Bake a Cake

Nothing warms the soul like a thick, rich slice of freshly baked cake and a cold glass of milk. It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake!

There's no need to feel intimidated by cakes, even if you've had problems baking in the past. Baking the perfect cake can be fun and simple if you follow these basic steps.

Steps

 * 1) Whether you plan to make a cake from scratch or from a cake mix box its really simple. Start by reading the ingredient list and directions. Make sure you have every ingredient on hand before you begin. Cakes can fail miserably if key ingredients are left out and you won’t have time to run for missing items once you begin.
 * 2) Have all ingredients at room temperature unless the recipe directs otherwise. Eggs should only be left out about 30 minutes before using them. The ingredients that you are most likely to use are eggs, milk, water, vegetable oil and, flour.
 * 3) Get out the proper-sized pan(s) and prepare them to keep the cake from sticking. Rub the inside of the pan with butter or vegetable shortening (Crisco) using a paper towel. Use at least half a tablespoon of butter or shortening and make this a thick coating, to help the cake come out of the pan easily without breaking. Then add a tablespoon or two of flour and shake it around to lightly coat the inside; the flour on the sides will help the cake adhere to the sides as it bakes, so the top is flatter. This is important if it's a layer cake. Dump out any excess flour and set the pan aside. If you're planning to serve the cake straight from the pan, you only need to grease the bottom, and you don't need the flour step at all.
 * 4) Preheat your oven to the required temperature from the recipe.
 * 5) Follow your recipe step by step, measuring ingredients as accurately as possible and adding them in the order specified. Most cake recipes begin by combining dry ingredients like flour, cocoa and baking powder, then adding wet ingredients like eggs, milk and oil.
 * 6) Mix the cake batter as specified on the recipe, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
 * 7) Once all ingredients are added and the batter is fully mixed, pour it evenly into your prepared pans. Only fill pans 2/3 of the way full as the cake will rise during baking.
 * 8) Tap the cake pan on the countertop to release any large air bubbles in the batter.
 * 9) Put the pans on the center rack of the preheated oven. Do not allow pans to touch each other or the oven wall.
 * 10) Close the oven door, set your timer to the time specified in the recipe minus 8 minutes. Resist the urge to open the oven door – heat will escape and may cause the cake to fall.
 * 11) Once the timer goes off, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick, wooden skewer or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with only a few small crumbs on it, the cake is done. If not, put it back in the oven for another 4-5 minutes.
 * 12) Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 15-30 minutes.
 * 13) When the cake has cooled, run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides, place the wire rack over the top of the pan, invert it and tap lightly to remove the cake. Let it cool completely before decorating.
 * 14) Frost and decorate as desired and enjoy.

Tips

 * If you use self-rising flour, do not add baking powder, unless specified in the recipe.
 * Measure as accurately as possible. A few tablespoons of missing or extra flour can have dramatic undesired effects on the finished cake.
 * Let the cake cool before you try to remove it from the pan. If you attempt to take it out too early, the cake may fall apart.
 * Read and re-read the recipe and instructions often while you are mixing the ingredients. Pay close attention to the details to make sure you don't miss any key steps or ingredients.
 * Use high quality, heavy duty aluminum baking pans for even heating and best results.
 * Wash your hands before baking.
 * Make a few packet cakes before trying your own ones, and work from real recipes before making up your own recipes. This way, you know what a cake is meant to look like at each stage, so will avoid making mistakes.
 * If the cake mix is old or opened dont use it and throw it out
 * If you burn the first cake dont eat it and try to figure what went wrong and try again.

Warnings

 * When retrieving your cake from the oven, make sure to use oven mitts or protective gloves to ensure you don't burn your hands.
 * When using the oven, keep small children and pets out of the way.
 * Oven temperatures vary, so keep a close eye on your cake to make sure it doesn't over-bake.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Make a Fire Breathing Dragon Cake
 * How to Bake a Colorful Cake
 * How to Make a Russian Apple Cake
 * How to Make French Apple Spice Cake
 * How to Make an Anatomically Correct Brain Cake
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