I have been trying to make cakes, and they are just uneven, but I do only use a 9 ince pan, but they just don't look right, every recipe I try messes up (marshmallow fluff icing) Ugggg, and then I don't know to work with fondant, I am soooo ready to give up!!

Have you ever been at this point and if so what pull you up and out!!!?

When you say they aren't even, do you mean when they first come out of the pan or after you trim them flat?

Try baking at a lower temp. That will make for a more even raise so you don't have to cut off so much to make it level.

And yes, I do feel like throwing in the cake towel sometimes... like every Friday about 10pm!

Are you using a box mix or a scratch recipe

Jibbies

If it's not "cutting thru", it sounds like the top of the cake is overbaked? A little on the "tough" side? I encountered this when I first got my convection oven but once I added a pan of water in the oven during baking, the tops of the cakes weren't hard anymore.

Do you use baking strips? This helps the cakes rise more evenly and you don't have to trim off as much. You might try reducing your oven temp a bit.

I do bake them at 350, they are boxed cakes that are doctored, and I do have the baking strips!!
Should I freeze it a bit b4 cutting the top off?

I am strictly a box mix baker. everytime I have tried a doctored or scratch mix it's a flop. Try baking a straight box mix and see what happens. As far as cutting the top (hump) off. I use a long bread knife that I rest on the dge of the pan and cut all the way around, it works better that either one of the Wilton levelers. I cool 15 min, level and then turn out on a cake rack.
Hope this helps.

Jibbies

I think i'd question your recipe...perhaps there is too much liquid in the doctored recipe? I had that problem and I solved it by adding 1/4 cup flour per box mix.

Another problem could be that you are beating too much air into the batter, or you have an oven with uneven heat distribution. (I use one of those Pampered Chef baking stones on the rack under the one with the cake pans. It helps even out the heat)

Try again, and experiment with the above suggestions and maybe with lowering the oven temp a bit.

Also- what kind of leveler do you have? the Wilton one with a wire is a peice of junk!

HTH

I use the Wilton wire leveler and love it. I never have any problems with it. But you can't just drag it through the cake. You need to use a "sawing" back and forth motion. If I have a crusty edge, I just lay a bread knife flat on the wire and cut into the cake a little to get it started. On the other side I put my hand as support so the wire can break through the cake in between my fingers. I'm worthless at leveling just with the knife.

Try the recipe for White Almond Sour Cream cake and all its variations to doctor your cake mix and see how that works. It's a never fail recipe for me.