Essential Layer Cake Technique
A reliable cake is a matter of sequence and temperature. If you master the aeration of the butter, the rest of the bake follows naturally.
Temperature is your primary ingredient
Ingredients must be at true room temperature; cold butter won't trap air, and cold eggs will curdle the batter. Measure your flour by weight if possible to avoid the density of packed cups.
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- two 8-inch round cake pans
- parchment paper
- rubber spatula
- wire cooling rack
What goes in.
- 225gunsalted butter, softened
- 400ggranulated sugar
- 4large eggs
- 350gall-purpose flour
- 1 tbspbaking powder
- 240mlwhole milk, room temperature
- 1 tspvanilla extract
Trapping the air
Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for at least five minutes. You are looking for the mixture to turn from yellow to a near-white, fluffy consistency.
The method.
Prepare the pans
Grease the pans thoroughly and line the bottoms with parchment circles. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
Cream the base
Beat butter and sugar until light and airy. Scrape the sides of the bowl twice during this process.
Emulsify the eggs
Add eggs one at a time. Beat for thirty seconds after each addition. If the batter looks curdled, stop and add a tablespoon of your flour.
Combine
Add one-third of the dry ingredients, followed by half the milk. Repeat until incorporated. Stop the mixer immediately when the last streak of flour disappears.
Bake
Divide batter evenly. Bake at 350°F (175°C) until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, usually 30 to 35 minutes.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Rub the zest of two lemons into the sugar before creaming to release the essential oils.
High-Altitude
Increase oven temperature by 15°F and reduce baking powder by 25% to prevent the cake from rising too quickly and collapsing.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never open the oven door before the 25-minute mark to avoid a center collapse.
Cool the cakes in the pans for exactly 10 minutes before inverting onto a rack; any longer and they may stick.
If your cake domes significantly, level the top with a serrated knife once fully cooled.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Usually, this means the oven temperature was too low, the cake was under-baked, or the oven door was opened too early.
Can I use margarine?
Margarine has a higher water content and lower melting point than butter, which leads to a greasy texture. Stick to high-fat European-style butter.
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