anyone /baking/ here?
Are cake levelers better to use or should I just learn to cut a level cake by hand?
>>7163736
Cake cutters are solid tools if you bake a lot of cakes. Otherwise just get shallower pans and bake two cakes simultaneously.
I used to work at a bakery, mostly doing bread but occasionally sliced a cake or two for the cakebitch when she asked.
I'm more familiar with bread than with cake, so I don't know if this is how it's done elsewhere, but we just popped metal toothpick-like things into the cake to mark off the level, then cut along them to cut off the mounded top part.
Then we'd dry the mound and grind it up for cake crumbs to be used in place of graham cracker crumbs in our custard pies (cheesecakes, sweet potato pie etc).
If I haven't explained myself well with how to use the toothpick method, lemme know and I'll try to find a video or something.
I just level my cakes by hand.
>>7163767
Nothing Beats baking two cakes. Perfect layers.
Tried to start a baking thread the other day. Didn't take off.
Here, made this for my sister.
I like to just use a serrated knife while I spin the cake on a turntable.
>not using a laser knife to cut your cake
What are you guys planning to bake for Christmas?
>>7165124
I only bake as a hobby, but I'm gonna try to make this.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChocolateCheesecake.html
Hopefully I don't mess it up somehow.
>>7165124
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16480/fourteen-layer-chocolate-cake/
I may not get close, but I'm going to try. To get ultra-thin cake layers I'm going to use this method with only parchment paper and no pans:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfS4wsemx7I
>>7163767
>>7163736
What about the slicing method Chef John uses here (seek to 0:55) assuming you chilled the layers?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkzz9dW9Yms#t=0m&55s
>>7165124
Bread.
We don't really do sweets much in my family, though I may make a rice pudding.
>>7164340
Not gonna post the images here directly, but here's a pair of pics I found that do what I was trying to describe:
http://www.topseetulip.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Photo-May-08-5-07-20-PM.jpg
http://www.topseetulip.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Photo-May-08-5-11-21-PM.jpg
>>7163958
You have a lucky sister!
How'd it taste?
>>7165727
>"Why didn't I think of that..."
I've also been considering buying this which might also help OP:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UL6BEN0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl
>>7165716
Is that Smith Island cake?
>>7165124
I want to try baking Sachertorte.
I have only recently started baking and I've only tried kladdkaka, lemon cake, carrot cake and zebra cake.
>>7165810
I guess so. I've always known this type of dessert as just a simple 7-8 layer chocolate cake.
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014042-chocolate-little-layer-cake
Down here though we always made the icing using basically just cocoa powder and granulated sugar cooked down on the stove into almost a crunchy syrup which is pretty strong .
>>7165733
Way better than expected.
I don't bake that often but I enjoy making soda bread.
Does anybody here have any general tips on how to improving one's baking skills?
>>7163736
You should learn to bake a cake so that it is level, otherwise, they're useful if you're trying to make a lot of cakes or it's for something important.
Why am I so incompetent at making a proper sponge? At this rate I wont be able to make my black forest gateau for christmas
>>7166384
I've heard that a lot of bakers use these things baking strips to help level their cakes out:
https://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment_reviews/1278-cake-strips
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YHJJPQ
Or make their own (you can substitute damp paper towels for the newspaper or cheesecloth):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eU6UpHH3-s
>>7167028
what are you having problems with
I use unwaxed dental floss to cut my layers, like a wire cutter with clay.
>>7168479
can't get a good rise on the cake so it ends up dense, i'm being careful not to knock out a lot of air when folding in the dry ingredients and it looks fine in the pan before baking
>>7168660
Check that your baking powder/soda leavening agent is still good:
http://lifehacker.com/this-simple-test-tells-you-if-baking-soda-or-powder-is-1528175610
Your oven also may not be getting hot enough. Check it with an oven thermometer or probe to make sure.
>>7168758
Using self rising flour and oven temp is good.
>>7169184
How old is your self-rising flour? The leavening agent it contains may be expired.
Does your recipe specifically CALL for self-rising flour in lieu of all-purpose flour + baking soda/powder? If not swap recipes, or get the right kind.
Baking is mercilessly unforgiving when it comes to substitutes compared with cooking.
Also does your recipe give ingredients by volume or weight? Dry ingredient amounts by volume can screw you over if they are ambiguous about whether they are given before or after sifting, and packed or unpacked scoops.
A single cup of flour depending on the type (pastry, bread, AP, self-rising, etc), brand, humidity, age, etc. can range in weight from 4 to 6 oz. (a 50% variation).
http://m.joyofbaking.com/WeightvsVolumeMeasurement.html
http://www.recipesource.com/misc/hints/flour-weights01.html
This can screw with your liquid ratios making the batter too dry/gummy and dense.
Recipes by weight using a kitchen scale are superior.
>>7169273
Just bought it, calls for self rising flour, weight and i'm using a calibrated digital scale. Only thing i can think of at this point is i'm somehow not whipping the eggs to the right consistency
>>7165759
wouldn't you only need like one of those rings?
you could cut at the bottom and then slide that layer out or lift up the rest of the cake
>>7164340
>When making multiple cakes you can still have a domed top which messed your stacking.
