Over the years, I’ve come to depend on two different approaches to filling and stacking cakes, since in my opinion, there are two different types of cake fillings. There are stable fillings like buttercream and then there are less-stable fillings like soft consistency chocolate ganache, salted caramel, jam, lemon curd, etc. Whatever you’re using to fill your cakes these days, I’m about to show you my way of filling and stacking layer cakes. Here’s a quick video to show you the methods I’ve come to love before you read all the details below:

Before we move on to details, if you’re wanting to see more Cake Basics videos like this one, you should definitely check out my YouTube Channel and watch more of this series! You’ll even find cake recipes and decorating tutorials there to help broaden your skill set and inspire you. Be sure to hit the Subscribe button so you never miss a new video!  

Before You Start Filling & Stacking

No matter what kind of filling I’m using, I always start by placing a cardboard cake circle that’s the same diameter as my cake layers onto the turntable. Then, place a small dab of buttercream onto the cake circle before adding the first cake layer on top. The little swipe of buttercream acts as “glue” to keep the bottom layer in place.

Using this cardboard cake circle method not only keeps your bottom layer in place, it makes your cake easier to work with overall and easier to transport from the turntable to a cake stand or box once it’s finished. 

After you’ve got your bottom layer secured to the cake circle, follow either of the methods below depending on the type of filling you’re using. 

Filling Cakes with Buttercream 

Filling a cake with buttercream is super straightforward as long as you’re working with the right consistency of buttercream. My vanilla buttercream recipe is the perfect consistency for filling and frosting cakes as-is, but if you find that your buttercream collapses underneath the weight of the above cake layer and starts oozing out of the sides, it will need to be made thicker. That could mean adding extra powdered sugar to your buttercream or cooling it in the refrigerator before whipping it back up, depending on the type of buttercream you’re using.

To fill a cake with buttercream, simply add a few spatula scoops full onto your cake layer and smooth it down with an angled spatula until it’s about ½ inch thick (or however thick you prefer your filling to be). 

It’s super important to make sure your buttercream filling is as level as possible, so be sure to get down to eye level and check to see that it’s nice and even before adding your next cake layer. 

Filling Cakes with Soft Fillings (Ganache, Caramel, Jam, etc)

If you’re using a softer filling, like chocolate ganache, lemon curd, salted caramel, or really anything that could easily ooze out under the weight of a cake layer, I recommend creating a buttercream dam around the edge of your cake layer before adding your filling to the center.

To create the dam, you’ll want to use a medium or stiff consistency buttercream (these notes after my vanilla buttercream recipe detail how to create those consistencies). Add the buttercream into a piping bag and snip off about ½ inch opening, then pipe a dam around the cake layer that’s about ¼ inch from the edge of the cake. 

Fill in the center of the dam with your filling. This method basically gives your filling a nice bumper to hold up the weight of the cake layer, keeping your softer filling nice and secure inside. 

Smooth down your filling until it’s level with the top of the dam, then place your next cake layer on top. 

Stacking Cake Layers

After placing your cardboard cake circle down and filling the bottom layer of your cake using either of the above methods, place your next layer of cake right side up on top. Be sure to get down to eye level to make sure it’s centered with the bottom layer. 

Then, repeat the process of adding and smoothing the filling before placing the next layer on top. 

When adding your top layer, flip it upside down (so that the bottom of the cake layer is the top).

By adding it cut-side down, it greatly reduces the amount of loose crumbs that end up in your crumb coat and final cake finish. 

Creating Structure for Tall Cakes

My go-to cake height is 3 layers, typically 6-inches in diameter. Between the filling and frosting, my cakes end up being between 5 and 6 inches tall. The higher you fill and stack your cakes, the less sturdy they will become due to the weight of the above layers and the nature of gravity. If you want to make an extra tall cake, you’ll want to use the barrel method to add extra structure. This involves adding supports via dowels/boba straws and extra cardboard cake circles to even out the weight of the cake. While I don’t yet have my own tutorial on this method, this is the method I’ve used with success and point readers to all the time. 

Want more Cake Basics? Head here to see all of the posts and learn the methods of caking I’ve come to love over the years. I’m cheering you on every step of the way!

