Question about cake layers/correct pan sizes

[aggie94]

I finally decided on a cake for DH's school/work get-together this weekend. Only today did I learn, though, that it has a "tropical luau" theme. :mad: The Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting from the same issue would have been a better choice, but I've already bought all the ingredients for this recipe and am too tired to get worked up about it now. :rolleyes:

So anyway, this recipe calls for 3 9-inch pans with 1 1/2 inch sides. I don't have 9-inch cake pans, but I do have 4 8-inch pans. So here are my options:
1) buy new cake pans that I won't use often (not crazy about this idea)
2) divide the batter among the four 8-inch pans and make this a four-layer cake :eek:
3) mix up all the batter, fill 3 of the 8-inch pans to appropriate level (what would that be?), and just make a smaller 3-layer cake (and either toss the remaining batter or pour it into the last cake pan, and make a single layer cake for just DH and I :D)

Any thoughts/opinions?


CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMEL-MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING

A classic chocolate layer cake with a new-fashioned, thick, and rich frosting. This treat can be made up to two days ahead.

Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting
24 ounces imported milk chocolate (such as Lindt), finely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups whipping cream

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Whisk flour and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Beat in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Stir in chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared pans (about 2 1/3 cups for each). Smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks. Invert cakes onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms (cakes are delicate). Peel off parchment.

For frosting:
Combine milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in large bowl. Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Carefully and slowly add whipping cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir over low heat until any hard caramel bits dissolve and mixture is smooth. Pour caramel over chocolate; let stand 1 minute to allow chocolate to soften, then whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Chill chocolate-caramel frosting until completely cool, about 2 hours. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature before continuing.

Using electric mixer, beat frosting just until color resembles milk chocolate and frosting is easily spreadable, about 1 minute (do not overbeat or frosting will become stiff and grainy). If necessary to correct graininess, set bowl with frosting over saucepan of simmering water for 10-second intervals, whisking just until frosting is smooth and spreadable.

Place 1 cake layer on platter, flat side up. Spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Top with second cake layer, flat side up, pressing slightly to adhere. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Top with third cake layer, rounded side up, pressing slightly. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.)

Makes 12 servings.


Bon Appétit
April 2003

[shoyski]

I'm impressed that you are sticking with your original plan and not scrambling. Much less stress! :)

I vote for option #3 and fill the pans no LESS than an inch below the top. Good luck!!!! :D

What about making it in a 13x9 pan? Personally, I think the cake needs layers and makes a nicer presentation but using the 13x9 takes all the guesswork out of how much to fill the 8" pans.

[Kayla]

I'd say go for a four layer cake :D

...also, about the tropical theme... maybe you could decorate the top of the cake with with edible flowers?... or put flowers around the cake on the tray when you bring it... or maybe serve candied papaya, pineapple, etc. along with it?...

Regardless, with a cake like that, I don't think anyone will be complaining about its not going along with the luau theme - I think they'll be too busy ooo-ing and ah-ing over its magnificence :o ;)

[claire797]

Eva,

That is so weird that you only have 8 inch pans when I seem to have searched all over Austin and can only find 9 inch. Where do you find 8 inch pans? I'm sure I could order some, but I'd prefer to pick them up at the store. Has anyone seen 8 inch pans in stores?

[BeachBum]

If it was me, I'd just do the 4 layer cake. You may need to up the amount of frosting you make, and watch the cooking time of the cake more closely though.

[ISAIAH30_18]

Eva I don't mean to hijack your thread but I think I'm going to make this for a dinner Saturday night we are going to (it looks wonderful!!), but I have a few questions (for anyone)....hope that's ok...

I'm new to making homemade chocolate anything so can someone give me some brand names of "dutch-process cocoa"?

I'm familiar with the brand Lindt but not sure where to find 24 ounces of it...is this something I would also find in my grocery store?

And lastly, un-chocolate related, is golden brown sugar "light" brown sugar? Or have I just never noticed "golden" before?

Thanks!!!
Kim

[aggie94]

Interesting, Anna. Now I'm wondering if what I actually have are 8-inch pans or not, but I'm nearly 100% sure they are. The 9-inch ones I borrowed from Robyn last summer, while my cake pans were still in Oregon, were noticeably bigger than the ones I was used to using.

I'm pretty sure that I picked them up at someplace like Target, probably a few years ago. I'd be surprised to hear that places like Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael's, and Target didn't have them.

:confused:

[aggie94]

Kim,

Hershey's makes dutch-process cocoa. It's in a silver can, as opposed to the regular brown can. You probably won't find Lindt in a "regular" grocery store, but someplace like Whole Foods or Wild Oats should have a decent selection of imported milk chocolate. I think a decent quality domestic chocolate should be fine (like Ghirardelli - I'm using Guittard, because I didn't feel like making a special trip to Central Market or WF). And I'm not sure exactly what they mean by golden brown sugar either, but I'm just using what I have at home. I think it's the light stuff. I am guessing that either will work fine.

