Smooth out the top of the cake with the back of your spatula. If you’re new to baking cakes, the process can seem a bit daunting. Since there’s chemistry involved, baking is less forgiving than cooking, and a single misstep can lead to a flat cake or off flavors. To ensure your end result is a top-notch cake, start by familiarizing yourself with the science behind cake ingredients.
Caramel Cake
Ms. Adams-Miller, who lives in Mill Basin and is from Trinidad & Tobago, learned to make the cake in 1985 from her father, a pastry chef. When she moved to Brooklyn, in 1993, “word got around that I made a good black cake, and I’ve been making them yearly ever since.” She charges $60 for a nine-inch cake. Dense with puréed fruits and rum, black cake is a must-have specialty for the Caribbean holiday season. Bake minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Read more about apple pecan cheesecake here.
A finishing sprinkle of flaky sea salt elevates it even further. There are few desserts more iconic than a flourless chocolate cake. The cake comes together in one bowl and bakes up in a little over an hour. The key is using high-quality bittersweet chocolate and coffee liqueur to enhance its chocolatey richness. This classic St. Louis confection doesn’t hold back when it comes to richness. Jocelyn Delk Adam’s recipe features a chewy blondie-like bottom that’s topped with a custardy cream cheese layer and the cake’s signatured dusting of powdered sugar. A professional baker’s secret to hacking boxed cake mix?
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
Serve the cake at room temperature, or chill it in the fridge before serving. Not only is it super tasty, but it’s easy to make and smells divine as it bakes. It’s sure to put you in a festive holiday state of mind! Brown sugar and molasses give this cake its signature brown color, and also add moisture and sweetness without making it overly sweet. Warming spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and cloves gives this dessert its deep, rich flavor.
German Chocolate Cake
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 to 30 minutes. Run a thin spatula around the pan edges to loosen the sides.
The recipe for black cake is so storied it has even inspired a best-selling novel that has been adapted into a series on Hulu. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean, minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.
If there is any wet batter on it, bake the cake for a few minutes more and test in a new spot with a new toothpick. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add milk mixture; beat on high until fluffy, minutes. Start the thin cake batter first, set it aside, and then beat the egg whites.
With the exception of angel food and chiffon cakes, most recipes call for greasing and flouring the pan or lining the pan with waxed or parchment paper. Each section you frost, you’ll use about half a cup of frosting. So that’s half a cup between layers, half a cup on top, at least half a cup for each crumb coat, and half a cup or more for the final layer. You can do the math for the number of layers in your cake, but a safe bet is 4 to 5 cups for a two-layer cake; 5 to 6 cups should be enough for a three-layer cake. A perfectly frosted cake, especially when we’re talking layer cake, is easiest to achieve when you’re working with a flat surface. Trim off any peaks or domes from the top of all cake layers using a long serrated knife.
The peanut butter fans in your life will appreciate the comforting nuttiness of this layered cake. Smooth peanut butter goes into both the batter and frosting along with a handful of roasted unsalted peanuts on top for crunch. Beneath this cake’s plain-looking exterior lies a rainbow heart, concealed as a sweet surprise that’s revealed only when it’s sliced. Perfect for special occasions or simply to spread a bit of joy, this cake adds an extra layer of sweetness to any celebration.