Learn 3 easy ways to bake flat cake layers; no dome, no waste, no fancy tools. My favorite method uses something you already have at home!
Published: March 27, 2025 by Pamela
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
When you’re making a layered cake, you want your layers to be as flat as possible. A big dome in the center can throw everything off. I know what you’re thinking, you can always just cut the dome off and use it to make cake pops or another small treat, which is true if you are satisfied with the height of your cake layer.
But here’s the thing: that dome isn’t extra cake. It’s cake that’s shifted upward instead of spreading evenly across your pan. You’re actually losing some of the height you want in your layer. And let’s be real, tall cakes always look better, give you more servings, and are just easier to decorate.
So if there’s a way to bake flat layers from the start, why not try it? Let me show you 3 different methods that will help you cake flat cake layers easily (my favorite method will not cost you anything extra because you already have that tool at home), plus a few tips and tricks!
What you need to bake flat cake layers?
- An Old Towel (Yes, that’s it!). Don’t have an old towel, or a towel you can use? I will explain other methods as well.
How do you get your cake to bake flat?
Here are the 3 different methods:
1. The Towel Method (My Favorite):
This is the method I always use. All you need is an old towel, one you were probably going to toss anyway. Just cut it into long strips that fit around your cake pans.
Before baking, dip the towel strips in water, then squeeze out the extra so they’re really damp but not soaking wet. Wrap each strip around your cake pan and hold it in place by tying it or using a clip or safety pin.
A lot of people ask me if the towels will burn; No, they won’t burn as long as the towels don’t touch the oven’s heat source, like the bottom flame in a gas oven or the electric coil. Just make sure it’s not dangling or too loose. To be extra safe, place your pan on a baking tray.
From there, bake as usual.
2. The Foil and Paper Towel Method:
I haven’t tried this one myself, but I’ve seen a lot of bakers use it. You take a damp paper towel, wrap it in aluminum foil, and use that strip around the pan like you would the towel.
It kind of works the same way, keeps the pan edges cool so the cake bakes flat. The only downside for me is that it’s not reusable. If you bake a lot, that means you’ll keep going through paper towels and foil, which adds up over time.
3. Baking Strips:
There are also pre-made baking strips you can buy online. I haven’t used them personally, but they look neat and clean, and I’ll admit, they’d probably look nicer in my videos than the towel strips 😂
But honestly, I’ve never felt the need to buy them. The towel method works just fine for me, and I love that so many people discovered it through one of my videos. Still, if you’d rather buy something ready to go, these are one of the most popular option, and they are by Wilton, a brand I trust and would use myself.
These methods work for any kind of cake, not just one specific recipe. I use the towel method every time I’m baking a layer cake, you can actually see me doing this in my vanilla cake recipe, my Oreo funfetti cake video, and pretty much every layer cake I make (sometimes I just don’t film it in my recipes). It’s become something I never skip because I’ve seen the difference it makes and I am always disappointed if I ever skip this step.
Extra Tips to get flat layers:
Here’s a little routine I like to follow that helps even more with flat, even cake layers:
- After mixing the batter, I let it sit in the bowl for about 10 minutes. This will help the air bubbles come to the surface.
- Then I pour it into the pans and let it rest for another 5 minutes. You’ll start to see some air bubbles rise to the top of the pan as well.
- Then I tap the pans on the counter (I add a towel between the counter and the pan so I don’t cause any damage) a few times to pop those bubbles.
- After that, I wrap the pans with the damp towel strips and bake.
These extra tips will help all the trapped air bubbles come to the surface and pop before baking, if you bake a cake with air bubbles trapped in the batter, you will actually see them when you bake the cake (they will form small holes in the cake).
Instructions to bake flat cakes:
- Start by pouring your cake batter into your prepared pans, and by prepared, I mean using something like my cake pan release recipe.
- I also like to weigh my pans after filling them to make sure the batter is evenly divided. It’s a simple yet extra step that will help you get even layers.
- Now take your wet towel strips and wrap one around each cake pan. Make sure it’s tight and won’t fall off. You want it to stay in place while baking.
- Place your cake pans on a baking tray and bake as usual. For the recipe in this article, I baked the cakes at 165°C (330°F) for 40 minutes.
- Once they’re done, take them out of the oven and carefully remove the towel strips (they’ll be hot, so watch your fingers). Let the cakes cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes before taking them out of the pans.
After the cakes have cooled a bit, flip them onto a baking rack and let them cool completely.
Quick fyi, even if the cakes come out flat, I still like to trim the top. Remember, domes aren’t extra cake, they just take height away from your layers. I trim the top because I always add simple syrup to my cakes, and also because the slices look cleaner without that top crust.
If you tried this method, be sure to leave a rating and share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to hear your feedback!
How To Bake Flat Cake Layers
Equipment
- 1 Old Towel
Instructions
- Grab an old towel you don’t use anymore. Cut it into long strips, wide enough to cover the sides of your cake pans. You only need one strip per pan.
- Pour your cake batter into greased pans (I use my cake pan release). I like to weigh each pan to make sure the batter is divided evenly so the layers bake the same.
- Wrap a damp towel strip around each cake pan. Make sure it’s snug and secure so it stays in place while the cakes bake.
- Place the pans on a baking tray and bake as directed. For the recipe in this post, I baked at 165°C (330°F) for 40 minutes. Once they’re done, carefully remove the towel strips (they’ll be hot!) and let the cakes cool for around 10 minutes (or more if needed).
- Flip the cakes out onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely. I like to trim the tops even if they look flat, it helps when I soak them in syrup, and it makes the final slice look smoother.
Leave a Reply