Lesson 3 of 5 · Cake Baking & Decorating

Leveling, filling and stacking

  • Free video
  • Beginner
  • Cakes & Cupcakes
  • 5 min
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Video by The Lindsay Ann on YouTube: “Cake Decorating 101 (Part 1): How to Level, Tort, Fill & Stack a Layer Cake // Lindsay Ann Bakes” Watch on YouTube ↗

What you'll learn

Lesson 3 of 5

Level and tort cake layers, fill them without bulging, and stack a straight cake that's ready for frosting.

  • Chilled layers cut cleanly and crumb less
  • Pipe a buttercream dam to hold soft fillings
  • Put the last layer bottom-side up for a flat top

Ingredients for this lesson

Madagascar Vanilla Extract, 4 oz BottleVanillaGoods$19.00
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Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Grade A, 5 BeansVanillaGoods$15.00
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Tahitian Vanilla Extract, 2 oz BottleVanillaGoods$16.00
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Lesson notes from VanillaGoods

Leveling and torting

Cool layers completely; chilling them for 30 minutes makes them firmer and easier to cut. Use a long serrated knife or cake leveler and a turntable, turning the cake against the blade rather than sawing through it.

Filling and stacking

  • Anchor the first layer to the board with a dab of frosting
  • Pipe a ring of stiff buttercream around the edge before adding soft fillings like jam or curd
  • Keep each filling layer even, about 1/4–1/2 inch
  • Place the top layer upside down so the flat bottom becomes the top

Watch for

If the stack leans, chill it 15 minutes before frosting. A level, cold cake is the foundation of a smooth finish.

← Lesson 2Next: The crumb coat →

Tools for this lesson

The equipment that makes this easier. VanillaGoods vanilla is always our own; these tools are from Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that fit what you're learning.

Put it into practice

Bake along with a VanillaGoods recipe that uses this technique.

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