Some one PLEASE help make sense of the 2" pans verses the 3" pans. The 3 inch pans make sense....bake =...3 inches high, fill and frost...makes 4 inches high. NOW 2"? Do you have to have two pans for each cake? If that is the case once filled and frosted do you get a 5" high cake? What do you all use...2 or 3 inch pans?
Well, my 3 inch pans don't always come out to 3 inches tall. Most fo the time it's more 2 1/2.
Rachel
THey do because they can bake them separately, not have to torte a single thing, just put some filling in and frost.
To fix the not making 3 inches, try collaring the cake pan, it was AWESOME when I just did it a few weeks ago.
Rachel
At the risk of sounding 
, can someone please explain what "collaring" a pan means?
Ok....this has happened to me as well and that is when I use a little more icing to get 4 inches high, but why would someone use 2" pans? Is that a stone age size or do people really go out and purchase this size? If so why?
I wouldn't call it "stone age"...I would call it someone wants a 4 layer cake...like me! 
I always use 2" pans.
You take parchment paper and cut it an inch or two above the top of your cake pan and fill your pans higher. The parchment extends the walls of the pan and your cake can rise higher without dripping all over the bottom of your oven.
How to collar your cake pans:
http://www.cakecentral.com/article43-Collaring-Your-Cake-Pans-Make-A-Deeper-Cake.html
I always always use 3" pans. I fill them quite full ( like maybe 3/4 full) My cakes rise just over the top, and then I trim the tops still in the pan. The result is 3 inch layers exactly the size of the pan (and always perfectly level). Then I torte then into three (or sometimes four layers). There are as many ways to do things as there are people doing them. Try a couple of ways and see whats best for you.('
')
Ok....this has happened to me as well and that is when I use a little more icing to get 4 inches high, but why would someone use 2" pans? Is that a stone age size or do people really go out and purchase this size? If so why?
I almost always use 2-inch pans. They bake more evenly in the high altitude here and I like to bake 2 2-inch layers, and torte them both for 4 layers of cake and 3 layers of filling in each cake.
I always use 2" Pans, bake 2, then stack and fill them, maybe torte each, so I end up with either a 2-layer cake or 4-layer cake.
For some reason, putting all that batter in one pan and hoping it gets that tall scares me a bit! I guess I'm nervous that it wouldn't bake as evenly and would take longer to bake anyway. I don't know, just my preference.
I think though that if/when I get more traditional sheet pans, I'll get 3", as sheet cakes are not torted and filled as often (seems to me anyway). And it would be great to have a taller sheet cake than 2".
And even though I use 3 inch, it's only cuz it's what I have. I would like to use 2 inch because I see that they do bake much more evenly and that I would deal with less burning and my cakes would be less of a pain in my patoot.
Rachel
I have used both 2" and 3" pans and prefer the 2" pans. I find the 3" take so much longer to bake and I fear the cake will dry out. I bake two 2" and tort them each to end up with 4 layers and a cake that is approx 4" high. I have also torted into 3 layers, ended up with 6 layers which are about 4.5" high. I do own 2 of each of my 2" pans except the 5" - forgot to buy 2 of them 
~Chelle
I use 2" pans and over fill them so that the cooked cake is actually 2" high. So with filling and frosting I get an almost 5 inch cake.
I think that people that use a 3 inch pan only do one layer and fill, but I love the look of a really tall cake. I Ususally tort the layers and it looks beautiful! Plus lots of flavor! But if I need it smaller, I just underfill the pans.
Yes, you do have to use two pans or bake two cakes in the same pan, but I find 2" way more versitle.
Stephanie
Anyone wanna trade my 3 inch pans for their 2 inch? 
Rachel
I'm kinda suprised to hear everyone prefers the 2" to three. I have found that 3" leads to less doming, and I've never had a problem with drying out. The oposite, really because there is so much less suface area. I also torte into two or three layers for extra flavour. That means a four or more inch tier. I also only have to clean one pan. I'm so glad to hear so many opinions, though. I always say you have to go with what works best for you!
I have both, I use either depending on servings needed. I tort the 3in pan cakes into 3 layers, and have a finished cake of about 4in depth. If I want a deeper, more impressive cake that will give slightly more servings, then I bake 2 x 2in deep layers, tort and fill both layers and end up with a cake at least 5in deep. Hope that clears it up a bit!
What great insight!!!!!!!! I want to order square pans and have the option of 2" or 3" and couldn't figure out why someone would order 2". WELL NOW I DO. You guys have made perfect sense explaining the torting of the 2" pans. I LOVE THE LOOK OF TALL CAKES!!! Sounds like going the 2" pans is the way to go for the highest cake!
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