If you’ve ever wondered how to bake flat cake layers for a bakery-style layered cake, I have the solution! Cake strips help prevent cakes with overly brown edges and domed middles. They simply insulate the edges of the metal cake pan so the exterior and interior of the cake bake at the same speed.
Flat cake layers are a must for stacking, as domed cakes are less stable when layered or can lead to a lopsided layer cake. While you can simply trim off the dome with a serrated knife, why waste any cake?! Baking strips will ensure your cakes have a lovely flat top every time. Plus there are so many other advantages to using them. I will break down all of that below, so you know when and how to use them! For more tricks to baking the perfect cake, learn how to soften butter quickly, turn hard brown sugar into soft brown sugar, and make a quick cake flour substitute if you run out!
Why Do Cakes Dome?
Cakes dome because the outer edges bake and set faster than the middle, which causes the middle to rise higher than the edges of the cake. I work hard to develop cake recipes that will rise as evenly as possible on their own, but this can naturally happen when an oven cycles in temperature during baking or bakes at a higher temperature. Luckily, there’s an easy solution to this!
The Simple Trick To Baking Flat Cake Layers
The easiest way to ensure your layers bake up perfectly flat every time is to use baking strips! While a domed middle may not be a big deal for a single-layer cake, flat layers are absolutely essential for properly assembling and decorating a cake with multiple layers. Flat layers affect both the appearance and stability of a multi-layer cake.
Below, you can see a cake layer baked with baking strips baked up taller with an even thickness and flat top. The layer baked without baking strips domed and didn’t rise quite as much.
What Are Baking Strips?
Baking strips are simply fabric strips soaked in water. These strips help even out the baking pace by insulating and cooling the sides of the pan so that the cake rises more evenly, instead of the center rising higher than the outside edges. You can also make your own DIY baking strips (I show you how below!).
In the image below, you can see a distinct difference in how the oven heat affects cake layers. Baking my Naked Cake layers without baking strips produced a cake with dark, crusty edges and a lip around the top. They also did not rise as much and the center domed. This can actually work to your advantage with certain cakes like a Victoria sponge, where classically, you want a domed cake with golden edges. But for my Naked Cake, I want even layers for stacking, and a lighter, softer edge on the cakes for a tender and fluffy slice, so I use baking strips.
How to Bake With Fabric Baking Strips
1. Place the fabric baking strips in a large bowl and cover with cold water.
2. Let the strips soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze each strip to remove the excess water.
4. Wrap the soaked cake strip around the outside of the cake pans and adjust to tighten them around the pans before filling the pans with batter.
How To Make Your Own Cake Strips
1. Tear off a length of paper towels that’s enough to wrap the outer circumference of the cake pan. Fold the paper towels lengthwise until you have a 2-inch-wide strip. Cut a piece of aluminum foil to be roughly 6 inches longer than the paper towel strips. (For 8-inch cake pans, the foil will be about 30 inches long.) Cut the foil in half lengthwise to create two long pieces. (You only need one strip for each cake pan so reserve the second piece.)
2. Moisten the paper towel strips with water, then gently squeeze out most of the excess water.
3. Lay the wet paper towel strip in the center of the foil, and fold the foil over it from both sides to seal the paper towel inside. You should have a long 2-inch-wide strip of foil with the damp paper towels running through the center.
4. Wrap the foil baking strip around the cake pan, keeping it flat up against the sides. Fold the ends over themselves to close together so the strip is secured.
Use Baking Strips For Any Kind Of Cake
This technique is great for any kind of layer cake recipe (unless specified!). It’s most important for tall layer cakes like my red velvet cake, 6-layer rainbow cake, and German chocolate cake. Even two layer cakes like my vanilla cake, white cake, lemon cake, and strawberry cake benefit.
Baking strips also make a big difference in stir-together or runnier batters like chocolate cake and carrot cake! Runnier batters tend to develop a crispy edge more so than thicker, beaten cake batter and the strips guard against that.
What If My Cake Layers Dome?
A simple fix is to just carefully trim off the dome with a serrated knife so the top becomes flat. You can snack on the trimmed bit or discard it.
Where Can I Buy Baking Strips?
