Everyone raves about these strips and I have had nothing but trouble every time I have used them. My cakes literaly crumble. I know there is some secret I don't know about. Could someone please advise.....

I have used the bake even strips and never had problems. You might try using wilton cake release to grease your pans and maybe baking on a lower temp. That might help.
traci

I use the baking strips most of the time and they help my cakes bake more evenly. I do find that it helps to soak them for about half an hour before putting them on the pan, it seems to take that long for them to get completely saturated! Janice

Do you take them off when you get them out of the oven?

I let mine soak a few minutes until they're saturated, then I wrap around the pan and bake.. about 5 minutes after coming out of the oven and giving the baking strips enough time to cool, I take them off .. I find if I leave them on, they hold too much heat around the pan.

I LOVE my strips (on my smaller cake pans) I run mine under cold water only for about 4-5 minutes a piece. Never had a single problem. I also use Wilton Cake Release (doesnt leave as much flour as Baker's Joy) but I never bake above 325! I leave mine on the pan when I take the cakes out of the oven, I only cool mine in the pan for 5-10 before I flip them out on to a rack. I haven't had any trouble at all! I love them!! =o)

Temp, Temp, Temp. I reduced my temp to 325 and the worked great. Thanks for the advise.

I let my strips soak in the sink while I am making my batter. I run my finger over them to release access water then wrap my pan. They will slow your cooking process so make sure you reduce temp and cook longer. They work so well, one time I rushed and didn't use them and my cake was so hard around the edges it was unbelievable. Never again!!

Rose

I soak my strips as it says to do, but I'm not really as impressed with them, as I am my silicone baking "pans".

Then again, I've had success and failure with each.

I threw my wilton strips away! they were a pain and a waste of money. I just use good ole' cheap paper towels. I fold the paper towel until its width is the same as the depth of the pan. then I pass the paper towel strip under my facet and lightly pull the towel between my extended index and middle fingers to get rid of the dripping excess water then wrap the wet paper towel around my alread filled cake pan. I slightly overlap the ends of the towel strips around the pan until the sides are competely covers - no pins needed, the wet towels cling to the pan and each other. then in the oven they go! they stay put in the oven, they don't fall through the rack, they don't catch fire (bake only not broil of course). Then when the cake is done just throw the dried out paper towel strips away! easy, no mess, no cleaning spills off of them. I love this technique!

Never had a problem with my baking strips...
They go outside around the pan, I cannot think of any possible reason under the sun why that would ruin a cake, except that it just helps bake evenly . I always get an even top and cake rises really high.
I'll keep mine forever.. I for one don't like Silicone/Rubber cake molds..
I have one and i'll never use them again..

I bought the strips a couple of weeks ago at a cake deocrating store and love them. Created almost perfectly level cakes. I have also tried reducing oven temp to 325 and will never do that again. 350 works just fine for me as long as I shave a few minutes off the baking time.