Tips to Make Great Cakes

Since one of the most popular uses for Paradise candied fruit is for baking in traditional holiday fruitcakes, we made this page of baking tips specifically devoted to baking cakes. There are many variations of fruitcake and our candied fruit can be used in many more cake recipes other than fruitcake so these are tips that can be applied to most all cake recipes.

Baking Pans

Make sure you use the size pan that is specified in the recipe you are baking. The width is measured across the top on the inside of the pan. All cooking times in the recipe are dependent on you using the correct size.

A pan that is shiny metal will reflect heat resulting in a lighter crust that is a little more tender than one cooked with a darker pan.

When you must use a dark non-stick pan or a glass baking dish, you may want to reduce the oven temperature about twenty-five degrees to reduce the risk of the crust burning.

Baking

Put the cake directly in the middle of the oven so it gets even heat. Avoid baking on two racks.

Cooling

Wire racks should be used to completely cool the cakes fresh out of the oven. Leave it in the pan for about ten minutes, then try to remove it for complete cooling on the wire rack.

Frosting

Frost the cake after it is completely cooled or you risk melting the frosting and it will not stick to the sides.

Turning a Cake into Cupcakes

Cupcakes can be a great alternative over large cakes. They are easier to bake, easier to cool, easier to frost, and easier to serve. Most cake recipes can be safely converted into cupcakes if you follow these simple instructions:

• After lining the cupcake pan with paper cups, fill the holes one-half to three-quarters full of batter.
• Bake them for sixteen to twenty minutes at 375 degrees.
• Frost after allowing them to completely cool.
• Consider that a recipe with 2-1/4 cups of flour should produce 18 to 24 cupcakes.