 A three-layer cake with a candied lemon slice on top | |
| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Main ingredients | Cake base (e.g. -sponge cake orbutter cake),icing,jam or other filling |
Alayer cake (US English) orsandwich cake (UK English)[1] is acake consisting of multiple stacked sheets of cake, held together by a filling such asfrosting,jam, or other preserves. Most cakerecipes can be adapted for layer cakes;butter cakes andsponge cakes are common choices. Frequently, the cake iscovered with icing, but sometimes, the sides are left undecorated, so that the filling and the number of layers are visible.
Popular flavor combinations includeGerman chocolate cake,red velvet cake,Black Forest cake, andcarrot cake withcream cheese icing. Manywedding cakes are decorated layer cakes.
In the mid-19th century, modern cakes were first described in English.Maria Parloa'sAppledore Cook Book, published in Boston in 1872, contained one of the first layer cake recipes. Another early recipe for layer cake was published inCassell's New Universal Cookery Book, published in London in 1894.
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Whereas in modern layer cakes, layers are generally baked to a height of around 2 inches (5.1 cm) and split horizontally, another method of preparing cake layers is used for cakes likeDobos torte andPrinzregententorte: The cake batter is baked in seven or eight separate thin layers,[2] about a half-inch thick each in the finished stack. These layers are then covered with a thin layer of cream and/or jam and stacked. This stack, which is the same height as the typical Western layer cake, is then frosted so that the structure is not visible. At first glance, these cakes look much like a Germankonditorei style cake such as the Black Forest cake.
An example for a European layer cake invented in 1735 is theFrankfurter Kranz (Frankfurt Crown Cake) which consists of two or three layers ofsponge cake filled with jam andbuttercream frosting, and then frosted with more buttercream.
The French termgâteau is used for a cake in France, and in the UK it means a layer cake. It is also used for some types of pastry-based desserts like theGâteau Basque.[3]
Layer cakes typically serve multiple people, so they are larger thancupcakes,petits fours, or other individual pastries. A common layer cake size, which is baked in nine-inch round cake pans, typically serves about 16 people,[4] but there is some variation. Some recipes suggest larger pieces with as few as 10 servings for a double-layer cake,[5] and others expect 24 servings.[6] Much smaller pieces, with as many as 32 servings for a nine-inch round layer cake, are common forwedding cake.[7][8]
Unlike the VietnameseBánh da lợn orSwiss rolls, layer cake is assembled from several separate pieces of cake. Asheet cake can become a layer cake if it is cut into pieces and reassembled with frosting or other filling to form layers.[9]
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9" – 2 layer cake. Yield: 16 servings
Keep in mind that the number of servings is subjective, dependent on the style of the cake, who is slicing it, and the size of the pieces guests request (wedding cake slices, for example, are smaller than standard sizes).
You can also convert a sheet cake recipe into a layer cake....bake the sheet cake as directed and then make a squared-off layer cake. Cut the cooled sheet cake in half crosswise to yield two layers...
