Layer Cakes

Except perhaps for rolled cakes, layer cakes are the most dramatic and require the most skill to put together. There are, however, several approaches used by professional bakers that you can use also that make it much easier to assemble elegant and impressive cakes. Here, I’ve divided cake assembly into two basic methods—by hand or in a mold. To assemble a cake by hand means to finish the cake either by holding it in one hand while applying frosting with the other, or by setting the cake on a revolving cake stand. Raspberry buttercream layer cake is an example of assembling a cake by holding it in one hand; devil’s food cake with ganache, chocolate buttercream, and chocolate curls and chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate filling and hazelnut buttercream show how to assemble a cake by using a cake stand.