[Shirley Panek]

Kim -

Hershey's sells "dutch-process" cocoa. It's in a silver can with the regular cocoa.
http://hersheykitchens.hersheys.com/images/products/new_images/8ozeurococoa.jpg

[claire797]

Originally posted by aggie94
Interesting, Anna. Now I'm wondering if what I actually have are 8-inch pans or not, but I'm nearly 100% sure they are. The 9-inch ones I borrowed from Robyn last summer, while my cake pans were still in Oregon, were noticeably bigger than the ones I was used to using.

I'm pretty sure that I picked them up at someplace like Target, probably a few years ago. I'd be surprised to hear that places like Bed Bath & Beyond, Michael's, and Target didn't have them.

:confused:


Hmmmmmm. Let me know!

Thanks for reminding me of Michael's. They may actually have 8 inch pans in their cake decorating department. That's one place I haven't checked. I suppose any place that has a full line of Wilton products might also carry 8 inch pans. So maybe Michael's are Garden Ridge...

[syzygy]

The following chart might help -- it says that the 8" pans are 4 cups and the 9" pans are 6 cups, so if you're filling them 2/3 full, you should be able to figure out how many pans you need.

Now, see, algebra really DOES apply to real life! :D


Baking Dish & Pan Sizes

Important Tips To Remember:
To substitute with glass pan, reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees.
To substitute a pan that is shallower than the pan in the recipe, reduce the baking time by one-fourth.
To substitute a pan that is deeper than the pan in the recipe, increase the baking time by one-fourth.

3-cup Baking Dish or Pan:
8" x 1-1/4 round pan

4-cup Baking Dish or Pan:
8" x 1-1/2" round layer cake pan
8" x 4" x 2-1/2" loaf pan
9" x 1-1/2" round pie pan
11" x 1" round tart pan

6-cup Baking dish or Pan:
7-1/2" x 3" bundt tube pan
8" x 8" x 2" square pan
8 1/2" x 4-1/2" x 2-1/2" loaf pan
9" x 1-1/2" round layer cake pan
9" x 2" round pie plate (deep dish)
9" x 9" x 1-1/2" rectangular pan
10" x 1-1/2" round pie plate
11" x 7" x 2" rectangular pan

7-cup Baking dish or Pan:
8" x 2" round cake pan
9" x 9" x 2" rectangular pan

8-cup Baking dish or Pan:
8" x 8" x 2" square pan
9" x 2" round cake pan
9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan
9" x 9" x 1-1/2" square pan
9-1/4" x 2-3/4" ring mold
9-1/2" x 3-1/4" brioche pan
11" x 7" x 1-1/2" baking pan

9-cup Baking Dish or Pan:
8" x 3" bundt pan
9" x 3" tube pan

10-cup Baking Dish or Pan:
8" x 2-1/2" springform pan
9" x 9" x 2" square pan
11-3/4" x 7-1/2" x 1 3/4" baking pan
13" x 9" x 2" rectangular pan
15-1/2" x 10-1/2" x 1" jelly-roll pan

11-cup Baking Dish or Pan:
9" x 3" springform pan
10" x 2" round cake pan

12-cup Baking Dish or Pan:
9" x 3" angel-cake pan or tube pan
10" x 2-1/2" springform pan
10" x 3-1/2" bundt pan
13" x 9" x 2" metal baking pan
14" x 10-1/2" x 2-1/2" roasting pan

15-cup Baking dish or Pan:
13" x 9" x 2" rectangular pan

16-cup Baking dish or Pan:
9" x 3-1/2" springform pan
10" x 4" fancy tube mold

18-cup Baking dish or Pan:
10" x 4" angel-cake or tube pan

[JHolcomb]

I love huge tall layer cakes, so I would go w/ the 8 inch option. Wish you lived closer---I have 8 inch, 9 inch and 10 inch pans.

Anyway, do you think a cake that tall would be a little unstable? I don't think it would be a huge issue, but you might want to test out its slide-ability before you transport it.

If you have time and are near a flower shop, you could buy a branch of orchids to decorate it, which would be pretty cheap (if you feel wierd about the whole luau thing).

[aggie94]

I'll need to measure my pans when I get home. I don't think they're 1 1/2 inches tall, so they might actually only be 3-cup capacity, but that chart is really helpful!

Still, I think I will probably go ahead and divide the batter between 4 pans. I'll attempt the 4-layer cake (Jen, the stability you mentioned was exactly what I'm concerned about - I wonder if it will be kinda tippy) but I can always scrap the last layer as I'm assembling it if it looks like it's going to lean or fall over.

(Shelly, if you can believe it, I don't own a 13x9 pan either :o)

Thanks everyone!

[claire797]

Originally posted by aggie94

(Shelly, if you can believe it, I don't own a 13x9 pan either :o)



Huh??????????????????????????????????????????????? ????? No way!

[aggie94]

I know, I know. :rolleyes: For someone who likes to cook and bake, I'm fairly deficient in the necessary equipment area. I had one a long time ago that rusted out and I've never replaced it. My 8x11 glass pan works for most stuff, but yeah, I really need one.

[shoyski]

Originally posted by aggie94
For someone who likes to cook and bake, I'm fairly deficient in the necessary equipment area.

