Suppose you are having a party of twelve people, yet you have an eight inch pan? What happens? How will you feed all of them? Well first off, there’s the concern of satisfying their stomachs. But also there’s the presentation: what does it look like to slice up the cake for all these guests?
The table above shows the number of servings provided in common two layer cakes. For most, the party cut is two inches long and one inch thick. Such a slice seems large enough for birthdays, yet small enough that an eight inch round cake produce twenty slices. Why does it matter? It serves as a good amount for both small parties and formal dinners. There isn’t a need for two different cakes; this serves as a good compromise between the two.
How to Make a Great Two Layer Cake
When selecting your cake style, remember that slice size depend on personal preference. If you’re attending an event, consider if there will be other courses served. For example, at a wedding, you’ll see slices around an inch by one and a half inches. While that may sound stingy, keep in mind that these events typically involve several courses (salad, potatoes, steak) so people won’t require a massive portion of cake. However, at a kid’s birthday party or casual Sunday brunch, you’ll want to opt for a bigger slice; think two inches by one and a half inches. This style is known as a dessert cut. Since cake is the highlight of these events, it makes sense that you’d want a larger piece.
Deciding on a cut style before mixing your batter ensures that you don’t run out of cake or end up with leftovers. Building the cake itself is engineered. There’s some serious attention paid to details in this stage of the process. The infographic explains it as a 4 step process of stacking that sounds easy, but can easily be rushed. If you stack your cake while it is still warm, your frosting on the top layer will melt and you will create a mess. Mess that slides right off the platter. Cool. Leveling the cake (with a serrated knife) removes the dome, and makes sure the next layer rest nice and level. This prevents tilting, which is the bane of every home baker. Then spread your filling smoothly with an offset spatula and apply a thin coat of frosting (aka the crumb coat). This first coating catches any stray crumbs, making your final layer of frosting look like a pro job. Feels like more work? It does, but it also doesn’t look homemade.
The other thing folks don’t think about is batter volume. One box mix won’t divide evenly between two differently sized pans. For example: Two cups per layer of batter is all that’s needed if you’re baking in a six inch round pan; however, six cups each are necessary if you’re working with a ten inch pan. You need three times the batter. So when doubling a recipe to fill both pans of a larger cake be certain to use a large enough bowl on your mixer for all the batter. If the bowl is too small, the batter won’t mix well (which affects how it rises) and it will splatter everywhere. Measuring your batter is also key because this way it will bake at the same rate, so you have even layers for stacking up. Using measuring cups or even better, weighing, works best here.
The same goes for the amount of frosting: The bigger the cake, the more frosting you need. Two and a half cups will just barely be enough to fill and frost a small six inch cake. Nearly triple that at almost seven cups, and you’d better not run out mid-frosting… Disaster! Plan accordingly, do some math, and calculate how much space you’re trying to cover so you don’t have to scramble around in a panic.
Keep in mind that any sort of rich filling, such as lemon curd or chocolate ganache, will weigh down the cake. This means it needs a strong foundation. A crumb coat) and may even need doweling when stacked into multiple layers. Typically one cake will stand up well on its own; however, balance is most important. You don’t want a cake that is too heavy and difficult to cut, but you want it to be enough that the shape holds together.
When serving time arrives, use a warm knife. To glide through buttercream, dip your knife into hot water and dry between each cut. This prevents squishing and dragging throughout the entire cake, and it helps keep the look clean from beginning to end. You could also gently prick toothpick marks on the top of the cake where you want to section off slices, then cut straight down. This allows for even slices without any uneven pieces. To further preserve freshness, if there are leftovers, press plastic wrap right onto the exposed cut surface to seal in moisture. This is just a little thing that makes the cake last an extra day instead of just hours.
Making a two layer cake takes some creative flair when it comes to flavor, but also requires careful attention to prep work. Respect the cooling time, trust the measurements, and cut away with confidence. Before anyone even takes their first bite, your guests will know the difference.