The Reason Tomato Knives Are Actually Perfect For Cutting Cake
No matter what milestone you're celebrating, it's always a little sweeter with a slice of cake. Birthdays demand it, but even getting through a regular old work week can be a cake-worthy occasion, especially if you've got a boxed cake in the pantry. One reason why cakes seem so decadent and special is that it takes time to bake and decorate a whole confection. But you can spend all that time carefully frosting a cake only to cut it improperly, mangling all that hard work with the stroke of a knife.
If you want to get a picture-perfect slice of cake (and leave the rest of it looking pretty good too), reach for a serrated tomato knife to get the job done. The blade was designed to cut soft, delicate fruits without squishing, and it serves the same purpose for a soft, delicate cake.
If you don't already own a tomato knife, but you love cake, you don't need anything fancy to get the job done. A decent tomato knife can be had for around $10 to $20. In addition to producing crisp cake slices, it's also the perfect tool for tackling any soft or sticky baked goods without losing volume or structure, like croissants, muffins, and even lemon bars. It's also, of course, super handy to have when tomato season rolls around.
Surface area and blade width matters
Ask a group of bakers and you'll probably get a lot of opinions about how to properly slice a cake without upsetting its natural structure. Some people swear by using a hot knife to cut through especially thick desserts like flourless chocolate cake. An even better method for general cake slicing is to choose a relatively light, narrow blade. When you use a heavy, broad tool like a standard chef's knife, there's a lot blade that has to pass through the cake. This can collect sticky frosting and pull at the crumb of the cake, increasing your chances of destruction.
A chef's knife is also fairly thick, which is great when you're cleaving your way through a sirloin or breaking down a whole chicken, but is overkill for cake. Its weight and width will push down on the cake as you pass your knife through, which can mash the delicate, airy structure you spent all that time trying to create.
Tomato knives make a difference
A tomato knife is a thin, serrated knife that is designed to carefully tear through the skin of a ripe tomato without pulverizing its juicy, soft insides. Its slim, light, and tapered blade is also ideal for gently removing a slice from a cake. If the cake is cold or dense work the serrated edge back and forth to get through the crumb (as opposed to simply pressing down with the blade).
For a tomato knife that will also work for cake slicing, pick a model that has a decent length so that you can cut a variety of cake sizes. A 5-inch blade, for example, should do the job on cakes up to 10 inches in diameter.
Once you have your tomato slicer in hand, you can make your cuts a little easier if you chill your cake for 10 minutes in the refrigerator first. That way, the frosting is a little more solid. Also, if your cake is extra sticky (looking at you, German chocolate), use the hot knife trick: run your blade under hot water for a minute, wipe away the water, then slice. Be sure to reheat your knife in hot water for each slice. However, most of the time your tomato knife will do just fine at room temperature. Even if you get a few crumbs out of place, it will still taste good.