ON BAKING CAKES

The three main cake recipes in this chapter (chocolate, yellow, and white) will work best when baked in two 8 by 2-inch round cake pans. You can also use 9 by 2-inch pans, but you will need to take a few minutes off the baking time, and the cakes will be a little flatter. You can also use three cake pans, which will give you lighter layers and an extremely tall finished cake. You’ll also have to take 5 to 7 minutes off the baking time if you use three pans. You’ll know the cakes are done when the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and the tiniest bit of crumb is on a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the middle. Each recipe gives specific baking times for baking the cakes in two pans unless noted.

ON FROSTING CAKES

Make sure the cakes are completely cool before you frost them. I like to put my layers in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to chill them before frosting; I’ve found this helps the buttercream go on much smoother and helps the crumbs stay put.

If your layers have a large dome, you can slice off the rounded bump for a straight top if desired. This will help make your cake look even and professional. I also cool my cakes top side down (the bump on top touching the wire rack) and have found this helps deflate the dome. If your cake is a little lopsided, applying the buttercream will even out any dents or lumps.

Frosting Your Cake on a Turntable

Arrange your first layer, cut side up on the turntable. If your layers aren’t cut, put the first layer top side up. A cardboard cutout (see here ) is a helpful tool for moving the cake to and from the refrigerator, and I highly recommend using one. You can set a damp paper towel underneath the cutout so it doesn’t slide around. Keep a pastry brush nearby and brush off any loose crumbs during the frosting process.

Place buttercream on the first layer. If the recipe specifies how much buttercream, use that amount; otherwise I place about 1 cup of frosting between each layer. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread the frosting evenly over the layer, all the way to the edges.

Top the buttercream with the second layer of cake, cut side down. If your cake layers aren’t cut, put the flattest side of the cake up. If your cake has more than two layers, repeat the previous steps for frosting layers.

APPLY A CRUMB COAT • Make sure your cake layers are even; you want them to line up together, and none of them should be sticking out farther than the others. Gently press to adjust them if you need to and use a ruler or straightedge to make sure they are lined up evenly. With an offset spatula, apply a thin, even layer of buttercream to the top and the sides of the cake, covering every surface, and filling in the gaps between layers. Smooth out any bumps or lumps in the thin coat. Be careful if you need to apply more buttercream to not get crumbs from the spatula back into your mixing bowl. Move the cake into the freezer or refrigerator to chill the cake and harden the buttercream. This will keep the crumbs in place, locking them into the crumb coat. I put my cake on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill, but if you don’t have room, place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

APPLY A FINISHING COAT • Take the cake from the freezer or refrigerator and put it back in the center of the turntable, with another damp paper towel underneath the cardboard cutout. Place a large amount of buttercream on the top of the cake. With an offset spatula, smooth the buttercream on the top of the cake, so it is a perfectly level layer (this will cover up any unevenness as well). When the top is even, move on to the sides. Put a good amount of buttercream onto the spatula and then use the spatula to put the buttercream on the sides of the cake in a thick layer. Don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth at this point, just make sure you have a nice thick coat, covering all the cake. Press the spatula very gently against the cake at a slight angle and move the turntable in a constant, fluid circle. As the table moves, the spatula will begin to collect some of the excess buttercream and even out the sides. Stop to clean the spatula off a few times. You want to be careful not to take too much of the buttercream off, or you will start to see the cake layers underneath. Keep turning the table until the buttercream is as smooth and even as possible. A slight edge will have built up on the top of the cake and with your spatula at an angle, run it across the top to even it out.

FINISH DECORATING • The cake will be smooth at this point. You can leave it as is, or add some more decoration to it. When finished decorating, move the cake to a cake stand to serve.

Frosting Your Cake on a Cake Stand

If you are frosting the cake directly on a serving plate, you will not need a cardboard cutout. Place a small amount of buttercream (about a heaping tablespoon) in the center of the cake stand and then place the first cake layer on top of the frosting. This will help keep your cake from sliding around. Place a few small pieces of parchment paper underneath the edges of the cake. I cut three or four pieces in a rectangular shape and overlap them underneath the edges of the cake; any buttercream that spills will fall onto the parchment, and the cake stand will stay clean.

