Baking FAQs
Buttercream
Cake
WORKING WITH FONDANT
- Crumbs and debris will stick to fondant. It's important to have a clean surface and try to avoid wearing fluffy clothes. A small ball of fondant rubbed all over your work surface is a great way to make sure it's clean.
- Hot hands and humidity can make fondant sticky. A light dusting of cornstarch will help prevent it sticking to your hands and work surface.
- Knead fondant gently before cutting out shapes.
- Fondant dries out quickly - keep any fondant you're not working with covered at all times. You can do this with a layer of plastic wrap laid over the fondant, or by keeping it in plastic bags while not using.
- For clean edges on your fondant cutouts, stamp the cutter down firmly against work surface and gently wiggle to cut through. Any frayed edges can be cleaned up with a light finger brushing.
- Pizza wheels make great cutters.
- Cakes decorated with fondant can be refrigerated, but if you live in a humid climate you might find condensation forms on the fondant, making it wet and sticky. To avoid this, refrigerate your cake and apply the fondant decorations after you take it out of the fridge before serving.
BUTTERCREAM
I live in a hot place, how can I ensure my buttercream won’t melt?
Butter has a low melting point, around 90°F. If you live in a hot climate, we recommend keeping your cake refrigerated or at a cool (air-conditioned) room temperature until ready to serve. If you’re still concerned, you can use half butter, half shortening (or non hydrogenated palm shortening) when making buttercream.
Why is my buttercream slightly yellow?
If you use really yellow butter, then it’s possible that your buttercream will have a slightly yellow hue. If you want to avoid this, choose a pale colored sweet-cream butter.
How far ahead can I make my buttercream?
Because buttercream has such a high percentage of sugar, it’s safe to leave at room temperature for two to three days. That said, buttercream can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and frozen up to three months.
What kind of butter should I use?
Your buttercream will taste best if you use a good quality butter. We recommend unsalted, so you can control the flavor. If you want, you can add a pinch of fine sea salt while paddling the butter and frosting mix together.
Quick Tips
- Use room temperature cream (or milk), or buttercream may look curdled.
- Beating the buttercream may add air pockets, you can use a silicone spatula to stir the buttercream and make it smoother.
- Buttercream will form a crust when exposed to air. Keep it covered while you’re not using it. If you plan to add sprinkles, apply them right after you frost the cake, before the buttercream sets. Fondant can be stuck by lightly brushing fondant the back of the cut outs with water.
- If you choose to use an additional filling (like jam, nutella, or curds), pipe a line of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer. Then spread the filling of your choice in the center; this will prevent the filling from leaking out.
CAKE
Do you really bake your cakes at 300°F?
We sure do. In the hundreds of hours we spent testing we found that this was the best way to avoid doming in the cakes. What’s wrong with a dome, we hear you ask? Well, a dome means one more step, cutting the cakes flat and more crumbs. We want to make this process as easy as possible - because we’re all about creating positive experiences, not frustrating ones.
My cakes came out slightly wonky what happened?
Baking disposable cake pans directly on the oven racks can cause pans to warp slightly, if the spaces between the rack support bars are large. To avoid this, we recommend baking on baking sheets. If you don’t have baking sheets, make sure that cakes are sitting evenly on racks and not in the middle of the central support bar.
My cakes came out slightly wonky, how can I fix it?
Whilst you can’t fix the cake shape, you can fill in any gaps using buttercream when you frost the cake. If all the layers are misshapen, you can trim with a large serrated knife once the layers are put together.
My cakes domed in the middle
Our cakes are designed to bake evenly. That said, oven temperatures can be variable. If your oven runs hot or has known hot-spots it’s best to adjust the temperature and positioning of the cakes to accommodate. If you’re uncertain about your oven’s calibration, we highly recommend using an oven thermometer.
Doming can also be caused by using larger eggs or mis-measuring the pantry ingredients. An easy remedy is to trim the top flat using a large serrated knife.
I can’t fit all the cake pans in my oven, what should I do?
If you can’t fit all three cakes in the oven at one time, bake them in batches, starting with two in the oven at the same time. The batter can sit at room temperature until the first two cakes are finish baking. We do not recommend refrigerating or letting the batter sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
How do I store the baked cakes if I’m not using them right away?
Whilst our cakes are made to stay lovely and moist they will dry out if left uncovered once cooled. Once completely cool, baked cakes should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight bag and left at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If they need to be stored for longer, wrap well in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil and freeze in an air-tight bag.
Can I make my cakes ahead and freeze them?
You betcha! Once the baked cake layers are completely cool, wrap well in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil and freeze in an air-tight bag.