Everytime I bake using the 3" wilton cake pans the cake winds up with a dented center on the sides of the cake (looks like an hour glass figure). I tried using the baking strips??? to have an even cake but, that does not help. I also, tried tapping the pan when filling it with the batter and let the air out but, that does not work either. Anyone have an idea of why this happens?
Here are all four Wilton cake preparation and servings charts for 2 & 3" pans:
(Gives batter requirements by pan size, as well as recommended baking temps. and times - and more.)
http://www.wilton.com/cake/cakeprep/baking/times/index.cfm
Wilton recommends the use of baking cores for cakes of 10" diameter and up. However, I found the use of greased & floured inverted flower nails to be so much more convenient. (And I use my bake even strips on everything.)
Do your pans have straight sides? I have a set of Wilton 9" pans (I bought from ebay) that have sloped sides and when stacked the sides never resulted in a straight side angle . (Needless to say, I don't use those pans for anything....)
Also, not all the Wilton sheet cake pans have straight sides/corners.....
Are you using a doctored scratch or cake mix recipe?
Here's a handy troubleshooting chart:
http://tinyurl.com/2p5bdu
http://tinyurl.com/32goqe
If all else fails, you can always trim the edges until they all line up.
HTH
I've had this happen before, and I *think* it's from the cake not being baked quite through. As it cools, it collapses a bit, hence the sides bowing in.
**quick hyjack**
wgoat5~ can you get those pans in stores or only online? Shipping to try a pan is almost as much as the pan itself 
. I also have the Wilton pans and have had so/so luck with them. Thanks!
**end hyjack**
Actually I have seen more able to get the Fat Daddio pans in stores then I have Magic line... you could go with Fat Daddios... They aren't quite (in my opinion) as good as ML pans but they are better then Wilton (again my opinion) 
HTH's
Try going to :
www.globalsugararts.com
www.intotheoven.com
www.kitchencraftsa.com
and check their shipping on pans..
HTH's
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