Page 27 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

C H O C O L A T E C A K E M I X 1 0 1 9

when darkened and crusty on top. Take on the top of the cake as it cools and the
care not to underbake an angel food cake cake sticking to the rack. Invert cakes
or it will fall while it cools. Cheesecakes baked in tube pans again, too, for they are
look glossy in the center when they have served large side up, or the way they
cooked through, and they will still be a lit- baked in the oven.
tle jiggly when you gently shake the pan;
the center will firm up as the cake cools. 7. FROST THE CAKE
• To level or not to level: Don’t!
6. OUT OF THE OVEN When I see a leveled cake, I think it came
• Cool the cake: Carefully place the from a bakery. It appears dry and hard to
cake pan on a wire rack or the stovetop me and doesn’t evoke any of those warm
grate to cool. Allow 10 minutes for cake and comforting feelings you get when you
layers, 20 minutes for tubes, Bundts, and see a slightly domed cake, what I call the
sheet cakes. Angels and chiffons cool for a grandmother look. Plus, if you slice the top
full hour, upside down over a bottle or off the cake to level it, you will be spread-
resting on the feet built into the pan. ing the frosting on cake crumbs, and this
Always allow a cake to cool before you try is very difficult unless you freeze the cake
to move it or frost it; otherwise, it might layer first. I understand that some bakers
tear. insist on leveled cakes because they are
• Loosen the cake: Before you easier to transport and display. If the cake
invert the cake to remove it from the pan, does dome and you really want it to be flat,
run a sharp knife around the edges to while it is cooling in the pan, place a clean
loosen them. Then give the pan—layer, kitchen towel over the layer and press
Bundt, tube, or sheet—a good shake. down firmly with your hand to flatten the
Rotate it a quarter turn and give it cake in the center.
another shake. Continue to do this until • Icings: In this book I make a dis-
you can see that the cake has left the pan tinction between fluffy uncooked frostings
sides all the way around. and what I like to call cooked icings. The
• Turn the cake out of the pan: icings need to go on warm; they set up
Place the rack or serving platter upside hard as they cool on the cake. Mix and
down on top of the cake pan, and then match them, or use my suggestions for
invert the two together. Layer cakes need which icings go with which cakes. Cakes
to be inverted again so they are top side with icings are easily stored at room tem-
up. This will prevent lines from forming perature, and they tote well in warm