This is an easy way to make DIY cake strips at home. You can use materials you already have lying around the house for this cost-effective method to bake level cakes!
I’ve had my struggles with cake layers. They always come out domed and I always trim off less dome than they really need, which means slidey cake, drooping frosting, and all around MESS.
To remedy this, I’ve read about using cake strips (strips that wrap around the pan and magically create flat layers) or baking the cake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. I think I’ve also heard something about baking soda. But I’ve never had the patience to wait EXTRA long for a cake to bake and I’ve never been willing to shell out $12 for two strips of metallic material. This is a good thing!
Because it turns out that you can make your own cake strips for FREE! And it’s so easy. Because here’s what cake strips do: they cool the outside of the pan so the cake bakes evenly. So all you really need is wet material wrapped around the pan.
Why Cake Strips Work
Let’s talk cake science for a minute: normally when cake layers bake, the outside of the cake bakes faster than the middle. By the time the middle starts to cook through, the batter has nowhere to go but up, which creates the dome. By putting moist material around the outside of the pan, you’re helping cool the outside, allowing the cake to bake more evenly.
What You’ll Need for DIY Cake Strips
- scrap material (an old T-shirt or kitchen towel will work well)
- scissors
- safety pins
Cut the scrap material into a strips long enough to fit around your cake pan. I only used one strip, but you can use several—more coverage is not a bad thing. Safety pin the ends of the strip together. When you’re ready to bake the cake, run the material under water and squeeze out so that it’s as wet as possible without dripping. Replace the strip around the pan and bake!
Note: the first time I did this, I tied my band of cloth into a knot instead of cutting to the right length and safety-pinning the ends. I think this caused a dimple in the cake:
Not a huge deal, but if you want a perfect layer, don’t do that.
But Do They Really Work?
And now for some close ups for those of you thinking: does it really make a difference?
I also dropped my cake pans on the counter a few times before baking. This helps spread the batter evenly and get rid of air bubbles.
And here’s what my final cake looked like!
Thank you to this lovely, humble blog for sharing this fabulous trick! I will be dismembering T-shirts and baking super flat cakes for decades to come.
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen
Thanks so much for sharing this, I can’t wait to give this a try and have perfect flat cake layers!!
skybunnies
Beautiful creation (as always) xxo P.S. LOVE what you’ve done with your website too!
Adri {Food-N-Thought}
Never heard of this before, very interesting tip and very useful DIY 🙂
Brandi
Awesome Erika! Such a great idea…this may sound silly, but my first thought was the shirt catching on fire, lol!! Really great side by side photos too! It obviously works!
Alexandra @ Confessions of a Bright-Eyed Baker
I love this DIY tip! I’ve heard about cake strips but it’s always been one of those things I need spur-of-the-moment. I also think that I’ve heard about wrapping wet paper towels around the cake or something, but I think a simple strip of fabric that can be re-used sounds way easier! I love the side-by-side photos too; if I had any doubt this worked before reading this post, that doubt is gone! I’ll definitely be doing this when I bake cakes from now on.
P.S. Glad to see you’re back in cake world, haha! And I do the cake banging thing too; it’s good for bundt cakes.
erika
Ah yay. Same here–I always put off buying cake strips, but then I never had them when I needed them. Problem solved! Glad this can help you out 🙂 And yes, definitely back in the cake world. I’ve been bitten by the cake bug!
yummychunklet
Thanks for sharing the tips!
Bubblybaker
Erika, this is AMAZING!
I always have problems with the centre of my cakes rising too much and me struggling to level it right. Thanks so much for this post – it’s so informative and you’ve explained it so well. I am definitely giving this a try next time I bake a layer cake. I’m so glad you found my blog through Irena, because it’s led me to your amazing blog! 😀
erika
Arg I responded to this a few days ago but I guess it never went through!! Thank you SO much, I’m so glad you hear you thought it was explained well–I was worried it would be confusing! Let me know how it goes for you the next time you try it! And you are too sweet–I’m glad I found YOUR blog!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
Ahhh such a great tip! Pinning!
erika
Yayy thanks girl 🙂
Bam's Kitchen
Thanks for the tips on baking strips great to know. That is one gorgeous cake.
Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen
Thank you so much for these tips!! I still struggle with cakes & layers…blahhh. Your pictures are making me drool!
Natasha @ The Cake Merchant
Thanks for sharing this. I always use cake strips, but have never seen the DIY kind. This will save me some $$$!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
GENIUS!!!!! I love this. I’m in the same club with you – no way I was going to shell out for the cake strips. But this wet rag trick is just the best. I love it and can’t wait to try it. You should totally make up t-shirts. Totally!
Leah
Erika, this is AWESOME! I’m taking my 2nd Wilton Cake Decorating class so as you can imagine, we have to bake a lot of cakes. The instructor told us about baking strips, but like you, I was not about to pay $12-$15 for them so I’ve been getting lots of poofy tops. I’m DEFINITELY going to give this a try! Thanks so much for sharing.
P.S. Your story about new neighbors and you crouching to take pictures is hilarious!
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies
This is GREAT info to have! For some reason, domed cakes are my boyfriends pet peeve (though, he’s rarely the one putting in the effort to make the cake) 😉
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies
P.S. LOVE your blog name. I’m pancake crazy
erika
Haha I kind of got that vibe from browsing your blog! I like your style 😉 Your pancakes look fabulous!
And haha–that is so funny about your boyfriend! Do you make cakes a lot? I can’t say my boyfriend has ever complained about that…but he almost never bakes!
Kym
genius. Again. I tried baking my frist cake last night but i couldnt get the batter to spread evenly, ill have to try your banging trick! 😛
erika
Haha yes! Cover your ears, it’s loud. But effective, I think. What kind of cake did you bake??
Barbara
Thank you Erika. I was telling someone today that my mom was a pastry cook and she used to tie a wet cup towel around her cake pans so the cakes would cook more evenly. I just looked it up on the Internet and found your explanations. Thank you for the explanations. Mama has been gone 12 years today, and I am finding I have questions for her that I never knew to ask.
erika
I’m so glad this explanation was helpful!