The Best Type Of Knife To Use For Trimming Cake Layers

Cakes are used as celebration tools for many occasions. A few that immediately come to mind are wedding cakes, graduation desserts, and birthday party treats. When you order a cake from an esteemed bakery, the staff knows how to maintain its appearance from the store to the event without tipping or falling apart. If you're baking your own cake, you'll want to learn the industry's secrets, lest all your hard work could be ruined before the party begins.

According to Sugar, the first civilization to celebrate birthdays was the Ancient Egyptians. They integrated sweets into their parties, though they were more cookie-like than cake-like. As far as actual cake is concerned, Ancient Rome and Greece were among the first to serve the treat at weddings and birthdays. The practice of adding candles began in the 1700s, and in 1881 Switzerland, these candles were blown out one at a time to indicate each year since birth, similar to how the world celebrates today.

In Ancient times, however, the secrets to perfecting a cake probably weren't well known. Per Simmer + Sauce, the method you use to cut a cake can prevent it from falling over or becoming lopsided. This is a step many might not consider, but it's essential for keeping your layered cake upright.

This knife is great for layering and cutting cake

Have you ever wondered how bakeries prevent layered cakes from becoming lopsided? Per Simmer + Sauce, you should always remove the outer edge from each layer before frosting the cake. If the top of any layer comes out bulged, you'll want to remove the excess amount to ensure all the layers are perfectly flat. A serrated knife is the best tool to get the job done.

According to King Arthur Baking, serrated knives are also the best option to slice pieces of cake for serving. One such knife with a serrated edge is one that's generally used to cut tomatoes; because they have wide teeth they work well for cutting cakes. These knives leave clean cuts through cakes without ripping them or dragging off an excess of frosting. It's also simple to use, as it requires minimal pressure to work its way through the layers. If you bake cakes often, a good serrated knife is a worthy investment, as it can be used to level a cake and cut it as well.