Also, I can’t seem to get a good height of a layer using recipes. They are always flat and thin.
Olivia says
Hi Risse! Is it possible the cake batter is getting overmixed? That can cause all of the issues you’re listing. Are you using the correct pan sizes listed in the recipes and prepping the pans correctly?
Melinda says
Also I cook my cakes at 325 degrees. Have not domed a cake in years!
Olivia says
Hi Melinda! Lower temps definitely help!
Betsa says
I have lots of strips ,but how do you make them stay tight to the pan with the pin ?I find it awkward using the pin !do you have an Alternative?
Olivia says
Hi Betsa! What kind of pin do you use? Mine is just a straight pin (not a safety pin) so it’s not too bad. If you’re having trouble though I would recommend getting some of the velcro ones I’ve linked in my post 🙂
Robert says
Cake bake strips really work. Saves a heck of a lot of time freeze and trim plus less dark crumb at sides. Suddenly, my cakes are much more pro. Seniors and kids are impressed, but I’m not spilling secret yet. I’m in UK where white and yellow cake are not a thing, but variation on Victoria Sponge is the thing, including fatless.
Olivia says
Hi Robert! So happy you love these as much as I do 🙂
Hind says
Many thanks for your lovely recipe.
Is it possible to bake it in one big pan instead of 2 pans? Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Hind! You’d need a fairly large pan, at least 10″ or so, or you could cut the recipe in half and bake it in one 8″ pan.
Naomi Buckli says
I got some strips for Christmas and am so excited to start using them more. On the first cake I tried baking, I baked it on the longer cook time and the center still came out a little raw when we cut into it. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Naomi! It sounds like it just needed a bit more time in the oven. Every oven bakes differently and I find that using the strips I need to bake my cakes for 5mins longer or so than I normally would. I would use baking times just as a guideline and use the toothpick test to see if cakes are done.
Annana says
Thanks for this “duh” moment–what a simple trick. I’ve always wailed at my domes (especially on 9×13 sheet cakes) and now I’m excited to see if this trick works for me (at high altitude!).
Olivia says
Hi Annana! I hope you love them as much as I do 🙂
Trish says
I have been trying to find cake strips to fit my 6″ pans to no avail. I will have someone make them for me as I do not have a sewing machine. Do I double the tea towel? Should the towel be terry, flour sack or regular cotton? I will still wrap it in foil, but heavy duty or regular?
Thank you for your help!
Olivia says
Hi Trish! Most cake strips should work for 6″ pans. Did you try the ones I linked on Amazon? I haven’t tried tea towel strips myself but there are some resources out there. I would use a terry towel, single, no need to sew anything. Make sure it’s properly damp before using it on the pans.
Bret says
I used strips for the first time on two 9″ x 2″ rounds this past weekend. First, it worked great to get good flat tops. But I did have one issue that I’ve never had before. The cakes pulled away from the pan sides (shrunk) more at the top than at the bottom. So, for the sake of illustration, I had about a 9″ diameter cake at the bottom and an 8″ diameter cake at the top (after cooling).
This was a cake recipe that I’d never tried before. So I’m not sure if it was the recipe, the strips, or if perhaps I just didn’t bake them long enough? Anyone know what might have caused this?
Olivia says
Hi Bret! I’ve never had that happen with baking strips. Mine always bake up nice and straight on the sides. It’s possible that there was an issue with the recipe, but that can also happen if the cake batter is overmixed or the cake is overbaked.
Terry says
well written!
Olivia says
Thank you Terry!
Sandy says
Hi Liv, I wanted to ask you if you can keep the cake base in the fridge or outside instead of putting it in the freezer, I am planning to use it in 3 days.
Sandy says
Also my cakes didn’t raise much. How tall are they supposed to be, before they’re cut?
Olivia says
Using the recipe in this post the cakes should be about 2″ tall in 8″ round pans. If the cakes are shorter than that it could be due to overmixing the cake batter or expired baking powder.
Olivia says
Hi Sandy! A freezer is better as it will lock in moisture. The fridge tends to dry cakes out, especially if 3 days or more.
Sandy says
I love all your advice. I have a larger family & we all love to bake 10″ rnd cakes. How can I take your recipes for 8″ rnd and convert them for 10″? How much more ingredients would I add? I want to make the Classic Chocolate Cake & pipe it w/ your Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Thank you
Olivia says
Hi Sandy! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
I think you should probably double the recipe for two 10″ pans.
Chass says
Omg you are wonderful! I’ve been avoiding bringing cakes to family gatherings for years because they always come out with the dome at the top! You just changed that! Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Chass! Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! Please let me know how your first go with these strips is 🙂
Erin says
Made it! Loved it! Family happy! Found our new Christmas tradition cake!
Olivia says
Hi Erin! So happy to hear that!
CHEF IBCA says
This is incredibly useful, thanks so much!
This blog is very helpful and informative..I appreciate your effort that has been taken to write this blog for us.
Had an amazing time reading this blog.
Olivia says
Glad you found it helpful!