Preparing the Layers for Frosting

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By Rose Levy Beranbaum

Published 2009

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Wedding cake layers need to be as level as possible. The layers for the Deep Chocolate Passion Wedding Cake are perfectly level, but some of the layers for the other wedding cakes such as the banana cake layers for the Tropical Wedding Cake will need to be leveled. If you need to level a cake that contains syrup, such as the cake layers for the Golden Dream Wedding Cake, first brush the layers on both sides with syrup. Reinvert the layers after you level them so that the firm bottom crust is up, which will make them easier to frost. Use a serrated knife that has a blade longer than the diameter of the cake to level it. Cake leveling knives (see Leveling Knives) also work well. Another method for leveling is to place the cake in the pan in which it was baked and use the rim of the pan as a guide for cutting with a long serrated knife. If the cake sits too low in the pan, you can raise it slightly by placing cardboard rounds underneath it.