Who has not been overwhelmed by all the different cake recipes out there? There is sponge cakes, pound cakes, butter cakes, mud cakes.. Choosing a cake recipe that works for you can be a challenge.
When choosing your recipe it really depends on the cake you are trying to make. If you’re going to make a rustic looking carrot cake, an oil based cake is fine. But if you are going to make someone a layered birthday cake or even a tiered wedding cake you will need to choose your recipe carefully.
All cake recipes carry different characteristics in terms of density, coarseness of crumbs and the methods used to make them. So if you are looking on filling and stacking a tall, structured cake, don’t just pick any random recipe. It is important to use a cake that is sturdy enough to support the weight of multiple cake layers or tiers.
This means sponge cakes are out. In our Barcelona cake studio we prefer to work with cakes that have butter as the main fat ingredient. This because they usually freeze really well and are much firmer than oil-based sponges. Look out for recipes that call for creaming butter and sugar together, or try a mud cake recipe.
After we have baked our cakes and they have cooled down we wrap them in cling film and freeze them overnight. This seals in all the crumbs and makes the cakes extra moist. If you’ve ever tried to make a layered birthday cake you know it takes time. Being able to bake and freeze your cakes in advance gives you more time to decorate your special themed cake on the day itself. Don’t ever try to fill and stack a layer cake when the cakes are not completely cool yet. You will end up with a big mess!
Finding the perfect recipe takes time. Try different types of recipes and see what works best for you when it comes to flavor, texture and density.