I can’t figure out how to use the Rose factor. And I’m making either the All Occassion Yellow cake or the Sour Cream Cake (open to suggestions) and the TCB calls for two 9” x 1 1/2” for the ACY. On the joysofbaking site it says the pans call for the same amount of batter,

9 x 1 1/2 inches 6 cups 23 x 4 cm 1.4 liters

vs.
8 x 2 inches 6 cups 20 x 5 cm 1.4 liters

Do I need to adjust any of the baking soda or powder. Its my 1st order and I want to start out on the right foot. BUt I can’t figure out the chart on 490. 

does the rose factor apply to all recipes? 

THanks.

I’m a little confused…what size pans do you want to use?

The Rose factor does not apply to all cakes, just to the downy yellow, the white velvet and the all-american chocolate.  You can use the charts to “guesstimate” for other cakes, but then it would be a starting point for test cakes, not a tested, sure-fire, result.

Are you trying to make two 8” x 2” layers of downy yellow?  According to the chart on p. 455 of TCB, one 8x2 pan holds 7 cups, and one 9 x 1.5 inch pan holds about 6.5 cups.  So the recipe on p.39 would probably make two 8 x 2” layers, though the batter might be a tad short.  You will have a bit less batter and your layers will not be as high as if you use the Rose factor system.

For the Rose factor, the chart on p. 490 does indicate that 9” cakes are a level 2 for baking powder while 8” cakes are level 1.  It is not a big difference, if you leave the baking powder unchanged (i.e., ignore the Rose factor adjustment), be sure to use cake strips and be sure your oven isn’t running hot.  Your layers may bake up with a rounded top rather than flat. 

If you want to adjust the baking powder so as to get a flat top to the layers, learn to use the charts. 

From the chart on p. 490, you can see that the 8” layer is a level 1 with a Rose factor of 3.5.  Next, go to the first chart on p. 492, and multiply the base recipe by the Rose factor of 3.5 to get the correct amouunt of batter (for two 8x2” layers).  Next, go to the second chart on p. 492, “Baking Powder Amounts for Yellow/White cakes.”  It indicates that you need 1.5 tsp baking powder for a level 1 cake, multiplied by the Rose factor of 3.5.  So, 1.5 x 3.5 =5.25 tsp baking powder.  Using this system, you will have a little more batter, higher layers, and an even, flat shape.

Good luck!

JULIE:
Good morning to you. The volume measurements on page 455 of the cake bible are in ~accurate. I recently posted to that effect & how it was done probably accidently by a RLB associate. They used 3.416 as Pi in doing their arithmetic. As you know Pi is 3.1416 notice the numerial “1”  was omitted. In any event the same table was shown in her new cake book. The 8X2 pan holds to the top 6.25 cups of batter. The 9X1.5 pan holds 6, cups of batter. I would think the differance is a “NO MATTER”.

  Enjoy the rest of the day.

  ~FRESHKID.

Wow, thanks for pointing that out, Caspar, I’m going to go mark my book! 

I’m so used to looking things up in the Cake Bible- I know all the page numbers- that I haven’t switched to RHC because it takes so long to find things.  Looks like I’d better bookmark the key pages in RHC!

Julie - 13 May 2010 01:56 PM

I’m going to go mark my book!

Don’t mark it yet, Julie.  My calculations validate Rose’s numbers:

Using the proper number for PI, I show an 8x2 pan is 100.5 cubic inches in volume.  Googling on the number of cubic inches per cup gives me 14.4357, therefore 100.5 cubic inches / 14.4357 cubic inches per cup is 6.96 cups, which is close enough to 7 in my book.

Thank you for the replies. I didn’t see the posts so I ripped the bandaid and went for it. its exactly how you stated, yes the batter was short, the 8” x 2” pans held a little less than 1/2 the batter. I did use bake strips and the cakes baked evenly and just barely rose to the 2inch height.

The reason why I posted was b/c I too had originally calculated 5 + tsp baking powder but the All Occasion recipe in front called for much less. So I baked the cake according to the exact ingredients in the All Occasion in the front. I figured a half inch how bad could it go?

Its my new favorite butter cake, although I only tasted the top once I torted the cake but it was devine.

I made the yellow baby grands from RCB too and the taste was more mellow and the cake was denser and had a different texture, great but for true butter taste its all occasion all the way for me.

I think I get how to use the Rose factor now. Here is the picture from my 1st order last night its from my phone. Its filled w/ a chocolate sour cream filling, french vanilla butter cream, and fondant covered w/ a chocolate monarch. Just curious what someone would pay for it becuase I think I really undercharged.

Congratulations on such a beautiful cake!  I’m so glad the downy yellow worked out for you.  When you get a chance, do try the sour cream (it is my favorite). 

I don’t know what cakes of this fine quality go for in your area, are there any bakeries that produce comparable items (all-natural cakes, labor-intensive decorating)?  Do you think you were paid for all of your time?

JULIE:
  Good afternoon to you. Julie The tables in RLB book is correct in volume measurements. But if used in oz divided by 8 for 8,oz per cup they are mis-leading.  Clearly most amateur bakers such as we are think along oz & cups. Anyway fill a 8X2 round cake pan with water & you will get 6 1/4 cups of water to fill it to the top. Have a nice day my friend.

  ~CASPAR.

Very pretty cake! 

The cake is pretty….worth a good price, but really dependent on your market.

I wish, The cake Bible have a new edition.  I do not like the idea to use the Rose’s factor.
It seems to be so confused, for whom is not good at all in math - like me!