Let me start off by saying I am a very visual person...

I decided to try using the parchment paper technique I read about here to prevent my cakes from sticking to the pans. I must have missed something in the translation. I laid the parchment paper in the pan with the extra paper leaning up against the sides. Since it was a round pan, the paper did not lay perfectly straight against the sides of the pan. I thought as the batter baked, it would push the paper straight (or almost straight) against the pan sides.

Well, as I 'm sure you know, that didnt' happen. The paper stayed rippled and now my Course III cake for WEd night now has a rippled edge. I hope I can fix with some buttercream - we'll see.

But I'm curious to know how to do the parchment paper properly for next time. Any hints? Thanks in advance!

Ann Marie

I have had this problem also. When you use parchment paper cut it out by using the bottom of the round pan. Make your circle around the pan with a pencil the cut it out. Put it in the pan and pass your finger around the edge to make the crease. Most off the time you have to cut a little of the edge again.
Another hint is if you decide to use parchment paper on large pans, and you use the flower nail for a heating core, put the flower nail in the pan first then put the parchment paper on. Passing the tip of the nail through the parchment paper. This makes it easier to get the nail out without messing up your cake when you flip it over on the cooling rack.

You can fix it with your buttercream. Alot of my cakes have ripples in it from the parchment paper and when it is iced you can not tell.

OK, I haven't tried this myself but I looked it up in a book for ya.
You know when you're covering your cake board with tin foil? You know how it's square but say you're covering a round cardboard. In order for the foil to wrap around without being bumpy on the bottom, you cut slits on the bottom of the foil every 1/2 in. or so. Then you have these little gaps that let it spread and even out. You follow? Same principle.
This book (The Essential Guide to Cake Decor. by Borders Bookstore) says to cut a strip of your parchment long enough to go around the outside of your pan. It should be sticking out of the top, but then fold the bottom so about 3/4 in. lays on the bottom of your pan. Won't do it without rippling, right? So now cut your slits every 1/2 in. or so on this bottom little "cuff." Then press these cuffs out using the heat of your hands and they should help your paper behave. THEN, trace the bottom of your pan on parchment paper and insert this in the bottom of the pan over your "cuff" with all the slits.
I hope this helps. If this is what you already did then I don't know what to tell ya.
Blessings and no sticky pans your way!

Hi There!

I only use parchment to line the bottoms of my pans. I also use Wilton's Cake Release or the cake release recipe (from this website) and spread it on the pan, and the parchment paper, and up the sides. I never have any problems with my cakes when it's time to unmold.

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1963-0-Cake-Release.html

HTH!
Mirjana

when i've used it ..

i just cut the circle to fit the pan, spray pan with 'pam' & spray paper


good luck

Some suppliers also sell pre cut parchment circles to fit your pans.

just fill in those ripples with icing, no one will ever know.

Thanks, ladies - for all of your helpful replies! I will give them a shot tonight when I bake the "real" cakes for my son's birthday. The other cakes were for my final Class III Wilton class tonight. I was able to fix the ripples with buttercream then covered with fondant. Doesn't look too bad considering how rippled it was!

Thanks again!

Ann Marie