The most frustrating problem that bakers struggle with when assembling and frosting a layer cake are domed or uneven cake layers. Applying frosting across an uneven surface or on layers that look like the leaning tower of Pisa is hardly ideal. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this situation. Here are my tips for baking cake layers that stand strong and proud, ready to be frosted.

正确测量干燥成分

摇摆层蛋糕的主要原因是将层烘烤到圆顶中。圆顶的原因之一是面糊中的面粉过多，它吸收过多的液体并产生较厚，更重的面糊。（其他原因包括不当校准，过度热烤箱和深色蛋糕盘。）

太多的弗洛ur in the batter is usually more a result of improper measuring than a bad recipe. Measuring by weight will give you the most accurate results, but if you need to measure by volume (either because you don’t have a scale or because your recipe only gives volume measures), this is the method I recommend: Spoon the flour into dry measuring cups—liquid measures can’t give you an accurate reading—and then level the flour by dragging a knife sideways across the top of the measuring cup. Never pack the flour down and never measure by dipping the cup into the flour. Dipping packs the flour, getting more in the cup, and skewing the balance of dry to wet ingredients in a recipe.

筛选还是不筛选？

虽然面粉袋上的标签经常说明面粉已被预处理，但在制造面粉时发生了筛选，您真的不知道那是多久以前的。面粉在其立场时会紧凑，因此，如果您按体积进行测量，我敦促您通过在测量之前过滤或筛分面粉来使面粉释放。如果您要按重量进行衡量，并且食谱还需要使用小苏打或粉末等酵饼，请首先称重面粉，然后用酵味三次将其筛选，以彻底混合食材。

Grease the pan liberally

A properly greased pan allows the cake to rise evenly as it bakes and release easily from the pan after baking. For most layer cake batters, I prefer to use very soft butter (not melted) for greasing pans. The butter coating, which should be very visible, can be applied with a pastry brush or a piece of waxed paper, plastic wrap, or paper towel. Don’t flour the pan for creamed butter layer cakes or the surface of the baked cake will harden.

For a truly trouble-free release, I recommend lining the bottoms of the greased cake pans with parchment circles. These are available in packages of eight-inch disks that are fine to use for eight- or nine-inch layers. Or, you can make your own disks by tracing the bottom of a layer pan. The parchment, most of which comes treated with silicone these days, usually doesn’t need to be buttered.

Weigh your layers to ensure they’re even

要获得厚度甚至厚的蛋糕层，您需要在蛋糕盘中有相等数量的面糊。确定这一点的最准确方法是称量填充的平底锅。如果您没有厨房秤，请将牙签或刀尖插入面糊中，以查看每个锅中面糊的高度是否相等。

When dividing the batter among your baking pans, fill them no more than two-thirds full. Spread the batter in a circular motion using the back of an oversize soupspoon, applying pressure toward the tip while smoothing the batter across the surface. Don’t use a rubber spatula, as it is too awkward for this job.

Cool the layers on round racks with thin wires.蛋糕更容易粘在带有宽线的机架上，并且在将其抬起时可能会造成伤害。当热层倒转时，宽线还可以在蛋糕的表面上产生大凹痕，如果您使用厚实的糖霜，则不会大吃一惊，但是它们可以通过糖果糖的粉尘或薄薄的釉料来显示。我更喜欢圆形架子而不是正方形或矩形架子，因为它们会使组装的层转移，以减少组装。

Let the layers cool in their pans on the wire racks for eight to ten minutes before attempting to turn them out. Because they’ll shrink a bit as they cool, they’ll release from the pans easier.

用不粘涂层喷洒架子在将图层倒在架子上之前，以防止它们粘住。小心地从倒置的蛋糕上抬起热锅，从羊皮纸上剥下来，然后使层彻底冷却，然后再糖霜。

糖霜之前尺寸提高蛋糕

在组装蛋糕之前，请查看层以判断要放置的顺序。如果一切顺利，则应该均匀。但是，有时候，奇怪的层可能是由于烤箱架的水平不高的烤箱架，或者是在不均匀地面上放置的烤箱。如果您的层仍然不固定，请用长长的锯齿刀切掉不均匀的部分，将顶部放在顶部。

When you’re ready to frost the cake, always choose the tallest and most level layer for the bottom. If the bottom is lopsided, the remaining layers will tilt or slide. For a two-layer cake, start with the bottom layer placed top side down. After applying frosting across the surface, position the top layer right side up so that two level surfaces meet in the middle.

对于三层蛋糕，将底层和中间层放在顶部和第三层顶部。如果层不均匀，则将较薄的一面放在下面蛋糕的较厚的一面。

When a cake layer must be split into multiple layers, always place the crumb or cut side of the layer in the middle, never at the top or bottom. This way, no crumbs are visible on the outside of the cake, and the surface to be frosted will be smooth and even.