Why Did No One Tell Me About Cake Strips?

I was watching a YouTube video about buttercream frosting yesterday1 when I was recommended this video, from the Preppy Kitchen channel:

If you don’t want to watch, the host shows off cake strips, which are water-soaked cloth (or tinfoil-wrapped paper towels) that go around the outside of a cake pan to cool it off.

The theory is that by cooling the outside you give it a chance to rise evenly with the rest of the cake before it hardens.

I saw this literally just after bemoaning the shape of the top and sides of a cake, so I haven’t had a chance to try it.

I was at first disappointed that there weren’t any cake strip crochet patterns on Ravelry, but now it’s a chance for me to make my own and publish it! Cotton yarn should hold up in the oven. I just need to look into extra-absorbent stitches.

  1. I got compliments on the frosting, by the way, so I may make Chelsweets’ buttercream frosting recipe my go-to in the future.