Not him, but you can just slice the dome off with a large knife. It doesn't need to be perfect because you fill the gap between the two with buttercream anyway.
>>7163958
Nice job frosting but the cakes are uneven... Don't even get me started on the terrible lettering.
Nice for a newbie tho
>>7169281
I dunno then, do other recipes (say biscuits) you've used this flour/oven with give a good rise?
>>7169333
Yeah i've baked other things in it fine.
>>7169336
Hmm, swap the cake recipe then for another self-rising based one then I guess. I assume it was a popular/highly-rated one and the comments on it didn't have any problems like yours.
It was supposed to be a tallish cake right and you're not just suffering from unrealistic expectations?
>>7169352
just thought of something, would me greasing the sides cause this issue? I did it out of habit but it wasn't explicitly in the instructions.
>want to bake a cheesecake
>too afraid i'll fuck up
is it even possible to fuck up a cheesecake
>>7169622
cook in a water bath and its hard to fuck up
>>7169622
Also gonna make a cheesecake here. What recipe you using?
>>7163736
Pin an old damp rag around the cake pan and they come out pretty level.
>>7169803
I've heard about this before. How exactly is it supposed to work?
>>7169311
Letters were made by her. I agree. Annnnd I ran out of frosting kek
Thanks m8
>>7169844
I've no clue if it's legit science but the moisture is supposed to make the cake bake more evenly.
All I know is it works damn well every time so I keep doing it.
Chocolate cake with salted caramel frosting and ganache. Everything had coffee in it. I used food network's salted caramel mocha cupcake recipe.
>>7165716
or you could use panCAKES
huehuehue
>>7169763
Not the guy who you are replying to, but this is my recipe. I've used for ages, and it always comes out delicious.
Exucse the memey picture, but I made it when I was asked for it on /k/
>>7169610
Not that anon, but It could. The cake is unable to climb the sides and build off of the height as well. Definitely worth it to Try it out.
>>7169982
damn nigga, why everything has to has coffee?
>>7169995
Idk man, the recipe called for it. Tastes good though
>>7169991
Nice. I was thinking of doing more of a chocolate cake, but I'll keep this in mind when I look for ingredients.
But when you add the berries, do you go for a pattern or just fling them in at random?
>>7170036
I prepare them different ways, for different birthdays. If I'm going for rusting, I just throw them on. If friends are coming over, I might do concentric circles alternating blueberries and raspberries. Often, I just skip the berries.
>>7169982
Nice macro shot familia
>>7169844
Here's how the cake on the left is formed:
>sides of pan heat up quickly, and transfer heat to the sides of cake quickly
>sides of cake cook and adhere slightly to the pan
>can't rise as much as the rest of the cake
Assuming that the cake strip just slows the rate at which the sides of the pan heat up, so the cake touching the pan cooks at the same rate as the rest of the cake. This means it won't stick to the sides early, and can rise at the same rate.
>>7170107
Thank you! I like to turn my phone upside down when taking pictures of food
>>7169982
Looks great. Also nice picture quality.
>>7165124
This cake:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/brown-sugar-sweet-potato-cake/14343/
Plus some cinnamon stars and gingerbread.
What holiday baking are you niggers doing?
I'm going to be baking:
Red velvet cookies
Cranberry Biscotti
Pasta Frolla
Apple cake
>>7171037
Havent decided
>>7171037
Chocolate Cheesecake
Some type of cookie
Black Tea cakes/muffins
Basic stuff. I'm still trying to figure out what else to make.
Anyone one had any success using a cake stud finder? I need to hang some shelves on my cake.
>>7171037
>raspberry cookies
What kind of cookies?
>shortcrust
For a pie? Filled with what?
>>7171089
Oh my bad, Pasta Frolla jam cookie. My grandmother who taught me always just called them pasta frolla.
I dont know what you mean about rasberry cookies
>>7171037
A pie and cookies
>>7169622
Go for it. I've fucked up a lot of cakes. I just have a hard time with things that rise, although I am getting better. But I've never fucked up a cheesecake.
>tfw my mom got a full time job after I moved out and doesn't have time for baking christmas cookies anymore
Also, I want to start baking my own bread. What's the basic procedure for baking any kind of loaf? Any formulas for flour to water, stuff like that. I know there's some voodoo with letting it raise and kneading and shit, but I just want to know the basic theory behind it so I can experiment.
>cutting your cakes
ishiggydiggy. this will dry out your cake like a motherfucker. the most you should be doing is JUST slightly trimming the very top justs before icing for level and stability.
>>7171975
>i have no idea what i'm talking about, but let me offer my input anyway
That's nice, dear.
>>7171104
>>7171104
>raspberry cookies
Brainfart. I meant 'cranberry cookies,' sorry. What kind of cranberry cookies? In America, I had oatmeal cookies with cranberries and white chocolate before and those were great and some cranberry butter cookies or sugar cookies (what's the difference between a butter cookie and a sugar cookie, anyway?) that weren't.
