My cakes the last month have been coming out like they have been split around the middle. (Trying my best to describe) it's almost like two cakes stacked only at it's worst times it's actually split into the cake some or the sides want to pull off of the cake. I've been doing this three years now and have always used box mixes so yes my mix is consistant and I don't over spray (at least I don't think so) I just coat the pan with the flour/baking spray mix. I hold one arm straight over my giant trash can and the other hand is up about a foot to spray and mist the pan to not get heavy spots or pooling. I haven't had a cake with a smooth side in a couple of months and it's sooo frustrating!! Of course it gets iced, etc. but I hate knowing that that is what it looks like when someone cuts into it. I want straight lines of frosting and cake...as we should Anyone know why this is happening and any suggestions? THANKS!

If you don't already, I would suggest and inverted flower nail as a heating core. Also, check your oven temperature with a reliable thermometer.

I too was going to suggest an oven thermometer. Sounds like its to hot. Sometimes I add a small pan of water to add moisture. Give it a try.

You can also use or make baking strips which are saturated in water and wrapped around the pan.

good luck.

It definately sounds like the oven is much too hot.
Have you truned the temp down? What temp are you setting it for?
I don't think how you spray the pan has any bearing on it.
A good quality thermometer is indeed call for here

Do the cakes come out of the oven like this or does it happen after you invert them out of the pans? Does it only happen with the larger sized cakes or all of them?

I also recommend lowering the oven temp to 325 deg. (oven rack in the middle of the oven) and try the bake even strips if you don't already use them.

Good luck, I hope you figure out what's going on, sooo frustrating to hit a bump in the road though.

Thanks for the tips! Yes I do use a flower nail. The crazy thing about this is I am using the same oven, same temp, same mix and same spray and pan and now they are suddenly doing this! ARG! That's why I'm SO thrown off.

Back to ur ques. Yes, they are coming out of the pan that way. They are split horizontally around the cake almost always right in the middle all the way around. It's the craziest thing. I guess my oven could be fritzing on the temp now and wasn't before? I'll check that too.

Thanks for the tips! Yes I do use a flower nail. The crazy thing about this is I am using the same oven, same temp, same mix and same spray and pan and now they are suddenly doing this! ARG! That's why I'm SO thrown off.

Back to ur ques. Yes, they are coming out of the pan that way. They are split horizontally around the cake almost always right in the middle all the way around. It's the craziest thing. I guess my oven could be fritzing on the temp now and wasn't before? I'll check that too.