Baking Large Cakes for a Crowd with Cake Mixes

Cooking Tip of the Day

Baking large cakes or cakes using non-standard size cake pans can be difficult. I have all sizes… and admittedly, Wilton (the brand I bought) does attach cake recipes suitable for the size pan. However, as a busy Mother, I didn’t always want to bake a cake from scratch and wanted to use a mix…. well just how much cake batter do you use?… and better yet… just how long do you bake it? These are not silly questions… yet finding the answers to them is not always easy.

I have a soft cover book from Pillsbury …Pillsbury Classics No 27 from 1983… yes… you read that right… 1983… I guess I’m dating myself… let’s just say my Mother bought it for me when I was a toddler… that’s my story and I’m sticking to it….

Anyway… it's probably the best little cook book for party planning I have…. They have a wonderful piece on baking a wedding cake. The information can be used for any occasion …. and not only for making a tiered cake… keep in mind though that it assumes you are using a 2 inch deep cake pan….

I wanted to share this really good information with you…. I hope you find it helpful.

The Antique Satin Wedding Cake recipe was specially developed for Pillsbury Plus White Cake Mix and the 2 inch deep pans used for wedding cakes. They don’t guarantee successful results with any other cake mix (I am assuming brands). Jump over to the recipe for complete details.

Some General Tips:

To save time you can mix a double batch of cake batter. Beating time is the same (2 minutes at the highest speed).

Correct oven temperature is critical. Use an oven thermometer, for consistent cake results.

Layers must be level on top. Trim with a sharp knife if necessary.

Cake layers can be baked in advance, cooled, then wrapped in foil and frozen. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours before frosting and decorating.