I have a problem when I bake character cakes. It seems like they take forever for the center to get done and when it finally does the edges are either burnt or really hard. It makes icing them rather nice but not the best for business. I've read about the water bath thing when making them but that didn't work out the best for me either. It's been a while since I tried it but I want to say it wouldn't bake all the way...it was the same problem I had with the bake easy strips. I know your supposed to reduce the baking temp to around 325* and bake longer but I think I ran into the same problem with it by the time I got the centers cooked.
Am I doing something wrong? Is there a better way to do this?
TIA
A water bath is where you put the character pan inside a larger pan...like a half sheet pan and fill the larger pan with water. It's supposed to make the cake bake more even.
I have never had a problem with my character pans not getting done in the middle as fast as the rest of the cake, but I also don't lower my temp. I bake at the temp recommend on cake mix or recipe.
Hi chrissysconfections ,
I was having the same problem and I started using the nail in the center but found even with that I wasn't completely happy with the rise of my cakes. I then read on here about the even bake strips and they work great! I was not sure about it because of not being able to make the strips flat to the pan all the way around do to the different shapes and curves of the pan, but I did it and I made the strips as tight as I could around the pan and it came out perfect.
Now I don't make a cake without them...character or not. 
Good Luck! 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%