How do I make cakes that are flat on top?

[seeker]

I want to make a cake that I can cut up into little squares to make fondant iced petit four type things out of. I have a tray bake tin that is just the right size for the recipe in the book I'm using, but the recipe is exactly the same as the victoria sponge recipe I use. Won't it rise in the middle? When I make a sponge I always have to slice a bit off the bottom one to make it flat - is there any way of avoiding this in my tray bake?

If it rises too much in the middle just slice the top off it to make it level before icing.

Tray bakes should come out a bit flatter than a round cake - but if it rises in the middle, turn it over/upside down, and try putting a weight on top to encourage it to flatten.

slightly cooler oven might do it - turn it down to 150 or so.

you turn them upside down once made!

Thanks all - going for it now!

If not too late - after you've put the cake mixture in the tin, use the back of a spoon to make a small dip in it - then when the middle rises during baking it 'should' level out. Or as others say, just turn it upside down!

Yay! Lovely and flat! Thank you all.

just out of ineterest as I'm making MIL a birthday cake tomorrow, does this apply for choolate cake as well?

I'd just slice off the top to make it flat, or make a whisked fatless sponge in a swiss roll tin, they always rice evenly.

yes lucy it does

OMDB, hello again

I'll turn it upside down in that case, daren't try chopping the top off in case I ruin it

Trim it flattish and then turn it upside-down.

Then post a piccie of your petit fours - I have never tried them!

Thanks apostrophe

I wonder why I don't know all these fascinating little tips automatically!

I'm following a very complicated recipe which involves brushing the cake with vanilla syrup then sandwiching with butter cream then chilling before dipping in 2 layers of fondant, drying and then decorating. Unfortunately I've run out of time and energy, so I've got as far as the chill phase. I'll do the rest tomorrow.

Put a baking tray with an inch of water in the bottom of the oven while cooking. It won't completely solve the problem but hopefully you'll have to cut less off, or can just do the upside down cooling thing suggested by BecauseImAWitch.

How does that work then Molly?

Something to do with the steam apparently. I read about it years ago and always do it when I bake the Christmas cake. It's not 100% perfect, but better than without and I guess would probably work better with sponge.

well, I'll add it to my book to give it a go. You never know until you try something

I've got a cake slicer which I bought from Tchibo, which works on the cheese-cutter principle. You cut the cake with the thread, set to the right height, and it's much less risky than using a knife (or is that just me?)