The post How to Fill and Stack Cake Layers appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

As promised with this Cake Basics series, here’s a video to show you everything I cover in this blog post, from the three main methods of preparing cake pans to releasing your baked cakes from those cake pans.

I’ll be releasing more Cake Basics videos like this one on my YouTube channel in the coming weeks, so be sure to subscribe! That way you’ll never miss a new one. I’ve also got tons of cake decorating tutorials and recipe videos over there, so there’s a little something for everyone regardless of skill level. 

3 Ways to Prepare Cake Pans 

The way I see it, there are three main methods of preparing cake pans. The first one is my preferred method, but I’ll show you how to do the other two as well because it’s important that you find what works best for you. 

Method 1: Grease the Sides + Line the Bottom

This is my go-to method because I never want to be left guessing whether or not I missed a spot on the bottom of the pan and risk the cake sticking. Having a liner there is ultra reassuring! I simply spray the sides of the pan with cooking spray (I love Baker’s Joy for this) and fit a parchment or wax paper circle to the bottom of the pan. As an alternative to a spray, you could also use vegetable oil or butter to grease the sides. 

For making the perfect-sized liners for the bottom of your pan, simply place the empty pan on top of a sheet of parchment or wax paper, trace around it, and cut out the circle. Repeat for however many layers you’re making, and once the sides of the pan are greased you can just place the liner right in before adding batter over the top. 

A note on using wax paper: This is the brand I use because it states clearly on the box that you can use it as a pan liner. Although you may think that wax would melt under a cake baking in the oven, I’ve come to learn that it’s only a problem if you have it exposed in the oven (aka baking cookies on a sheet of wax paper).  

Method 2: Grease + Flour

A lot of cake recipes will ask you to grease and flour the pan, and it simply means you grease the entire pan and add about a Tbsp of flour into it afterwards. Shake that flour around until it coats the sides and bottom of the pan. 

For the grease part of this method, you can use vegetable oil or butter and spread it evenly with a paper towel. And for the flour part, unless a recipe states otherwise, all-purpose flour is recommended. 

Method 3: Grease Only

This is the riskiest of the three since there’s no extra protection like there is with a pan liner or coating of flour, but I want to mention it because some bakers don’t see a need for that added protection. I will say that using a cooking spray like Baker’s Joy is your best bet if you’re going with this method, as the spray contains flour. Alternatively you can try vegetable oil or butter. 

Whichever method you go with, be sure to fill your pans with cake batter to the specified amount in a recipe. Some recipes will tell you to divide the batter evenly, while others will state to fill the pans no more than ½ or ⅔ of the way full. This is because pan heights can differ – while one 6-inch pan might have sides that are 2 inches tall, another might have sides that are shorter or taller than that. Following the pan filling instructions will help prevent you from overfilling the cakes.

Releasing Cakes From Pans 

After your cakes are baked, be sure to cool them in the pan for about 5 minutes. Any longer than this and the sides of the cake will start to shrink away from the heat of the pan. 

Afterwards, I place a clean oven mitt over the top of the cake, turn the whole pan upside down, and slide the pan upwards to release the cake. Because of the cake pan prep method I use (greasing the sides with Baker’s Joy + lining the bottom with a parchment paper circle), the cakes release really easily. If you find that the cake isn’t releasing well with your method of choice, try running a knife in between the side of the pan and the cake to release the sides, then turn the pan upside down and release it from the cake.

Once the cake is released I flip it right side up (be sure you’re protecting your hands throughout this entire process – cakes and pans are hot at this point) and place it onto a baking sheet to cool completely. You could alternatively use a cooling rack to place the cakes on. Just be sure to let them cool to room temperature before applying any frosting (this takes a few hours).

I don’t recommend placing warm cakes in the refrigerator or freezer to “speed up” the cooling time, just because the extreme temperature change can end up shocking the cake and creating extra condensation. Instead, either be patient with the cooling process or plan to make your cakes ahead of time, whether it’s a day ahead or a month ahead – we’ll get to that in an upcoming Cake Basics post! 

Want more Cake Basics? Head here to see all of the posts and learn the methods of caking I’ve come to love over the years. I’m cheering you on every step of the way!

The post How to Prepare Cake Pans for Easy Release appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.