I live in high altitude and constantly battle the dip in the center of the cake (yes, I add flour and use flower nails). I thought I might try the Wilton cake strips. The cake turned out terribly! There was a hard crust on top of the cake and the cake was so moist it fell flat after 45 minutes of baking an 8"! What in the world happened? Does anybody like these/use these?
i to live at/with high altitude. I've mostly baked cakes from boxed mixes or doctored mixes. But i have had better luck with using the strips then without using them.
i to live at/with high altitude. I've mostly baked cakes from boxed mixes or doctored mixes. But i have had better luck with using the strips then without using them.
May I ask what extender recipe you use? I use doctored mixes, also, and am currently using the Enhanced Cake Forumla extender. I love the taste, but still get the dip after adding 2T of flour.
Also, how hard do you squeeze the strips to get the excess water out? Do you pinch hard and pull down, or lightly run your finger down the strips?
I absolutely love those strips, like a miracle worker for my cakes. I just finished baking 2 with them a few minutes ago. no bulge on top, perfect light brown color. I do have to keep checking my oven to make sure it stays between 325 and 350 and adjust it along the way, that would be the only thing I can think of. Oh, I also do not live in high altitude.
i use the wasc recipe on this site, and i just lightly run my fingers over the strips, i don't ring it out. i've also found it works better if you let them soak 10 min or so.
Oh yes, I let them soak at least 1/2 hour before I use them, that appears to make a big difference, then I do use a little bit of pressure to get the excess out.
I can't bake a cake without them. Nice level tops! Keep my oven at 350, some people lower the temp to 325. Sounds like you have a different problem though, as the strips slow the baking down, to keep the center from crowning. Yours sound like they are not baking enough.
I also love the strips. It's like night and day when I don't use them. I don't live in a high altitude location, though.
I also use the WASC recipe and the bake even strips. I run them under the faucet for a minute or so until I feel they are wet enough, and then run them through my fingers (but not lightly). Mine are damp when I attach them to my cake pans. I'm amazed on how beautiful my cakes look. Nice golden color, basically flat...couldn't ask for more. I live pretty close to sea level.
Hmmm...maybe I'll give it another shot tomorrow. It sounds like it works for you guys. I wonder what in the world I did wrong?! I did use the Darn Good Chocolate cake recipe from this site and it is very dense. I wonder if that made a difference?
Should I expect to get a hard crust on top, or was that just part of my wacky first attempt?
Mine do not crust on top. They are a nice golden brown. Maybe it is the recipe? Either way, good luck! I hope they work for you becuase they can be so helpful when they work right!
I have used the bake-even strips on every cake I have ever baked since I first bought them, about 2400 in 21 years. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I used a strip that was too long and wrapped it around the pan twice. It was a WASC, the top was hard and crusty, but I finally gave up. That cake never got done on the sides. Gooey and yucky. I mixed another batch and baked a new one, using a shorter strip. Baked perfectly that time.
I'm wondering if it could be your recipe. Have you tried a cake made straight from the box. How do those cook for yo?
I have used the bake-even strips on every cake I have ever baked since I first bought them, about 2400 in 21 years. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I used a strip that was too long and wrapped it around the pan twice. It was a WASC, the top was hard and crusty, but I finally gave up. That cake never got done on the sides. Gooey and yucky. I mixed another batch and baked a new one, using a shorter strip. Baked perfectly that time.
Ah Ha!!! Yes - actually I did wrap the strip around twice. I bought the large package of strips so I could use them on 10" and larger cakes - I didn't know it would cause a problem when I used them on an 8" cake. Can they be cut to size?
I'm wondering if it could be your recipe. Have you tried a cake made straight from the box. How do those cook for yo?
Hmmm...that's a good question! I usually like to add things to my mixes so I'm not sure how it would turn out. Worth a try I guess.
Maybe it's not you, could it possibly be your oven?
I would say it's probably not helping. I bake two 8" cakes at a time and just lately I started noticing that the one on the left side of the oven is getting done much faster than the one on the right. I would love to get an electric oven with gas top. Oh, how wonderful that would be!
I have used the bake-even strips on every cake I have ever baked since I first bought them, about 2400 in 21 years. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I used a strip that was too long and wrapped it around the pan twice. It was a WASC, the top was hard and crusty, but I finally gave up. That cake never got done on the sides. Gooey and yucky. I mixed another batch and baked a new one, using a shorter strip. Baked perfectly that time.
Ah Ha!!! Yes - actually I did wrap the strip around twice. I bought the large package of strips so I could use them on 10" and larger cakes - I didn't know it would cause a problem when I used them on an 8" cake. Can they be cut to size?
Oh no! Wrapping twice could definitely be your problem!
I always use the strips & the cakes are perfectly even. I actually soak my strips overnight so they really absorb the water & just lightly run my thumb down the center before applying them to the pan.
I have used the bake-even strips on every cake I have ever baked since I first bought them, about 2400 in 21 years. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I used a strip that was too long and wrapped it around the pan twice. It was a WASC, the top was hard and crusty, but I finally gave up. That cake never got done on the sides. Gooey and yucky. I mixed another batch and baked a new one, using a shorter strip. Baked perfectly that time.
Ah Ha!!! Yes - actually I did wrap the strip around twice. I bought the large package of strips so I could use them on 10" and larger cakes - I didn't know it would cause a problem when I used them on an 8" cake. Can they be cut to size?
Yes. you can cut them to size. I do suggest hemming the ends so the strips are easier to pin without ripping/pulling loose. Also, you can pin two together to go around a larger pan too!
I have used the bake-even strips on every cake I have ever baked since I first bought them, about 2400 in 21 years. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I used a strip that was too long and wrapped it around the pan twice. It was a WASC, the top was hard and crusty, but I finally gave up. That cake never got done on the sides. Gooey and yucky. I mixed another batch and baked a new one, using a shorter strip. Baked perfectly that time.
Ah Ha!!! Yes - actually I did wrap the strip around twice. I bought the large package of strips so I could use them on 10" and larger cakes - I didn't know it would cause a problem when I used them on an 8" cake. Can they be cut to size?
Yes. you can cut them to size. I do suggest hemming the ends so the strips are easier to pin without ripping/pulling loose. Also, you can pin two together to go around a larger pan too!
Oh, good. Thanks!
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