An argument to make your own cakes!
You can save a ton of money making it yourself and still have a great tasting cake with whatever ‘theme’ you like. My husband always says that his grandma told him, “if you can read, you can cook,” because if you can read, you can follow a recipe. Well same goes for baking. Also, it doesn’t need to be from scratch. There are tons of delicious and affordable box mixes that you can buy.
The box mixes are a great route to go if you don’t already have a tried and true recipe that you want to make or if you’re not an experienced baker. I have made lots of different store bought mixes and let me tell you, they are easy and truly yummy. Every.Time. If you’re skeptical, read on and I will break down in detail for you below.
First, you’ll need to make sure you have the following:
- box mix or all ingredients for recipe if from scratch
- cake pan(s)
- spatula(s)
- non-stick spray
- additional ingredients mix calls for: ie. eggs, water, cooking oil
- measuring cup and spoon (if you don’t have what you need for your mix you may just have to do a little math but you can look that up online too if needed)
- oven
- timer
- clean butter knife or toothpick to check center
- wire cooling rack
Planning ahead and allowing yourself plenty of time, plus a buffer, to make sure you you have what you need and plenty of time execute your vision. You need to give yourself longer than than you think it should take, allowing for delays and any mishaps, to make your vision come to life. I personally prefer to be ready to bake the night before I need the cake done. Then, depending how much decorating will be involved, I may ice the same night and finish decorating in the morning. Or, I may wait to ice and decorate all in one sitting the next morning. That way I don’t have to try and keep covered and fresh as long.
- Follow the directions in your recipe or on your box mix.
- Preheat your oven.
- Mix all your ingredients.
- Spray your cake pan(s).
- Pour the cake batter into the pan(s), careful not to fill more than halfway (remember, it will rise.)
- Put your cake pan(s) into the oven heated to the appropriate temperature.
- Set you timer. Set it for the early end of any recommended baking times. This way you’ll be able to check on it and ensure you don’t burn anything. Also take into account if you have multiple pans going in at once. They will likely bake slower than a recommended time for one pan.
- When the timer goes off, remove from oven using oven mits and place on top of stove.
- Check the center of your cake(s) by inserting a clean knife or toothpick vertically into the center of your cake(s).
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- If your knife/toothpick comes out clean, your cake has baked all the way through and is done. Proceed to next step.
- If it comes out with some batter on it then you need to put your cake back in the oven and bake a little longer. I recommend setting the timer for an additional minute, removing and testing the middle again.
- Repeat as needed. If you’re unfamiliar with bake times for the cake you’re making it is always better to underestimate and put back in rather than let it go and end up with an overcooked, dry or burnt cake.
Once you have determined that your cake is done, place the cake (still in the pan) on a wire cooling rack. See your recipe/box for advised cooling time before removing from pan onto cooling rack. This does matter! You don’t want to try and remove your cake too soon as it could cause the cake to crumble or break apart.
Do not attempt to ice or decorate your cake until it is completely cooled!
A great trick that you’ll see on all the baking competition shows is to put your cake pans in the freezer to help speed up cooling.
Once you’re all cooled, it’s time to decorate! See post on decorating your own cake…
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