Baking strips are easy to find online, at baking supply stores, or at craft supply stores that have a baking section. I use Wilton’s Bake Even Strip Set.
If you’ve tried this post on how to bake flat cake layers, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Danielle W says
I will definitely be going out to buy baking belts as a must have item! I have recently been starting to get more into baking and learning how to make buttercream light and fluffy which currently is a disaster and never holds a flower shape using a Russian piping nozzle kit. I will be trying out this recipe soon. Is all purpose flour plain flour? Could I use self-raising flour? How much batter goes into each of the baking tin? How much batter would I need if I am using 8inch baking tins?
Hope you can help?
Many thanks.
John K. says
Danielle,
All purpose flour is the same as plain flour! I wouldn’t use self-raising flour in the plain vanilla cake though! Use a kitchen scale to even out your batter and double the recipe for 8-inch cake pans!
John
Rodella says
Wow! This is amazing!!!! It’s currently midnight out here and I was just itching to run and get some cake strips!! Thank you for so much for sharing this wonderful baking tip!!
John K. says
So happy I could help!
John
Hend says
Can you make red velvet cake pleas and thank you for the lovely things
John K. says
Hend,
It’s on my list of cakes to bake this month! Thank you! <3
John
Pamela Williams says
Loved the video! I’m a big fan now and can’t wait to check out new videos with my subscription. In your vanilla cake recipe, how many eggs are substituted for the egg whites?
John K. says
Pamela,
Use 3 egg whites in this recipe! Hope you love it!
John
Ron says
Hi, love the video! Just followed your link to Amazon for some cake strips (you should set up a deal with Amazon to get a cut of these sales!!) What I was writing about was that I followed the link at the end of your Youtube video here hoping that the recipe you used in the video would be here. Any chance that could be added here? Again thank, great job!
John K. says
Ron,
The recipe is my basic vanilla cake that I always use! I added a link to my peony cake which is the basic vanilla at the end of the blog post. Check it out! You’re gonna love it!
John
MK says
Maybe not the right spot to post this question, but how do you get your cakes to not be too crumb-y? When I try the naked cake look, it is a disaster!!
John K. says
MK,
If it’s a soft crumb (which is good!), refrigerate the cake to chill the layers before assembly! It’ll be more sturdy!
John
Susie says
I just recently got into baking and am loving all your posts ?
John K. says
Susie,
Thanks! What have you made?
John
Abir days says
wow think you so much. I will use youre lovely tips ❤
John K. says
Abir,
You’re very welcome! Hope you enjoy!
John
Ashley Richardson says
Love this video! Very helpful and informative. What brand do you use for your pans? Any specific ones you love to use? Thanks!
John K. says
Ashley,
Thanks a bunch! I’m glad you liked the video! I love Fat Daddios 6-inch cake pans!
John
Anne says
Thanks for all the videos! Love them! I was so inspired by your videos that I went out to buy some Fat Daddios 6″ cake pans. I found them for $4 each at a restaurant supply store in Orange County, CA called Chef Toys.
When you convert the 8″ cake recipes to the 6″ one, do you use 3 or 4 of the 6″ pans? Just curious. I ended up buying 4 pans… just in case!
Keep up the good work!
John K. says
Hello Anne,
How perfect! It is so nice when you find what you’re looking for at such a good price! 🙂
What cake are you wanting to make? If there are three 8″ cake layers, then you can make four 6″ layers. If you don’t want your cake that tall, you can make three layers and have some extra batter for cupcakes!
I hope this helps!
Best,
John
Laura says
Your cakes are gorgeous! I’ve just bought a set of cake strips to try this out. Cookies and cream cake is on my list. I’d like to ask, where did you get the nifty little red and white swivel gadget that your cake stand rests on while you frost it? Specific brand? Also, do you use a frosting tip when adding the frosting or do you just snip the end of a piping bag (for basic frosting)? Thanks for your help!
John K. says
Laura,
Thank you very much! My turntable brand is Fat Daddio! The wooden cake stand was a gift, but I bet you could find a similar one on etsy! When I pipe dollops, it depends on the cake and which tip works with the final design! I like using open star tips! Hope that helps!
John