How to cut a round cake

Slice the smaller round inner cake into triangles pieces.

Once the 21 outer slices of cake have been removed, you have a new, but smaller, round cake to cut. Start but cutting the inner round cake in half, through the middle. Then cut the cake in half again, at a 90-degree angle to the first cut.

Remember to use a small, sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion. Chill your cake if you have time, then warm up your knife and wipe it clean between slices. You’ve got tricks to use if needed. Cut your next cake with confidence, and you’ll hear oohs and ahhs as you pull away the first slice.

The classic way to cut cake layers

To cut your cake layers horizontally, you can use a long, flat, serrated knife—such as a bread knife—and follow the directions here. You can also use a gadget called a “cake leveler” (Wilton makes a really nifty one you can purchase here).

To cut round cakes, move in two inches from the cake’s outer edge; cut a circle and then slice approximately 1 1/2 inch pieces within the circle. Now move in another 2 inches, cut another circle, slice approximately 1 1/2 inch pieces and so on until the cake is completely cut.

Use a serrated knife

It seems like a straight blade would be cleaner, but actually a serrated blade cuts through cake more easily. A thin blade, like a tomato knife, is best, but a serrated bread knife also works. Use a gentle sawing motion to cut.

If your cakes bake up with domed tops, don’t worry — it happens to the best of us. The fix is as simple as using a long serrated knife to slice the top off of each layer to level them out. But when you trim it is important; if you trim the layers when your cakes are still warm, they can easily crumble or tear.

General rule, cakes need to be trimmed before frosting. You should not see brown edges peeking through the white frosting. Below are some relatively simple steps to follow to try to make cake layers more uniform and even. Step 1: When cool, carefully remove cake from the baking pan.

Torting the cake is when you divide the cake horizontally into layers so that you can add a filling and stack the layers evenly. While it may seem like an unnecessary step, it’s important to have level cake layers to ensure the stability of your cake.

A chef’s knife can work, but a slicing knife usually has a thinner blade and works its way into your cake more delicately. We want to make as clean of a cut as possible, and in this case that means reducing crumbs. A heavy, thick-bladed chef’s knife or a serrated knife will dredge up crumbs in this instance.

You have to determine a way to cut a circular cake into exactly three portions of equal size. The only marking on the cake is a candle in the very center. All you have to work with is a knife that is at least as long as the diameter of the cake, and your hands.

The layers you‘d like to cut should be chilled, as a cold cake is much sturdier than a cake at room temperature. I like to bake my cake layers the day before and store them in the fridge.

Don’t Frost a Warm Cake

Baking pros in our test kitchen emphasize that it is essential to let the cake completely cool before frosting. Better yet, you can let the cake sit in the refrigerator for a while to make the process even easier.