Learn how to bake a cake from scratch or dress up a box cake, with the best tips on how to make your homemade cake taste amazing each and every time!
Today I’m sharing my simple tips and tricks for baking a simple cake. There’s no need to stress over your baking! It’s easy to learn how to bake a cake that is moist, light, and fluffy every single time.
If you follow the tips and tricks to baking a cake below, it will set you up for success every time. Learn how to master baking a cake the right way!
Whether you want to learn how to bake a cake from scratch or dress up a box cake, I’m sharing the best tips on how to make your homemade cake taste like a bakery style cake!
Let’s go through the process on how to bake a cake the right way, for the perfect results easily!
My Favorite Cake Recipes
Tips on How To Bake A Cake
Line Your Pan
One mistake I see time and time again is not lining your pan. If you want that clean removal, use parchment or even waxed paper to line the bottom of your pan. I generally trace the size with a pen and cut to fit.
Coat the sides and bottom of your pan with butter and then follow but a sprinkle of flour. Make sure to rotate the pan to get all the sides coated, and tap out any excess flour.
If you are planning on making a chocolate cake, replace the white flour with cocoa for dusting the sides!
Measuring Ingredients
Proper measuring ingredients is a MUST! I have a post on measuring conversions that will help you with all of your measuring needs.
If you need to know How Many Cups in a Quart, Pint or Gallon or other kitchen measuring conversions, I have you covered with this post!
If you measure your ingredients properly you will have a light and moist cake.
If you don’t measure your ingredients properly your cake can end up flat, dense or dry, so measuring is key to the best homemade cake!
- Use a measuring cup with a spout for wet ingredients
- Flat rim measuring cups for dry ingredients
- Measuring spoons for dry or liquid
Another thing to note is if a recipe calls for a large egg, be aware of that. Using an extra large egg or a small egg will adjust the recipe some. Baking requires you to be more precise, hence how important it is to measure properly.
Cream Butter And Sugar
For a really light and fluffy cake, it is important to cream your butter and sugar well. Soften your butter on the counter for at least 30 minutes before adding it to your sugar. Then, cream butter and sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer until well blended. Use a paddle or blades in your mixer.
Creaming your butter and sugar together is important because it will incorporate air into your mix and lighten up your homemade cake. You generally want to cream these together for around 3-5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Room temperature ingredients are key to a light and fluffy cake. If your temperatures are off they can affect the texture of your cake in the end. So if you are needing softened butter, do not melt it to liquid in the microwave.
Allow your butter to soften on the counter. Also, allow your eggs to come to room temperature on the counter. Cold eggs in a batter can truly affect in an off texture of your cake.
Don’t Overmix
When you overmix any recipe, it can leave your baked goods dry, dense and tough. A lot of recipes say to fold in the dry ingredients to the wet.
I like to use a silicone spatula to gently fold in my ingredients and it works great at pulling any stuck on ingredients off the side of the bowl. This will also help keep your mix light and airy and not weigh it down.
How To Know When A Cake Is Done
You follow the directions, create a masterpiece, and now you are left wondering how do I know when my cake is done. Here are tips to follow to ensure your cake is done and cooked through.
Always check your cake before the time says on the recipe. Every oven bakes differently and if you rely on the clock, you could end up with a dry over-baked cake.
- A cake is done when the sides of the cake will begin to pull away slightly from the pan.
- Stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean or with dry crumbs, it is done. If your toothpick has a liquid batter, it needs a few minutes more.
- Make sure to check every few minutes once it gets close because a cake can go from undercooked to overbaked fast.
Do I Need To Cool A Cake
I generally leave my cakes in the pan for around 10 minutes or so before I remove them from the pan. Cakes will cool a lot faster and won’t get as soggy when you set them on a wire rack.
Once my cake is removed from the pan I set on my baking rack and allow it to cool completely before I frost it. If you are cooking angel food cake or a sponge cake, keep it in the pan until completely cool or it could collapse.
Hopefully, these tips and tricks can help you master baking a cake successfully each and every time!
My top tip for finishing off your cake once it cools is to make your own buttercream frosting! It really makes all the difference!
Have tips of your own? Share them in the comments below!
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