Hi all,
I have read previous blogs all afternoon but haven’t found an answer to my questions. I have been asked to a white cake/fondant covered wedding cake for this weekend. They want three square tiers—bottom:one layer, 12 inch, second layer:2 layer 10 inch, third layer: one layer 8 inch. Crazy…
1. How do I convert the white cake in TCB? I don’t know how to take into account for the single layer or for the square size. (yikes, BOTH!)
2. I am planning on doing each layer on covered cardboard with vertical straws to support the layers in between and a long central dowel to go through the height. Is this enough/overkill? Will it survive delivery? Or should i attempt to stack upon arrival?

Appreciate all your help in advance!!

When I am faced with an odd-pan situation, here is what I do.

On p. 455 of TCB, there is a chart that shows how much capacity various pan sizes have. (Square pans don’t appear in this chart, but I have made margin notes that a 8x8x2 pan holds 8 cups, a 9x9x2 holds 10 cups. You can measure the capacity of any odd pan by measuring water into it by the cupful and seeing how much it holds.)

So, then I compare the square pan capacity with the nearest round pan capacity. An 8x8 square pan is comparable to a 9-inch round pan (the latter has a capacity of 8 and 2/3 cups.) You can use the Rose Factor charts to figure out how much batter you’ll need for each pan. If you just allow yourself enough time to read through the method, it is not difficult. I am a very math-challenged person, and I have been able to use the Rose Factor with great success.

My advice is to stack the layers on site. 

Good luck!

Thank you for your help!  Once I do the calculations using the Rose factor for the comparable round pan, should i then divide all ingredients by 2 for the top and bottom tiers since I only need one layer, not two?  This has become so complicated I am thinking I am going to need to three batches because the math is beyond me!

I’m looking at the Master Chart for Butter Cakes on p. 490. It clearly assumes a two-layer cake for each pan size. So, yes, you are correct that you would divide the recipe in half if you only need a single layer.

I suspect that your two larger tiers will be in the same Level 3 category as far as the baking powder is concerned. This means you can make the batter for both of those larger tiers in one batch, and fill the pans accordingly. (Butter cake batter, as a general rule should not come any more than halfway up in the pan because the cake needs room to rise.)  I haven’t done the calculations for your particular situation, so you’ll have to double-check what I’m telling you.

Good luck!

Hi Pinkbow,

I read under another thread “Golden Luxury Butter Cake” that the master chart on pg 490 has an error. (see the quote from tofusalem below) The chart gives infor for 1 layer cakes not 2 like the chart says.  I have also seen this error mentioned on other threads. I wouldn’t want your cakes to be ruined. I would definitely try to find this out first.  I hope someone else can verify this. 

Is the typo you’re speaking of on the top of the Master Chart for Butter Cakes on page 490? This is for one layer each 2 inches, not 2? Could this be why I have driven myself crazy over the recipes? Was there a place I missed on Roses Website that discusses typos in the book? Thanks

the link to that thread is

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/index_ee.php/forums/viewthread/905/P30/

~belasuna

That error is only for one size pan, I think the largest one at the bottom of the page (sorry, don’t have my book at the moment).  It is not for all the pans/sizes.  Check the book errata for exact details.

Here’s the link:

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/book_errata/

Thanks for clearing that up. 

Another consideration, PinkBow, is that the baking time differs for large pans.  I think it’s in the intro to the wedding cake section of TCB.  I’ve never baked in a 12” pan, but I know I’ve read about it.  Also, a few people have written about large pans and problems if there’s an oven rack above the cake—even at what looks to be a safe distance..  Apparently, the cake can get stuck in the higher rack and then you have to start over. 

If you’re ordering square pans online, make sure they have square edges.  At least one line of square pans, Fat Domino, has a square edge on the outside of the pan but a rounded interior.  I almost ordered it online, but luckily saw it at Chef Central and realized would produce the sort of round edge you’d get from a Pyrex brownie pan.  Can you imagine what a nightmare that would be? 

Good luck!!