Apply a crumb coat (detailed above), but instead of spinning a turntable, you will gently move the cake stand as needed to cover the entire cake in a thin layer of buttercream. Move the cake and stand to your refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes.

When the cake is chilled and firm, place a large amount of frosting on the top of the cake. With an offset spatula, smooth the frosting on the top of the cake, so it is a perfectly level layer (this will cover up any unevenness as well). When the top is even, move to the sides. Put some of the buttercream onto the spatula, and then use the spatula to put the buttercream on the sides of the cake in a thick layer. Don’t worry about getting it perfectly smooth at this point, just make sure you have a nice thick coat, covering all the cake. Smooth out the buttercream in an even layer, and then decorate as desired. Remove the parchment paper underneath the cake before serving.

ON DECORATING CAKES

In all honesty, I prefer a stripped-down cake over one with lots of bells and whistles. I try to keep my decorating to a minimum and look around for simple ideas to slightly embellish. Here are a few easy ways to adorn your party cake.

FLOWERS • Fresh flowers are a beautiful and easy way to decorate your cake. I like to keep the sides very smooth and top the cake with large, colorful blooms. Make sure to use flowers that have not been sprayed with pesticides.

HORIZONTAL STRIPES • Rest the tip of an offset spatula against the bottom of your iced cake. Gently spin the turntable and slowly begin to move the spatula up as the table spins, to create lines around the cake. Keep rotating and moving the spatula up the sides of the cake until you reach the top. This won’t work as well without a turntable, but you can move the spatula around the cake to get a similar effect.

TEXTURE • Press the edge of an icing comb gently against your iced cake. Spin your turntable and run the comb around your cake to form ridges. Turn the table until the comb has gone all the way around the cake. Without a turntable, you can carefully move the icing comb around the cake.

SPRINKLES/NUTS • Sprinkles are a fun and easy way to add color to your cake. If you are having trouble with frosting your cake, if you didn’t use a crumb coat and there are crumbs in the buttercream, or if you just can’t get the sides smooth, sprinkles or chopped nuts can hide mistakes. Gently press them up against the sides of the cake until the entire side of the cake is covered. The top can be left plain, or also covered.

TYPES OF BUTTERCREAM/FROSTING

There are several varieties of buttercream to choose from when icing a cake. This chapter focuses on four different types: Swiss Meringue, Italian Meringue, American, and Flour Buttercream. Buttercream is also often called frosting or icing, but for ease I’ve referred to it as buttercream through this chapter.

SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM • Egg whites and sugar are heated gently over a double boiler, then whipped until voluminous. Butter is added, pieces at a time, and then whipped again until silky smooth. See Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Mint Chocolate Cake .

ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM • Italian Meringue Buttercream is similar to Swiss Meringue, but instead of heating the whites and sugar together over a double boiler, hot sugar syrup is poured over the egg whites and then whipped. See Burnt Honey Buttercream .

AMERICAN BUTTERCREAM • Often seen on grocery store cakes, American buttercream is a quick and easy version that is usually made with shortening and piles of confectioners’ sugar. It has a reputation for being sickly sweet, and many pastry chefs refuse to acknowledge it as buttercream, as most versions of it don’t even contain butter. I’ve discovered that when it is made with butter, the confectioners’ sugar is reduced, and when a good pinch of salt is added, it can be a delicious alternative to the time-consuming Swiss Meringue. See American Buttercream , Cardamom Cake with Coffee Buttercream , and Vanilla Cupcakes with Brown Butter Buttercream .

ERMINE BUTTERCREAM, OR FLOUR BUTTERCREAM • This buttercream is made by combining flour, sugar, salt, and milk together in a saucepan and then cooking it until a thick paste forms. Butter is then beaten into the cooled mixture. See Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes with Basil Buttercream .