No,no.....that just proves what a great cook/baker you are, Eva! You can make do by eyeballing and relying on past experience. :) :)

[LaraW]

You can get a couple of wooden dowels to help stabilize (sp) the cake if it seems like its going to tip over. You can usually just clip them with a pair of pliers or something, and hide them under the outer layer of frosting.

Lacking wooden dowels, you might be able to use skewers.

[aggie94]

So in case anyone is interested, it turns out that my four cake pans at home are 8-inch diameter, 1 1/2 inch high. So four cup capacity. That will be helpful when I start this recipe tomorrow.

One more question, for anyone who might have an opinion. The frosting needs to be chilled for two hours, then brought to room temp for an hour. Will it hurt the frosting if I chill it for MORE than two hours, say overnight? I'd like to make the frosting tonight and bring it to room temp tomorrow while I'm making the cake, rather than having to get up earlier :rolleyes: to get the frosting made and chilling so that it will be ready to go when the cake is done.

[Kayla]

Since no one has replied yet, I'll just put in my 2 cents (would I do anything else? :rolleyes: )

I think if you chill the frosting overnight and then bring it to room temperature that it will be just fine... I think the crucial step is bringing it to room temp. So, regardless of what it starts at, just make sure it's had time enough to warm up...

Let us know how it goes :)

Kayla

[valchemist]

Eva,

I think Kayla is right. I think the directions mean that the frosting should be chilled for two hours or more.

Val

[aggie94]

Thanks, guys. I was afraid to chance it last night, so I just got up early this morning to make the frosting. No big deal, as our get-together isn't until mid afternoon. It's chilling now, but I snuck a taste before it went into the fridge and it tastes delicious! I'm so excited - I think this cake is going to be wonderful.

:)

[shoyski]

Eva, how was the cake?! :)

[ISAIAH30_18]

Eva, how did it turn out??? I made mine on Saturday. I tried finding some imported chocolate but it was going to be $35!!! Went with the "fancy" stuff in the grocery store. The one that starts with a G that I could never spell by memory.:rolleyes: And couldn't find the Dutch-processed Hershey's, I think they were just out because I know I've seen it before...so used regular Hersheys. What's the difference in Dutch-process?

Anyway....the cake was fabulous!!! I made the 3 9" layers but they didn't rise that much so all frosted they only looked like a typical 2 layer cake. Did yours rise much Eva? I just loved the cake part...so moist and the texture was wonderful.

The frosting however...I'm not so sure about. Would like to hear about yours Eva. This was my first time to make caramel so I don't know if I didn't let it get "amber" enough (what would that do to a recipe?), or honestly, I was wondering if I left out a cup of the whipped cream because I was talking during that part. :rolleyes: :D
It never got "smooth" like it said but wasn't horrible. I chilled it the 2 hours and then brought it back to room temperature...but it was just kindof crumbly. So I made an executive decision and added more whipped cream. It turned into frosting and was fine to use. Lots of people commented on it, but I'm still on the fence about it. Maybe I was just sick of chocolate by that point. :p :rolleyes:

So, Eva, I'm anxiously awaiting how yours turned out!

Kim

[ISAIAH30_18]

bump!

[aggie94]

Okay, here's my review of the cake.

Taste: 10.
Presentation: 0.

:o

This was sooooo delicious - a perfect 10! Rich, decadent, and chocolatey, but without being too much so. But it looked HORRIBLE. In fact, it was unservable by the time we got to the get-together. The "frosting" is much too thin for a layer cake once you bring it to room temperature, like the recipe says. So the layers slid around, with the bottom layer staying in place on my cake plate, the middle layer sliding one way, and the top layer sliding another, so that by the time we were there, the top layer, which wasn't being supported by anything, had collapsed. :mad: :( We ended up serving it in one-layer pieces, and everyone raved about it, but I was disappointed that it turned out so poorly.

My layers didn't rise much either, but I divided the batter into four pans. I'd say each layer was about an inch tall. My frosting actually did turn out well, I think. It got amber and after adding the cream, I stirred it for a few minutes and it was perfectly smooth. I chilled it for a little more than 2 hours, but then it took almost two hours to bring it back to room temp. It never got the color of milk chocolate, and I was afraid to keep beating it for fear that it would turn grainy. But it was much more caramel-like than frosting-like, which is why I think it doesn't work well for layers.

All said, probably the only way I would make this again is as a sheet cake.

[ISAIAH30_18]

That is so odd!!! My frosting, with all it's other faults, was the best "layer cake frosting" I ever used!! A little thicker than most so it really held the layers (which, by the way, were about an inch thick as well) perfectly. And mine was the exact color of milk chocolate! But mine, I would say, was more chocolate than caramel.
I will certainly make this cake again! Especially now that I know it pretty much came out like it was *supposed* to. :p

Thanks for your review Eva!

[aggie94]

Kim,

I checked out the reviews at Epicurious on this cake, and it seems many people had the same problems as I did with the frosting (but many didn't). There must be some common denominator that's causing it to turn out for some and not for others. If I did make this again, I would chill the frosting before spreading it on the cake. I think that would have made a huge difference, even though the recipe says to bring the frosting to room temp and also to store the cake at room temp. Maybe room temp in Texas in late April is just way too hot! ;)