No matter what I do I always have to shave the side of my cakes so that the layers match up...What am I doing wrong? By the way I use straight sided pans, I just cant line them up properly. Is there a trick to this?Please help. Thanks,
Polly

Mark the sides with toothpicks or something (one pick just above the cut, lined up vertically with one just below).

I always had this problem until I started using the Agbay, bacause I never levelled evenly. The Agbay ALWAYS levels evenly, so no more mess ups. One of my favorite tools if not my favorite.

The toothpick tip will help you to line up your layers though, good idea.

After I tort, but before I separate my cake, I mark the side of the cake with a line of frosting on both pieces. That way, after I fill the middle, I know where to match the cakes up again.

i agree with dkelly27. using the agbay leveler really improved the way my layers looked when stacked...perfectly straight sides.

i used to use that other branded cake leveler and my cakes would always look like they were leaning to a side.

I totaly agree with dkelly27 too. AGBAY is the answer. I had that problem too. But now all my cakes are level.

I've never had the pleasure of using an agbay. However until you get one, it's not the end of the world to have to trim the sides of your cakes. I actually shave the sides of all my cakes now. Makes icing them so much easier.

Some pastry chefs want all the brown removed from thier cakes.

I mean I just never have baked off perfectly perfect cakes so the trimming makes the icing slide on easy so I don't have any of those annoying spots that can shine through your icing when you're smoothing kwim. So you gotta go back and add more in that area and re-smooth.

So no worries--you're way cool!!!

One guy's failed chocolate cake is the next guy's pan of brownies.

I saw this on an Alton Brown episode where he put a little notch just before he separated the 2 layers. That way he could match it back up again. He's so cool.