Ok- why are cake boards always too big for the cake! I know that the cake shrinks, so why don't the manufactorers make the cake circle smaller? I hate having to cut the boards everything I cook a cake, especially the square cakes. Are there any cake cirles that are made to be a bit smaller? Meaning can you get a 8 inch cirlce that actually is the size for a 8 inch cake?

are you using wilton cake boards with wilton pans????

cause they will never match up.... i have the problem all the time using wilton pans and boards

Yes- the round pans are wilton but the square pans are magic line and I don't know what brand boards i have

how much space are you talking about?

If I had anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" sticking out, that was never really a problem as I used that as a guide for my bench scraper when smoothing the icing. ANything more than that and I did trim it down .... cake on board, scissors in hand, snip snip snip!

I think the reason the circle is a teeny bit bigger than the cake is so you have a sort of "guide" for when you frost the cake. To me it always helps when I'm icing if I know I can just hold my scraper along the cardboard circle and turn the turntable.

Of course I've only ever used Wilton circles. JoAnn's and Michael's are the only "cake" stores around me. So maybe it's just something I'm used to.

may I ask why you want the circle to be the exact size of the cake?

EDIT: Debi, you beat me!

Actually that little 1/4 of an inch (or less) is for your icing/fondant.

EDIT: Rose.....Debi ya beat me to it

i really want it nice and even for the fondant cakes and really sometimes it seems like a lot of buttercream to get it even. I just can't believe the manufactorers wouldn't try and make them a bit smaller. How do the seperator plates work- are they a bit smaller?

so are you tucking the fondant under the cake? I usually try and cut square to the bottom.

i guess i don't understand- if I did my crumb coat and then put the fondant on and cut even to the board I still have enough left of the board that it would show a bit.

I also have to trim my boards all the time. Especially if you just want a fondant finish with no border around the bottom. I certainly wouldn't wait until I was all done putting the fondant on to try and cut the board with an exacto knife...I would be afraid I would damage the cake! I have just learned I am going to have to cut the board down if I don't want it to show.

I'm with Robin. I jsut put a border around the bottom and that usually hides it if there's less than 1/8" of an inch sticking out. SOmetimes I do have more after the cake cools. I find that it also depends on my recpie. My carrot cake stays pretty much the same size.

Thanks for all of the replys! I love this site and all of the knowledgable and friendly people!!!

You could always cut your own boards, with foamcore, that's what I do.