How to Bake a Flat Topped Cake

So you worked very hard to ensure that the cake comes-out just perfect. The right balance of ingredients, carefully measured out to bring forth that tantalizing cake. But at the back of your mind, you have a hanging nightmare; that that dome will appear once more, maybe higher than ever before.

Hey relax, I have a solution; to help you bake a relatively flat cake and forget overturning your cake to frost or decorate it on the flatter side. Baking strips are the best things that ever happened to baking; especially round cakes. Trust me on this, I know how it feels to peep through the oven glass door and not see that sickening dome. Its like a burst of fresh air!

Why do Cakes Form a Dome?

Ever wondered why cakes form a dome? When in the oven, the baking pan gets very hot on the sides thus leading to a quick setting process of the batter on these areas.  This temperature is not as high near the middle of the baking pan and thus setting takes time at the center and rising is gradual and consistent . While the cake has finished developing at the outer lining near the baking tin walls, the process of rising is still ongoing at the center, leading to more and more rising thus forming the domes.

Baking Strips-The Solution For Flat-Topped Cakes

Baking strips are your absolute solution to getting end results of  flat topped cakes. Baking strips are basically fire resistant cloth strips specifically designed to wrap around baking tins. They are normally wet before use to ensure their effectiveness in reducing the baking tin/pan wall temperatures as well as reduce the risk of burning. The effect is having a relatively balanced temperature on the batter near the sides and that in the middle of the pan leading to even setting of the cake.

The next question you may have is where to buy these marvelous strips. Well, it is easy to get them at Amazon and E-bay and they can get shipped to you. However, for us living on this side of the planet; read Kenya, it would mean a long wait and some taxes at KRA. Thus, am here to show you how to make some baking strips at home; as good and functional as those you find at Amazon.

How To Make Baking Strips at Home
Items you will require:

• An absorbent old Towel (For me, I bought a Floor Mopping cloth from Tuskys and disinfected it overnight)
• A pair of Scissors & Measuring Tape
• A Needle and Sewing thread
• 1 Button

NOTE: Make sure the length of the cloth you choose can go-round your baking pan.

Steps

1. Lay your cloth of choice on a flat surface e.g. a kitchen table
2. Measure the Height of your Baking Pan (the width from the base to the top of the pan)
3. Measure the circumference of your pan and give few centimeters allowance.
4. Form one end of your cloth, place this measure lengthwise and on the width side. 
5. Cut out with the scissors this strip and duplicate the cut strip on the cloth if you want several (this can be done by simply placing your first strip on top of the cloth and cutting through)
6.  On one side of the strip, make a button hole and hem it round it to prevent running
7. On the other side, sew-on your buttons to create a Lock n Open option on your strip. Ensure that the button hole and button are placed in such a way to ensure a tight lock!
8. Slip the locked strip on your baking pan to see whether it fits!

NOTE: For me, my strips are just open  (no buttons) and I "lock" when baking using a ball head pin  like the ones below: