I just tried the covering my cake with wax paper and putting a cookie sheet on it as soon as it came out of the oven. LOVE IT! Best leveling ever!!
Also I used the recipe for quick release - just great!!
Thanks so much for the great ideas here. I'm new at this and I can't believe all the help I get from CC. I'm even teaching the teacher in my class about all the help I get from you guys.
Thanks, thanks, thanks.
Phyllis 
I learned from this forum that as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, you put wax paper on top of it and then a cookie sheet or whatever you have to make it even with the cake pan. I had it on there for about 10 minutes, flipped it over, and it was perfectly level!!
This site is just wonderful. I learn more here than at class!
Phyllis
Sweet! I always have a hard time getting my cakes level and when I trim them (and trim them some more and more because they still don't look level), I end up with a tiny cake! I'm definitely going to try this!
Phyllis, I said the exact same thing! I've learned WAY more here than I did at class!
No, you don't have to turn it upside down. If you'll just put the wax paper on the cake, put something like a cookie sheet on top of that (I use a masonite board) and then something heavy on top of that (I use a bowl of fruit). Leave it for about 10 minutes. Take everything off the cake and your cake will be level to the top of your baking pan. You will only use this if your cake has a "hump" when you take it out of the oven, not if it is sunken in the middle. You then just turn the cake out of the pan and cool like you normally would.
yet another thing I just can't wait to try! Wish I would've heard about this sooner!
I picked up the tip of using a Flower Nail as the heat conductor in larger cakes instead of using the heating core and having and huge hole in the middle that you have to fill with the core full of cake....
Ok my question how do you go about flipping AND weighing it down.. with the nail still in place? Everytime I go to flip it either slides and bends to the side and tears the cake or it punches thru the cake board.... any help will be appreciated!
I use the flower nail method for my cakes and I let the flower nail punch through the cake board. I haven't any problems with flipping the cake that way.
Leslie
Thanks Leslie! I was wondering if I was the only one it was happening to or if it happened to everyone and no one complained or found it a problem, I was just worried it may make the board(s) weaker with that little hole in it but it doesn't
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