There’s something undeniably magical about a towering, show-stopping cake that leaves everyone in awe, but what if your cake pans just aren’t deep enough to create the towering masterpiece you envision? Fear not, for parchment paper holds the key to making your cake dreams come true thanks to a little thing called a cake collar.
Cake collars are simply strips of parchment paper that are taller than your cake pan. By lining the sides of your pan with these parchment strips and securing them with butter, you can add height to your cake pan, allowing your cake to bake taller without toppling over. It’s essentially taking the time to line not only the bottom of the cake pan but the sides, too, while extending the walls of the pan.
The magic behind this cake collar technique is all about containing the cake batter within the parchment paper walls. The parchment collar acts as a barrier, allowing the cake to rise vertically without collapsing outward. This baking prep step creates a tall, perfectly baked cake with a delightful, uniform texture.
Tips for constructing a cake collar
To use a parchment cake collar, cut a strip of parchment paper that’s tall enough to extend above the sides of your cake pan by a few inches and wide enough to wrap around the circumference of your pan and create a sturdy collar. Grease the inside of your cake pan with a thin layer of butter or cake release spray — which combines butter and flour — to grease your pan. This will help the parchment paper adhere to the sides and stay in place during baking. Carefully place the parchment strip inside the pan, ensuring it adheres to the buttered surface. Secure the ends of the parchment strip with a dab of butter or oil to keep it in place, overlapping them to ensure no gaps, then pour your cake batter into the prepared pan as usual.
Bake your cake according to your recipe’s instructions and prepare to be amazed. The parchment collar will contain the batter, allowing it to rise without spilling over, resulting in a beautifully tall and evenly baked masterpiece. So, the next time you’re yearning for a taller cake, embrace the parchment paper magic of cake collars and get ready to slice into your tallest cake yet.
