Baking a perfect cake is not a cakewalk. Accurate proportions and the right temperature with time are the keys to fluffy cakes that melt in your mouth. Nowadays, many people prefer to make birthday cakes or anniversary cakes at home. It is common to bake two or more cakes with one or more flavors on such occasions.
However, these are also when people usually don’t have enough time to bake cakes one after the other. So, can you bake two cakes in the oven simultaneously? Yes, it is possible to make two cakes at once. This article will discuss how you can do this and enjoy more time dancing than baking.
We will also talk about some more common questions about baking delicious cakes. So, let’s dive into the article and learn more.
How Can You Bake Two Cakes At Once?
For baking two cakes at once, you need to understand how the heat flow inside the oven works. To bake the cakes perfectly, you need to keep a few things in mind before placing them into the oven.
The most common mistake people make is placing the cakes one over the other. To get evenly baked cakes at once, you should place them on the same rack. Besides, let there be enough space between the two cake tins.
If you don’t leave some space between the two cake tins, the area around the point of contact will not receive the airflow, and the cake will be uncooked on that part. Hence, make sure that all the sides of the cake tin are well-exposed to the heat.
In addition, make sure that the cake tins are not placed too close to the walls of the oven. It can burn the sides of the cake due to excess heat. Further, rotate the outer halves of the cakes inwards once in the middle of the process.
But what if the oven isn’t big enough to keep both cakes on the same rack?
We have a solution for that too. You can place the cakes on different racks. However, there are some conditions for doing so. Placing them on different racks doesn’t allow the heat flow to be homogeneous throughout the oven.
Since the hot air is light, the heat is more on the upper rack as compared to the lower rack. Therefore, you should either swap the cakes in the middle of the heating process or let the cake placed on the lower rack stay for a bit longer in the oven (around 30 seconds).
Furthermore, place the first cake on the upper rack towards the back and the second on the lower shelf towards the front. You can also do it like – upper cake on the left and lower on the right.
Ensure that the cakes don’t coincide. Otherwise, the coinciding sides will not get sufficient heat, which will lead to uneven cooking. If you follow these instructions carefully, you can easily bake two cakes at once.
A Step-by-Step Guide To Baking Two Cakes At Once
This section will make your experience of baking two cakes a little easier and hassle-free. In this method, we are baking the cakes on different racks since it is easier and more preferred. Simply read the instructions step by step and follow them carefully.
- Begin by pouring an equal amount of cake batter into two different cake tins of the same size. Do not take different sizes, as it might make a difference in the baking time.
- Now, place the first cake tin on the left side of the upper rack and the second cake tin on the right side of the lower rack. You can position the cakes as per your choice, but don’t let them coincide.
- Note the time that the cake recipe demands for the cake to be fully cooked and swap the cakes in the middle of the process. Please be sure that the cakes are not too close to the walls of the oven as it could lead to burning.
- You also have the option to skip swapping the cakes, but in that case, you will have to let the cake on the lower rack cook for around 10 seconds more since the heat intensity is slightly lower.
- Finally, wait until the rest of the baking time is completed. Test your cake 10 to 15 minutes earlier and remove the cake from the oven when it is done.
Can You Bake More Than Two Cakes At once?
Baking more than two cakes can be done by following the same rules. You must know that baking multiple cakes is all about positioning the cakes such that all the cakes can get even exposure to the heated airflow.
If you want to bake three cakes, you can position the three cakes such that no two cakes coincide. Similarly, you can bake as many cakes as you want.
Does The Baking Time Increase?
When baking two or more cakes together, the baking time increases slightly. Sometimes, you have to give extra time to one or both cakes due to insufficient heat distribution. However, the time depends on the recipe of the cake. If you are baking a sponge cake, it will take around 30 minutes on average.
But a mud cake might take as long as 55 minutes. Therefore, you can take the middle path and do a toothpick test with your cake around 10 to 15 minutes before the due time. It will prevent the cake from burning.
Besides the recipe, the baking time of your cake will depend on its size. So if you are baking two unequal cakes, remove the smaller one before the bigger one according to its baking time.
Which Rack Is Preferable For Baking A Cake?
Since perfect baking means perfect heat distribution, the middle rack of the oven might be the perfect place to bake a cake. But when you have multiple cakes to bake, it’s okay to use other racks as long as you keep interchanging the positions of the cakes.
Can I Bake Two Flavours At Once?
Some people love chocolate cakes, while others crave butterscotch. But it can be a difficult situation if you have to bake for both simultaneously and you’re running short of time.
Surprisingly, it is not a big deal anymore. You have to prepare the two different cake batters as per your choice. Now, place a parchment paper and brush some butter in the cake mold. Now, place a thick sheet in the middle of the cake mold and pour one flavor in the first half.
Following that, pour the second flavor into the other half of the cake mold. Remove the sheet slowly to avoid mixing the middle portions. Finally, bake the cake and enjoy two flavors in one cake!
Suppose you don’t have a thick sheet that can hold the cake batter from running into the other side. You can use cardboard instead. Wrap the cardboard piece with an aluminum foil and use it in place of the sheet.
Note: Please remove the sheet or cardboard after pouring both flavors into the cake mold.
FAQs
1. Can I bake two trays of cupcakes in the oven simultaneously?
Yes, you can bake two trays of cupcakes at once by staggering the trays on different shelves. In the case of cupcakes, you can also take a big tray and increase the number of cupcakes in it.
2. Do you double the time if you double the cake batter?
No, baking double the amount will take longer but not double the time. It also depends on the thickness of the cake.
Conclusion
We have discussed how baking two cakes at once is not difficult. Instead, it saves a lot of time and effort. However, you should be careful while dealing with the heating of the cakes and rotating them. Minor negligence can cause uneven cooking or, in some cases burning of the cake.
Baking multiple cakes one by one can be very time time-consuming. Therefore, most people still prefer to bake a single cake at a time because it’s easy and convenient. But if you bake your cakes with the tricks mentioned in the article, you can treat your friends and family to their favorite flavors in a shorter time.