3D pans are a really easy way
to bake a showstopping cake. But since you probably don't
bake using a 3D pan that often, let's do a quick review. First of all, you should
always read the instructions for the specific 3D pan you're
using before you start baking, because each 3D pan is a
little bit of a different size, so it requires a different
amount of cake batter, a different baking time,
a different cooling time. You get the point. Set yourself up for success
by reviewing your instructions before you actually start. And you can download PDFs of
all of our 3D pan instructions at Wilton.com. Now you're definitely
going to want to use a firm textured cake batter. I suggest pound
cake, and here's why. Pound cake is
thicker and denser, so your finished cake
will be more sturdy. Definitely use a pound
cake, whether that's a scratch recipe, a
boxed pound cake mix, or you can modify a standard
cake mix into a denser pound cake recipe. And I'll post the instructions
on how to do that below. To prepare your
pans for baking, you have a few different options. You can brush the inside of
the pan with cake release. You can brush the insides of the
pan well with solid vegetable shortening, and then
sprinkle with flour. Or you can spray generously with
Bake Easy or another pan spray. But keep in mind, no
matter which method you do, you have to get every
single inch covered well, including the
nooks and crannies, so that your cake
will come out cleanly. Now if the pan that you're
using calls for kitchen twine, you're looking for this stuff. It's oven-safe. And it's really important to
use if your pan calls for it. You'll use it to tie
two pans together, so that the pans don't
displace while baking. If you don't use it,
the cake might bake up and actually force
the top off, which would create a misshapen cake. So don't skip the twine. If your instructions
call for a cookie sheet, place the pan onto
a cookie sheet before sliding it
in the oven, to keep the pan stable during baking. To check for
doneness, some pants have a hole punched
in them, as you can see here on my lamb pan. I suggest using a cake
tester with a 3D pan because it's longer, but
you can use a toothpick. The long cake tester
is good because it will get all the way into
the center of a baked cake-- the part that takes the longest
to bake through-- to make sure it's completely done. Now for cooling. Cooling is the next
most important thing next to using a
pound cake, in terms of making sure that your cake is
strong, sturdy, and stands up. Follow the cooling
instructions for your pan. And don't hurry
the cooling time. This allows the cake to set
up before you decorate it, so that it's strong
and sturdy and stays put where it's supposed to be. Again, follow the instructions. And if needed, after your
cake is completely cooled, you can trim the bottom of
the cake with a serrated knife so that it will sit
level on your cake board. For more inspiration
and instructions for all of our 3D
pans, visit Wilton.com.