Learn why cake strips are our Test Kitchen's go-to tool for creating perfectly even cake layers.
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Who doesn’t love a showstopping layer cake? It’s the ultimate special occasion treat. However, there’s one hiccup that even professional bakers encounter again and again when they bake up the individual layers: domed cakes. Now, cakes with rounded or mounded tops aren’t inherently bad—definitely not something to categorize among the biggest cake-making mistakes. But flat tops are certainly easier to stack when making layered desserts.
Sure, you can trim off the tops, but that requires a steady hand or fancy cake trimming tools. Essentially, trimming cakes can be a pain, and layered cakes are already time-consuming enough! So our Test Kitchen relies on cake strips, an inexpensive product that prevents domed cakes from happening in the first place.
An affordable, simple product like this might seem too good to be true, but rest assured, these pan wraps are the real deal. That’s why they’re a staple in our Test Kitchen and professional bakeries. “I never bake a layer cake without these cake pan wraps,” says Taste of Home’s prep kitchen manager, Catherine Ward. “They give you perfectly flat layers every single time.”
What are cake strips?
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Wilton Bake-Even Cake Strips
Cake strips (sometimes called cake pan wraps) are thick fabric strips that are soaked in water and wrapped around your pans to create more level cakes. They’re part of our Test Kitchen’s list of essential cake-making gear because they help create a more consistent baking temperature across the pan.
How do cake strips work?
Cake strips work because wrapping cold-water-soaked fabric around the sides of a cake pan helps to regulate the pan’s temperature, so the cake bakes evenly and the top stays flat. When you bake a cake, the outside of the pan gets hotter more quickly, which means the edges bake faster. If those outer edges are done before the center of the cake is finished baking and rising, the cake gains a domed shape.
These little strips prevent domed cakes in three major ways.
- Insulate the cake’s edges: The wet fabric keeps the outside edge of the pan cooler, preventing the cake edges from cooking too quickly.
- Create a consistent temperature: The entire cake cooks at a more even temperature, baking and rising at the same rate for a flatter surface.
- Improve texture: When the edges don’t get hotter than the interior, the finished cake has an even crumb and moist texture.
How to Use Cake Strips
Cake strips are incredibly easy to use! Just follow these three simple steps:
- Soak the cake strips: Soak the strips in water for 5 to 10 minutes. Press out any excess water (you want them to be damp, not dripping).
- Wrap the pan: Wrap the strips around the outside of your filled cake pans. Secure them in place using the built-in strap or pins.
- Bake the cake: Bake the cake according to the recipe directions.
When to Use Cake Strips
You can use cake strips for any type of bake. They’re fantastic for creating even layers that stack easily, but Catherine explains that having a level cake also makes it easier to frost a cake.
“When you level out a cake using a knife, you create a lot of crumbs,” Catherine says. “Those crumbs can end up in your frosting no matter how careful you are.” By avoiding trimming, your cakes will turn out more beautiful, especially if you plan to add creative cake decorations.
