How to make cakes

Recipes & Cooking How to Cook How to Bake How to Make Cakes from Scratch No-Bake Cakes Whether you need a birthday cake or a fancy cake, follow our kitchen tips to get that delicious (and photo-perfect) cake every time. @@Light, fluffy and covered in cream - Whether it's a classic vanilla cake or something for a chocolate lover, this deliciously moist cake is a centerpiece for any special occasion. Many of our best cake recipes start the same way: Beat butter or shortening with sugar until fluffy. These cakes are sometimes called creamed cakes, because the fat and sugar are mixed together. Using tried-and-true Test Kitchen methods, we'll teach you how to make a homemade cake so delicious everyone will think you bought it from a fancy bakery. Although it takes some time, you're about to discover that none of these cake-making steps are actually that difficult. @@White Strawberry Frosted Cake on a Plate @BHG/Abby Littlejohn @How to Bake the Cake @First you have to choose a recipe. You can keep it simple with a yellow cake (pictured above), or you can opt for a fancier recipe, like a chocolate devil's food cake or a vibrant red velvet cake. If you're not a fan of traditional frosting, try German chocolate cake. We also have some Christmas cake recipes for festive occasions. The possibilities are nearly endless, and these directions will help you make them all, but angel food, pound cakes, sponge cakes, and chiffon cakes require different methods, so read each one individually. @Step 1: Prepare the baking trays @No one wants their cake to stick to the pan, so it is important to prepare the pan before pouring the batter. With the exception of angel food and chiffon cakes, most recipes call for greasing and flouring the pan or lining it with waxed paper or parchment paper. @@@As for choosing the right type of baking tray to use, our test kitchen favored shiny trays, which absorb less heat and produce a golden crust. Dark or pale pans absorb more heat and may burn the crust, so if you use one of these, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F and check the cake 3-5 minutes before the recipe suggests @ . @@Step 2: Allow ingredients to come to room temperature Many recipes call for cake ingredients, such as eggs and butter, to be kept at room temperature. This allows the butter to mix easily with the other ingredients and the eggs will produce a larger cake. (For food safety reasons, do not leave eggs at room temperature longer than the time specified in the recipe.) Test Kitchen Tip: Never use melted butter when softened butter is needed. It will ruin the texture of the cake. @@Step 3: Preheat the oven When a cake is baked too quickly, it can develop tunnels and cracks; Very slowly, and can be rough. Allow the oven to preheat for at least 10 minutes, and use an oven thermometer to make sure it reaches the correct temperature. If you are using dark cake pans, you will need to reduce the oven temperature called for in your recipe by 25°F. Step 4: Stir the dry ingredients together Dry ingredients usually include flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Instead of adding each dry ingredient individually to the mixture, whisk them together in a bowl beforehand. This way you will know that the ingredients will be evenly distributed throughout the mixture. @@Step 5: Combine the butter and sugar Wondering how to make a cake with a light and airy crumb? Creaming the butter and sugar is the most important step. Here's how: Using an electric mixer (Target) at medium to high speed, beat the butter for 30 seconds. Generally, a stand mixer requires a medium speed for this step, but a hand mixer requires a higher speed. Add the sugar (and vanilla if the recipe calls for it) and beat at medium speed until combined and light and fluffy. This will take 3 to 5 minutes. (Do not cut this.) Scrape the bowl occasionally while beating. Small bubbles will form when you mix the butter and sugar, which will give the cake a light and fluffy texture. Someone beats butter to make a Kritsada Panichgul cake @@@Step 6: Add the eggs one at a time @Add the eggs (or egg whites) one at a time, beating well after each egg. Its protein creates structure around air bubbles that maintain texture. @@@Test Kitchen Tip: Crack the eggs individually into a custard cup or small bowl first. This way, if you get bits of crust, you can easily scoop them out of the cup, instead of trying to scoop them out of the mixture. @@Step 7: Add the dry and wet ingredients alternately @@Adding some of the dry mixture and some of the milk (or whatever liquid specified in your recipe) to the butter, egg, and sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until everything is combined. It is combined. Start and end with the flour mixture. When the liquid mixes with the flour, gluten begins to form. Too much gluten makes the cake tough, so be sure to start and end with flour, and be careful not to overmix once you've added the liquid. @@Test Kitchen Tip: Be careful not to overmix at this stage or you may end up with long, irregular holes in the finished cake. @@@Step 8: Pour the mixture into the mold and bake, @dividing the dough equally between the baking trays. Use a flat spoon to spread the mixture into an even layer. Make sure to distribute it over the edge of the pan. Bake your cake according to your recipe directions. @@Strawberry cake mix in round cake pans  @BHG/Abby Littlejohn @21 essential baking tools every home cook needs. @@Step 9: Check the cake to make sure it is done. @Overbaked cake equals dry cake, and no one wants that. Start checking the cake for doneness after the minimum baking time specified in the recipe, but avoid opening the oven door before that time, so that the heat does not escape. For the cream cake, insert a wooden toothpick near the middle of the cake. If the pick comes out clean (with just a crumb or two), the cake is done. If there is any wet batter on it, bake the cake for a few more minutes and test it in a new spot with a new toothpick.