A note about making your layers flat: Before putting in oven, take an offset spatula and literally flatten out the batter.
However, if you pull out your cake from the oven and it's domed at the top, either keep that layer for the very top of your cake, or use a knife to slice off the dome to make flat. This is a good way to taste-test your cake!
Thirdly, if you do not have 3 cake pans, put 2/3 of your batter in one pan, 1/3 in the other, and then when they're out of the pan and ready for frosting, you can slice your larger layer horizontally to create two layers. Tricky, but definitely doable. Also, don't forget to monitor the different baking time that this version will then require.
And finally, when you take your cakes out of the pan here, make sure you lay them to rest and cool on parchment paper, otherwise you won't be able to pull them cleanly off the plate or cooling rack.
I always flatten my cake batter by knocking the filled pan against the counter several times. CK in DC
ReplyDeleteThough that might work for flatness, it's a bit harsh for the integrity of the batter, because it's like you're patting down the batter, making it denser than if you hadn't. You want your cakes to be fluffy, or light.
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