I find myself in need of square pans and have already decided on either FatDaddio or Magic Line. Now my issue is pan depth.
My Wilton instructor swore by pans that had a depth of 3 inches. Hated baking with anything that was 2 in. Not really sure why, but am guessing because for one cake she only had to use one pan and then torted it.
I've read at least one person here on CC complaining about 3 in. depth, and would only use 2 in. But at the time I didn't think to ask why and I can't remember what thread that was in.
I use my round 8 x 3 Wilton all the time and have no problems with baking in a 3, but also use 2 in. and bake two layers, depending on circumstances.
Now, the thing is, if I stick with baking in a 3 in., I only have to buy half as many pans as I would in 2 in. because I can torte into two layers rather than baking two separate layers.
However, is there some problem with a 3 that I haven't stumbled across? Would rather buy 2 of each 2 in. size now, than have to do it later after already buying all the 3's.
Anybody have any advice? I have thought about this so much I now have a headache! *LOL*
I have always used 2" pans. The only 3"ers I used was a 3-pc set of contours (rounded top edge) .
It takes longer to bake the 3". More chance for error on getting the cake baked all thru. And, even torted and filled I never got anywhere near 4 to 4 1/2" height I can get from two 2" layers.
It's all about learning how much batter to add to the pan; how long to bake and what *you* like your finished cake to look like.
I only have 3 inch pans. You can collar them to get the 4 inches including the 1/2 inch for the filling.
I can't be bothered baking everything 2 times. For me, it's easier to just bake once. I just use a heating core or a rose nail.
I think you should experiement before you start making major purchases. You can rent 3 inch pans from bakeries and give them a try. It's all up to personal preferrences.
Hi,
SkisInOkinawa, could I ask what you mean by collar them? Sorry if this seems like a silly question.
I use 3" pans, and having been having a bit of a dilemma. Basically I have two great recipes that both bake really well in 3" pans, and I have never had to use a heating core or anything. Trouble is, they both dome quite a bit, and when I level them off they are probably only just over 2". So when I was torting, filling and covering in fondant, the finished cake was slightly under 4". So I then thought I would try baking two cakes, and that way I could get them to exactly the right height. My only issue with this is it just feels like a lot of waste, and obviously double the cost. However, I read a thread on CC yesterday, and I think there are several people that bake two cakes using 3" pans.
Pauline
Hi,
SkisInOkinawa, could I ask what you mean by collar them? Sorry if this seems like a silly question.
I use 3" pans, and having been having a bit of a dilemma. Basically I have two great recipes that both bake really well in 3" pans, and I have never had to use a heating core or anything. Trouble is, they both dome quite a bit, and when I level them off they are probably only just over 2". So when I was torting, filling and covering in fondant, the finished cake was slightly under 4". So I then thought I would try baking two cakes, and that way I could get them to exactly the right height. My only issue with this is it just feels like a lot of waste, and obviously double the cost. However, I read a thread on CC yesterday, and I think there are several people that bake two cakes using 3" pans.
Pauline
Not a silly question at all. Collaring is when you take parchment paper and grease one side with a light coating of crisco so that it adheres to the inside of the pan. You want a good 4 to 5 inch width strip of parchment to fit the entire circle of the pan and overlap at least 2 inches in length. You just grease the over flap and make sure it is sticking well before filling the pan. In effect, you are raising the height of the pan and the parchment allows the cake to crawl up the sides and grow higher.
Your goal is to raise the cake height to 4 inches, so you will overfill your pan with batter, but not too much. You do not want to create a monster cake. LOL. I wish I could give you exact measurements, but I never measure. You will fill the pan a bit more than 2/3rds full. I always use a rose nail when I collar. Make sure you center your rack in the oven to accomodate the extra height of the collar.
Now you are talking about your doming issue. I definitely recommend the Wilton bake even strips. I think they are essential to my cake baking. Just my opinion, many others do well without them. But for me, I would not bake a cake without it. You just soak them in cold tap water and squeeze out excess and wrap around the top edge of your pan evenly and pin in place. They prevent the doming effect.
And if you still cannot get the right height even with collaring, why not try a double tort? Cut 2 layers out of your 3 inch and fill with BC. Not a lot, but it would give you a good half inch of extra height and it also looks so very professional to have a cake torted 2x. To me, it's like cutting into it and seeing another beautiful element to the cake. Makes it more posh, to copy my English friends way of putting it. 
Hope I've given you some ideas to explore. Practice and experimenting are a fun part of caking too! 
