CAKE BASICS

THE RECIPES IN THIS BOOK WILL teach you how to make a variety of classic American layer cakes. There are some rules to bear in mind as you work through the recipes. Follow this checklist for success every time.

CHECK YOUR OVEN TEMPERATURE WITH AN OVEN THERMOMETER. If your oven is too hot, the sides of the cake will set before the middle does, and the cake will hump or crack. If your oven is too cold, the air will escape from the batter before the batter begins to set, and the cake will have a coarse texture and may even fall.

USE ROUND CAKE PANS THAT MEASURE EITHER EIGHT OR NINE INCHES ACROSS. Some recipes call for eight-inch cake pans, others for nine-inch pans. Use the correct size. If the pans are too large, they overheat the rim of the cake, causing the same sorts of problems as an overheated oven. If the pans are too small, batter may rise right out of them. Choose sturdy aluminum pans with absolutely vertical sides. Do not use disposable foil pans.

GENEROUSLY GREASE THE PANS WITH SHORTENING—NOT BUTTER—AND COAT THEM WELL WITH FLOUR. Butter contains water, which when it evaporates may leave greaseless gaps to which cake batter can stick. Solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, is 100 percent fat and won't leave gaps. The flour holds the shortening in place and keeps the batter from seeping through to the pan bottom. We find that shiny cake pans are almost nonstick, so there is no need for parchment paper liners. If you are using an older pan with a dull finish, as an extra precaution you may want to grease the pan, line the bottom with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, grease the paper, and then flour the pan and paper.

HAVE ALL INGREDIENTS, ESPECIALLY BUTTER, EGGS, AND MILK, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Chilled ingredients do not emulsify well, which leads to a dense cake, and cold butter won't even mix into a batter. Very warm ingredients may cause air cells in creamed butter to dissolve. All ingredients should register between 65 and 70 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Let butter soften on the counter for about an hour before creaming. The sticks should give when pressed, but still hold their shape with no signs of melting.

MEASURE FLOUR CAREFULLY BY THE DIP-AND-SWEEP METHOD. Dip the measuring cup into the container of flour, scoop out a heaping cupful, and then level the top with the straight edge on a butter knife or icing spatula. Do not shake, tap, or pack the cup. If the cup is not completely filled on the first try, dump the flour back into the container and dip again. For guaranteed accuracy, measure the flour by weight following the dip-and-sweep. For our recipes, measure the flour before sifting. This is essential because sifted flour weighs far less than unsifted. Use a cake sifter to remove any lumps from flour (or confectioners' sugar) and aerate dry ingredients.

USE FRESH BAKING POWDER. As soon as a can of baking powder is opened, the acid and alkali components start to react. Within a few months, baking powder will lose some strength. When opening a can, write the date on the bottom and discard the baking powder after three months.

DIVIDE BATTER EVENLY BETWEEN PANS. Cake layers of different heights can pose a problem when it comes time to frost and decorate. Use a scale to make sure that equal amouints of batter go into each pan (see figure 1).