How to Evenly Slice a Cake in Half
Cutting a cake into two perfectly even halves for a layer cake requires plenty of patience and practice. For cakes with four or more layers, professional bakers typically use one cake for two layers, slicing horizontally through the center of each one. While professionals have plenty of training to do it with ease and precision, it can prove challenging for novice bakers, often resulting in a lopsided, uneven cake. Using a ruler and marking each cake at the halfway mark on all sides makes it easier to divide them into even layers.
Things You'll Need
- Baking sheet
- Serrated knife
- Ruler
Instructions
-
Place a freshly baked and cooled cake in the refrigerator on a flat baking sheet to chill for about an hour. This will firm the cake up slightly to make it easier to cut evenly.
-
Trim off the rounded top of the chilled cake with a serrated knife, holding it parallel to the cake as you slowly cut through with a sawing motion. The top of the cake should now be perfectly flat.
-
Place a ruler on one side of the cake to help you determine exactly where the halfway point is. Make a small mark on the cake with the knife at that point, then rotate the cake a quarter turn and make another mark. Repeat with the other two sides of the cake.
-
Line the serrated knife up to one of the marks you made. The knife should be parallel to the counter. Place your non dominant hand flat on top of the cake and slowly slice into the cake a few inches with a gentle, sawing motion. Keep the knife flat at all times.
-
Pull the knife back and out rotate the cake a quarter turn the next mark you made. Repeat cutting into the cake just a few inches on the next two sides.
-
Slice all the way through center when you reach the first mark on the cake to connect all the cuts you made, completely cutting the cake in half.
-
Lift the top half of the cake from the bottom of the cake gently with your hands and turn it over onto the counter with the freshly cut side up. Run the serrated knife against the top of both cake halves to smooth out their surfaces.
Baking Basics
- What is cooking dough?
- Spring Wheat Vs. Winter Wheat Flour
- Can Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers Be Frozen Before Baking?
- What is all purpose flour in the UK please?
- Mister Loaf Instructions (4 Steps)
- How to Make Flour From Wild Potatoes (8 Steps)
- Does Using Egg Whites Make a Cake Taste Like Flour?
- What do you need to make a custom cake pan look like something other than chickenwing for example?
- How do you make almond oil?
- Where can I find baking classes in the Tulsa Oklahoma area?
Baking Basics
- Bakeware
- Baking Basics
- Baking Techniques
- Cooking Techniques
- Cooking Utensils
- Cookware
- Easy Recipes
- Green
- Produce & Pantry
- Spices
