Leveling and Torting a Cake

Think of your cake as the canvas on which you will create beautiful icing decorations. To achieve the masterpiece you want, it is essential that your canvas be smooth and free of crumbs. These steps to preparing and icing your cake will result in a perfectly smooth decorating surface for your work of art.

Baking The Cake

Follow recipe directions for recommended batter amounts and specific baking instructions for the pan size you choose. Hint: To help cakes rise high, add 1 to 2 tablespoons Meringue Powder Mix to each boxed of two-layer cake mix. Prepare the pan by generously greasing the inside with a pastry brush or paper towel and solid vegetable shortening. For best results, do not use butter, margarine or liquid vegetable oil, Spread the shortening so that all indentations are covered. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of flour inside the pan and shake so that the flour covers all greased surfaces. Turn pan upside down and tap lightly to remove excess flour. If any uncovered spots remain, touch up with shortening and flour Pour batter into pan and place in preheated oven After cake has baked the specified time, remove it from the oven and let it cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife between the cake and

Leveling

After the cake has cooled at least one hour, you'll need to level the top of the cake. This can be done in one of two ways. Using a Serrated Knife place the cake on a circle board, then place the board on a Wilton Trim ' n ' Turn Decorating Turntable. While slowly rotating the stand, move the knife back and forth across the top of cake in a sawing motion to remove the crown. Try to keep knife level as you cut.

Position the ends of the cutting wire (or feet on large leveler) into the notches at the desired height. With legs standing on the work surface, cut into the crusted edge using an easy sawing motion, then proceed by gently gliding through the cake.

Torting

A serrated knife or the Wilton Cake Leveler also may be used to cut a cake into multiple layers. Toning adds extra height, drama and taste to the cake when the layers are filled with icing, pudding or fruit filling.

Measure cake sides and mark with dots of icing or toothpicks all around . Place one hand on top of the cake to hold it steady and rotate the stand. While slowly turning the cake, move the knife back and forth to cut the cake along the measured marks. Repeat for each additional layer.

Torting is easily accomplished with the Wilton Cake Leveler. Simply follow the same directions as for leveling.

Separating the Layers

Carefully slide the top torted layer onto a circle board to keep it rigid and safe from breakage. Repeat for each additional layer to bottom.

Filling the Layers

Fill a decorating bag with medium consistency icing and use a large round tip, like tip 12. Or simply use the coupler without mounting a tip. Starting with the bottom layer, leveled side up, create a dam or circle of icing just inside the edge of the al cake, Creating a dam is an effective way of preventing the filling from seeping out when the layers are replaced, To create the dam, squeeze a circle about 3/4 inch high and 1/4 inch from the outside edge. Fill the dam with icing, preserves or pudding, Place the next layer on top, making sure it is level. The weight of the layer will cause the circle of icing to expand just right. Repeat until all layers, except the top, are assembled. Place the top layer leveled side down, so the top of the cake is perfectly smooth and level.

Icing the Cake

The trick to keeping crumbs out of your icing is gliding your spatula on the icing never allow it to touch the surface of the cake. Place a large amount of thin consistency icing on the center of the cake top. Spread across the top, pushing toward edges.

Smooth the top using the edge of the spatula, Sweep the edge of the spatula from the rim of the cake to its center. Then lift it off and remove excess icing,

Cover the sides with icing. Smooth sides first by holding the spatula upright with the edge against the side, slowly spinning the turntable without lifting the spatula from the cake's surface. Return excess icing to the bowl and repeat until sides are smooth,

Rotate the cake slightly and repeat the procedure, starting from a new point on the rim until you have covered the entire top surface.

Smooth the center of the cake by leveling the icing with the edge of your spatula. For easier smoothing, it may help to dip the spatula into hot water, wipe dry and glide it across the entire surface. Set the cake aside and allow the icing to crust over for at least 15 minutes before decorating. At this point you may also lay Wilton Parchment Paper on the iced cake top and gently smooth with the palm of hand

Trim a 16 inch bag to fit tip 789. Fill bag half full with icing. Hold bag at 45' angle and lightly press tip against cake. Squeeze a ribbon of icing in a continuous spiral motion to cover caketop, with last ribbon forcing icing over edge of cake top. To ice the sides, squeeze icing as you turn the cake slowly. Repeat the process until the entire cake side is covered.Smooth sides and top with spatula, same as above,

Add the professional touch to your cakes and pastries