It is known that before you start decorating the assembled cake, you need to align it, that is, get a product covered with a layer of cream that hides its possible defects. Is it possible to align the cake on my own, in the home kitchen, using the available means at hand? As experienced home-made confectioners assure, this is quite possible. There are many ways to cover the surface of the cake with an even layer of cream, which the hostesses are happy to share. How to align a cake at home? Let's talk about this in our article.
How to align the cake?
This method is one of the most convenient and popular. We invite you to familiarize yourself with those who are interested in the question: how to align the cake with cream.
They act like this: first, gently cut the cakes and collect the cake. The next step is directly coating and leveling the product with a cream.
What tools will be needed?
To level the cake, you will need certain tools. Prepare:
- metal spatula (20–33 cm long);
- scraper;
- a spoon for ice cream (you can use a dispenser or a pastry bag);
- a rotating table (without it, you can also do for those who rarely have to decorate cakes, but if the hostess does this regularly, such a table can significantly facilitate her work);
- mat (non-slip) - it will help fix the product on the table;
- rubber spatula;
- an additional bowl (necessary for collecting cream mixed with crumbs);
- cake (assembled);
- cream (any).
How to act
We offer step-by-step instructions for those who do not know how to level the cake. The process is not particularly difficult, even a beginner can handle it. You just need to familiarize yourself with the step-by-step description of the technology and some recommendations.
Workshop on how to level the cake: start
First of all, for 5 minutes, using a hand mixer, whip the cream at low speed (this eliminates the presence of air bubbles in it). Then the cake is covered with a thin layer of cream (80 g), due to which all the crumbs are fixed and the possibility of their penetration into the main cream layer (decorative) is excluded.
Coat the cake
Next, the cream is placed in the very center of the top of the cake. Using a spatula from the center, it is distributed to the edges. Cream going beyond the cake is coated on the sides. In this way, the product is coated completely so that every millimeter of its surface is covered with a thin cream layer.
Tip one
Those who want to learn how to level the cake should take into account that, if necessary, fill in an additional portion of the cream, in no case should you use a spatula, which was coated. Numerous crumbs can remain on it, which can significantly spoil the appearance of the product.
Remove excess cream from the top
Next, the excess cream should be removed from the edges of the top of the cake. To do this, a spatula lead from the edges to the center of the dessert, and the creamy excess is removed in a special separate dish. Cream from the top is collected several times, until all excess from the edges has left, and the top of the cake is covered with a sufficiently thin cream layer.
One more tip
If there is excess cream on the tool, do not remove it by wiping the spatula on one of the corners of the cake (often inexperienced housewives use the angle formed between the side of the cake and its top). It is better to remove the excess cream in an empty container, and if necessary, take it from there, using it exclusively to cover the base (very first) layer.
Align the sides
At this point, cream surplus is removed from all sides of the cake. To do this, use a scraper. They put it so that between the tool and the sides of the dessert an angle of 90 degrees is formed, and begin to scrape, removing the excess cream. After removing the excess, they should be removed in a separate bowl, which has already been mentioned (see above). The resulting "naked cake" is removed in the cold - the cream should seize and securely fasten all the crumbs.
Third recommendation
When working with a scraper, you should apply enough forces necessary to remove excess cream. But at the same time, experienced housewives recommend not overdoing it: with a sharp scraper, with carelessness, you can cut the cake.
Decorative alignment
Next, the cake is taken out of the refrigerator, about 115 g of cream is placed on top of it with a measuring spoon. This amount of cream is enough to cover the surface of the cake with a diameter of 15 cm. If the product is larger, the used volume of the cream should be increased.
At this stage, it is convenient to use a pastry syringe or a bag with a round nozzle. Fill the bag (syringe) and evenly cover the top, sides of the cake with cream, drawing them longitudinal lines so that in the future it is easier to evenly distribute the mass throughout the cake. In this case, you need to move the spatula from the center of the product to the edges. The thickness of the cream layer can be anything, the main thing is a complete and uniform coating of the entire surface. Cream that goes beyond the top is smeared on the sides.
First, coat the sides of the cake from the bottom, then rise higher. Excess cream rising above the upper edge of the product will subsequently be used to level its top.
If necessary, add cream, fill it with a rubber spatula and put on another metal (working) spatula. This should be done very carefully to avoid damage to the base layer of the cream and crumbs getting into it.
We work with a scraper again
Next to the surface of the cake, evenly coated with cream, a scraper is installed strictly vertically. The turntable begins to rotate, while the arm should remain motionless. Pressing the squeegee hard is not recommended, since at this stage the mistress is faced with the task of precisely leveling the cake (excess cream has already been collected). Walk around the cake with a scraper two or three times.
Lubricate bumps
Aligning the sides, clean with a clean, dry spatula all remaining bumps. Then again take a scraper (dry, clean) and level the cream layer with it.
Finishing touches
Next, clean the top of the product. Holding the spatula strictly horizontally, the excess cream is lubricated, moving from the edges to the center. Then they go around the entire circumference. The spatula should be cleaned of cream before each new action. The resulting cake with a flat top and sides is ready for further decoration.
About the benefits of cream cheese
Often, young housewives are interested in how to align the cake with cream cheese. Homemade confectioners call this product a real super cream, suitable both for a layer of cakes (biscuit), and for leveling cakes. In addition, it is readily used to create delicious cupcake tops.
The cream is made from three ingredients: cream cheese, butter or cream (from 33%) and powdered sugar. This product does not flow in the heat, so it is very convenient for them to align the cakes. Experienced confectioners assure that the use of cream cheese for smoothing the surface of the dessert is no different from the use of its analogues.
Before you start working with this product, you need to take the cream out of the refrigerator for about 15 minutes so that it warms up a little, otherwise it will be inconvenient to use it. Also, in the process of leveling the housewives recommend occasionally sending the cake in the refrigerator so that the cream layer hardens. The cream cheese is frozen, it is covered with mousse desserts, the product is used for mastic, and it is also filled with colored glaze.