Hi, I am new to cake making and so far have only made cakes for my son's birthday and couple more for friends. I recently baked a 16 x16 square double layer....my biggest cake to date....and ran into a little snag when I went to put the top layer onto the other already frosted layer. Usually I take the cake out of the oven and flip it onto a cooling rack, then when it's cooled I flip it back over and level it out. Then it gets flipped again for the crumb coat because then the exposed cake is on the bottom and the most level side of the cake is facing up. This works because I've got either the cooling rack or the cake board underneath for support, but I can't use that method in getting the 2nd layer on top of another cake.
Help?
It took two us and we tried sliding the cake off a piece of foam core onto the other cake and it still almost broke in half. Good thing frosting covers mistakes like that!
Anyway, my question is....is there a trick that I don't know of, or a tool of some kind that I don't have, for getting the top layer on in ONE piece?
I appreciate any help anyone might have.

A large cookie sheet with no edge will work. Spray it first with nonstick spray. You could also use foamcore wrapped in press and seal wrap, but the cookie sheet would probably work better.

yup it's called a baker's blade and it's amazing. I now have no problems are all moving my layers...

http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=F5E44F60-423B-522D-F605DA5FD1C1079F&fid=F5E44F6F-423B-522D-FDD110DDBA295A4A

Okay, adding a cake blade to my cake "tools" (already have the cookie sheet) Thanks!

I line the edge of the cake that's on the cooling rack up with the cake that's on the cake board, and then I flip the cake and rack over very quickly. Sometimes I have to nudge the top layer a bit to line it up perfectly after it's in place, but usually it's fairly dead-on.

I freeze first and only handle torted cake when frozen. To torte I just torte as normal thn carefully slide saran between layers and then wrap in saran and freeze. Once ready to use it comds right apart and is solid.

If your cake is cool it will be more firm and easy to handle with out breaking it.

You may have been moving to slow and you may have been at too much of an angle while sliding it off causing a stress/bend point.

With practice you will gain confidence and speed and ease of maneuvering layers.

I also have the Wilton Cake Lifiters (two of them) and they are great. I am always uisng them. I have also used the no edge cookie sheet with my larger oval cakes. I don't use a light dusitng of powdered sugar or cornstarch and the torted layers move very easily.

I have found success with two pizza peels. One is wooden, and the other is a large metal one from Baker's Catalogue. I find it easier than a baking sheet, and yes--it is much easier when cold or even frozen. Still and all, I love to watch the way the cake shows flip these big heavy cakes and they suffer no cracks or breaking! I console myself with the fact that mine taste good, even if they are difficult to assemble.

I love the Wilton cake lifters also, I can't imagine what took them so long. I also have better luck if I'm moving the layer down to the cake instead of lifting it up and over. I put the layer to be moved up on the turntable then lower it to the cake.HTH