Even Bakes and flat tops

I often get asked how I get my cakes to be so evenly cooked and flat. Of course I will generally smile at the person and give them a business card but the reality is actually very simple.

There is a trick for even cooking. If you wrap your cake around with a foil covered ‘belt’ of kitchen roll it will prevent the hot side of the cake tin from burning it. Once your cake is taken out of the oven simply set it on the cooling rack and wait until it is nice and cool. If it is a very crumbly cake then you may be best served by placing it in the fridge for a few minutes. Around the duration of one episode of ‘this is us’ should do the trick (damn you Amazon Prime)!

Once your cake is as cool as Fonzie, you will need to grab your best breadknife and carefully cut away the dome of risen mixture & any excess from the sides. Don’t throw the bits away.  If you have children (or a husband) you can incentivise them to perform small household tasks for you in exchange for the off cuts.

And there you have it, perfectly flat unburned cake every time!