Q&A for How to Cool Cakes

Cool it upside-down on your cooling rack! These cakes are very spongy and light, and placing them upside-down prevents them from shrinking as they cool.

A cake can fall for a variety of reasons––troubleshoot by thinking about what you added to the cake or how you handled it. Given the many possibilities for a cake falling or sinking after baking, here are some common reasons why it happens: The cake was removed from the oven before it was sufficiently cooked; the cake contains too much moisture or too little; the batter contains too much sugar or fat; the leavening (often baking powder) was too old or too much/too little was used (too much creates too much air, no structure); the cooking temperature was too hot or cold; the batter was not used quickly enough and the chemical processes occurred before baking; or the cake batter was beaten too much or over-mixed.

Yes, you can put your cake in the fridge to cool, provided you let the cake cool briefly (about 5 to 10 minutes) on the countertop first. If you don’t allow a little cooling outside the fridge first, there is a risk of the cake sinking in the middle or sticking firmly to the sides of its pan. Be aware that the heat that escapes from the cake while it’s cooling may warm up other foods in your fridge. You can leave the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour before frosting it.

Conventional wisdom usually suggests leaving the baked cake in the pan for a time of somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. However, some bakers prefer to flip the cake out straight away (provided it’s not a delicate cake), to retain moisture, while other bakers wait anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before removing the cake from the pan. The answer will depend on the type of cake and learning from experience; also, the recipe will often suggest how long to keep in the pan before removal, so be sure to check for this information.

A cake should be allowed to cool fully before it is frosted. While the amount of time this will take varies depending in the size and type of cake, generally wait for at least 30 minutes/1/2 an hour but preferable wait 1 hour to 1.5 hours before attempting to frost the cake; cupcakes need about 30 to 45 minutes before they’re ready. If the cake still feels fairly warm after 30 minutes, let it cool longer, as frosting melts easily if there is residual warmth. If possible, a cake is best left for 1.5 to 2 hours before frosting, to ensure it is cold inside as well well as on its surface area. You can test for coolness by inserting a toothpick, then quickly feeling it after pulling it out; if the cake is cold, the toothpick won’t absorb any warmth but if the cake is still warm, the toothpick will also be warm.

I would recommend cooling the cake in the oven with the door open. This will help the heat from the oven reduce more quickly, which will help the cake cool faster.

You can, but some people find that it's easier to just grease the cake pan prior to pouring in the batter. (You can grease a cake pan with cooking spray or butter.)

Your frosting will melt. Make sure that it's completely cooled before attempting to decorate the cake.

You can do it the next day, but make sure to wrap up your cake to preserve it and keep it from going stale in the meantime.

That might not be enough time since the cake needs to be completely cool before you can ice it.

Yes, you can. I have done this with banana cake successfully, as the fridge was taking too long to cool it.

Let the cake first cool on the counter, then move it to the fridge for preservation.

Assuming your cake was cooked completely through, then no, it definitely shouldn't "fall through" the cooling rack. However, I think you may have misunderstood the instructions. The method that tells you to leave the cake in the pan for ten minutes then has you transfer the cake to the fridge, not the cooling rack. If you plan on using a cooling rack, then the amount of time you should leave the cake in the pan will depend on the type of cake and the instructions in the recipe.

You can use a Coke bottle, a beer bottle, or anything similar. Just make sure the bottle is either unopened or completely empty/dry.

At least an hour, but letting it cool completely before covering it is best.

If you want it completely cooled, then yes it does take that long. If you want an unfrosted cake, let it cool off for about 30 minutes.

You can place a piece of parchment paper between the cooling rack and the cake, but there still may be a small indention from the rack.

If the recipe says to refrigerate it, then put it in the fridge. If not then it doesn't matter, as long as it is completely covered so that it doesn't go stale.

It will be a little harder, but if it's completely squidgy when warm it is not fully cooked or you put too much liquid in it.

As it is a non-stick pan, this is unnecessary. It may also make the pan harder to clean and if not cleaned properly, a residue can form on the pan of a black, sticky nature that can become hard to remove over time. Parchment paper may be a better choice if you don't trust the non-stick surface to work.