SkisInOkinawa - I have never really bakes with a rose nail or heating core( though I have both). How would I use them specifically. Do I nest them in the middle of the batter after I fill the cake, half way in to baking?
I appreciate your input. Everyone has great ideas and I love getting great tips from everyone here. You have ALL saved me a great deal or time and some money!
Also on the bake even strips. You wrap them around the outside of the pans and pin them? Pin them with a safety pin? Do they come in different sizes?
Thanks!
Trish
SkisInOkinawa - I have never really bakes with a rose nail or heating core( though I have both). How would I use them specifically. Do I nest them in the middle of the batter after I fill the cake, half way in to baking?
I appreciate your input. Everyone has great ideas and I love getting great tips from everyone here. You have ALL saved me a great deal or time and some money!
Also on the bake even strips. You wrap them around the outside of the pans and pin them? Pin them with a safety pin? Do they come in different sizes?
Thanks!
Trish
Trish, I take a rose nail and grease and flour it as I do my pans. Tap off excess as normal. Lay the nail head flat in the center of the pan and pour your batter around it. I drop my cake pans at least 20 times to get as many air bubbles as I can out of the batter. It is annoying, but it works. If the rose nail shifts, gently move it back to the center. Bake as normal. Pull it out as soon as it comes out of the oven, let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes, dump out onto your surface, plate, cakeboard whatever..., then let rest/cool another 10 minutes, wrap with Reynolds plastic wrap and let come to room temp. Perfectly moist, non crumbly cake every time!
For the heating core, you grease and flour the outside and inside. You put it in the center of the pan, and fill the batter around it. You will put some batter inside, that equals the level of batter outside the core. Once baked, let it cool, pop out the center cake from the core and plug your main cake hole. Voila! If it fits too tall, trim it until it fits.
I take the bake even strips and wrap them around the outside of the pan and use the T pin it comes with to pin it in place around the top edge of the pan. Bake as normal. Yes, the come in different sizes. If they do not fit, you just use an extra strip to make it longer, so that it will fit the pan.
Please keep those T pins in a safe place. I worry about children playing with or choking on them. I also worry about them falling in my cake batter somehow. I keep them put away as soon as I am done with them. I guess I am a worrier, I always keep my hair pulled up, hands washed, and wear a clean apron because I am afraid of anything falling into the cake. I think I would pass out if someone found a hair in one of my cakes. I gag at the thought! I cannot stand people coming in and out of my kitchen when I have an open bowl of batter. -- Did I just confess to a freakish obsession? 
LOL. Um, back to the subject...Those darn T pins. I will confess that they bothered me so much, I got rid of them and use large safety pins instead. Ha! 
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the added questions, too. Only CC has given me the confidence to decide that this is really what I want to do when I grow up! (Yes, I'm 36. Shut up. *LOL*)
I love the collaring idea. I might try it this afternoon with 8 x 3 and 12 x 3 rounds this afternoon just to see what happens.
I've also double torted in the past to raise the cake height, but I've only done that with a single cake. When you start stacking things, does that make it less stable? Does stability in that case depend on the filling you use? I live in fear of collapsing cake, but I really, really, really hate baking in two pans.
Hmmm. Maybe if I'm feeling adventurous today, I'll take my rounds, double tort them, stack them, and then drive them around for half an hour to see what happens! *LOL*
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the added questions, too. Only CC has given me the confidence to decide that this is really what I want to do when I grow up! (Yes, I'm 36. Shut up. *LOL*)
I love the collaring idea. I might try it this afternoon with 8 x 3 and 12 x 3 rounds this afternoon just to see what happens.
I've also double torted in the past to raise the cake height, but I've only done that with a single cake. When you start stacking things, does that make it less stable? Does stability in that case depend on the filling you use? I live in fear of collapsing cake, but I really, really, really hate baking in two pans.
Hmmm. Maybe if I'm feeling adventurous today, I'll take my rounds, double tort them, stack them, and then drive them around for half an hour to see what happens! *LOL*
Oh goodie! I love it when people are adventureous! 
Yes, do give it a try and let us know how it goes. And don't forget to hit those speed bumps too! LOL!
Yes, when you stack and tort you are creating possible instability. That's when using a good support system comes into play. Everyone talks about SPS, I believe is what it is called. I bet those gals don't sweat it.
There are so many variables that cause a cake to fall. You just have to make sure you have a good recipe, confident stacking procedures, and fingers crossed that nobody hits you on the way to deliver it.
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