All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [15]
As far as the toothpick test, I know a lot of people rely on this as a test for doneness (the toothpick should come out clean when inserted into a cake that is done, but have some crumbs clinging to it in the case of brownies). Still, I don’t like it because it can cause the cake to sink in the center if you test too soon.
Out of the Pan and onto the Rack
When a cake is done, transfer it to a wire rack or a burner on the stove that you know is turned off. Ideally, the cake pan needs to be elevated a bit for air to circulate around and cool the cake. You can cool cakes in a hurry by placing them in the refrigerator, and I have even placed them outside in the snow to cool. This dramatic plunge in temperature will cause a cake to flatten and often shrink more than if you have eased it into cooling. Covered with frosting, however, no one ever knows.
What is more critical is how long cakes stay in the pan before you invert them onto a rack. I usually allow five minutes for layers, fifteen minutes for Bundt and pound cakes, and fifteen to twenty minutes for sheet cakes you want to turn out and frost. I allow a little extra time for heavy Bundts with lots of nuts and chocolate chips. If the cake spends too little time in the pan, or too much, it may stick. Figuring out the right cooling time for the pans you use and the recipes you enjoy is really helpful.
Before you invert a cake onto a rack, be sure to run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan. I like to give the pan a few gentle shakes to loosen the cake, too, before turning the pan over onto the rack.
For both layers and cakes baked in a tube pan, turn the cake out upside down on a rack, then invert it again so that it is right side up. Bundts need to be inverted just once because it is their fluted top that should be displayed.
For a layer cake that will be frosted, you need to allow anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes for it to cool completely before frosting. The cooler the layer, the easier it will be to frost. Bundts, on the other hand, and sheet cakes, too, can be frosted or glazed while still a little warm.
Frosting the Cake
You can make each and every frosting in this book. They may sound fancy and complicated but really they are quite simple. My advice is to begin with a buttercream frosting. Move up to a cream cheese frosting. Try a ganache. Then aim for cooked icings, which you will find less stressful if you’re not in a hurry.
There was a time when if someone in my family came into the kitchen while I was frosting a caramel cake I’d say to them please make your own snack, hold off on the questions, and just wait until I finish. Any distractions caused that frosting to harden before I got it on the cake. But now, when I’m making icing during a chaotic time, I know to remove the icing from the stove a little sooner or to add a little more milk so that it’s a little runnier to begin with. It gives me a little extra distraction leeway. If it winds up too runny, I can always place the cake or the icing in the refrigerator to set for a minute or two.
It is important to have the right ingredients, measured correctly and at the correct temperature, for these frostings. For buttercreams and cream cheese frostings, the butter and cream cheese must be at room temperature. If they are not, soften them in the microwave oven. Make sure you measure the right amount of chocolate for a ganache. The recipe may call for one cup of chocolate chips, but this equals six ounces of chocolate not eight ounces.
If the frosting seems to need more sugar or more liquid, use your instincts. Baking is a science, but you need to take some creative license every now and then because things like humidity come into play. In your region of the country—whether in a high altitude like Denver or the humid South—a recipe may need to be amended a bit.
Ready to frost?