How to Make the Perfect Birthday Cake

By Amy Berman

A great birthday cake is the perfect "topping" for your next birthday party.

Ever since I became a professional pastry chef and opened a bakery, I've become the "go-to" girl for advice on baking for friends and family. I usually get a frantic late night phone call that goes something like this, "It's my boyfriend's birthday tomorrow, and he loves carrot cake. Help!" In my opinion you can never go wrong when a cake is baked with love, from scratch, with the best ingredients. Here are some tips that may help if you're planning to make a birthday cake soon! Amy Berman is Executive Pastry Chef & Co-Owner of Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica, California.

Tips

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Frosting, Filling & Decorating: Tips

Use an off set spatula dipped into hot water for an extra smooth finish. Whipping and warming your buttercream up a little will make it easier to work with, and look extra creamy.
Decorate by piping a cute border, adding chocolate shavings to the sides, or by adding pretty handmade fondant shapes.
Visit www.wilton.com for local cake decorating classes, tools, books, and inspiration.

Top Five Lists

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5 Steps to Make a Perfect Birthday Cake

Test:
Test your recipe first. Baking is a science, and there are variables such as oven temperature and ingredient temperature that can affect your beautiful cake.
Organize:
Organize and make sure you have all of your ingredients, so you don't have to run to the store mid-way. The French call this preparedness "mise en place" -- "everything in place."
Bake Early:
Plan ahead! Don't wait 2 hours before the party to start baking your cake. At our bakery, we bake very early in the morning so our cakes are fresh, and we have plenty of time to decorate. If you have it in you to wake up at 2 A.M. go for it! Otherwise, bake your cake the day before so you have plenty of time to assemble and decorate.
Layering:
Chilling your cake for an hour or more will make slicing easier. Score the sides of the cake with your knife first, then start slicing. This will ensure all the layers are cut evenly. You don't want a lop-sided cake. If your cake bakes a dome on top, slice it off so you have an even surface to decorate.
Frosting, Filling & Decorating:
If you are using fruit fillings, cream cheese frosting or fruit curds, it helps to create a dam around the perimeter of each layer so the filling doesn't seep out. Chill each layer before stacking the next so the dam is sturdy. It is best to use buttercream, because buttercream will become firm when chilled.
Once filled, crumb coat the exterior of the cake, and chill in the refrigerator. Crumb coating will be the base coat, before the final coat of buttercream.
Frost your cake with two coats of buttercream so you do not see any of the layers.

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