to come to my house and show me how to bake a cake the RIGHT way? I can't seem to get my cakes to rise above the pan EVENLY even though you posted pics and batter formula's eons ago (I have them printed somewhere).

I still get domes. I still get mad. LOL

Can we do a raffle and the proceeds pay her way to the winner's house? My luck I probably wouldn't win. LOL

I think I need a tutor.

1st off have you checked to see if your oven is heating right. Sounds like maybe it is running hot.
Most of the time my cakes rise just to the top of the pan....not over/above it. That's just fine w/me And no dome either.
I bake at 300-325 until I can smell it.
I am no longer at 8200 feet elevation so it's back to 'regular' baking for awhile
Are you a scratch or box baker?

All though this is a very sad situation, your humor is wonderful. You made me laugh this morning - Thank you!

I know she will take time to respond to any questions you would have - she did for me many times. Good Luck!

Clean the oven, grease on the walls make uneven baking(even if it looks clean it might have grease) If its clean already, check that the temperature of the oven is right. Make sure that your baking powder is fresh. As soon as you mix the batter dont leave it out hanging.. the longer you take to put it in the oven, the more chances you have for it to not rise properly.
Dont open the oven door, I usually dont touch mine for the first 40 minutes. Opening it causes fluctuation in heat and can cause it to fall down in the center...
Hope this helps.
Edna

Yes, first get an oven thermometer. I suspect your oven is hotter than you think.

It does run hotter so I usually cut the time by 5 min earlier than required. May be I should lower the temp and bake longer? Time to experiment.

The edges of my cake don't rise and get crusty/hard. I've tried the bake strips and nails... may be I'll soak them longer and not wring them out so much...

thanks for the tips

What temperature you are cooking your cakes at?
Edna

Cutting the time in a too hot oven is not the right action to take when baking. Get a good oven thermometer, figure out what the temp really is, and lower the temp to 325F. Use the bake-even strips...you are soaking them first, right?
Another thing: my oven bakes hotter on one side than the other, so I turn my pan halfway around every 11-12 mins. Some people say this can cause the cake to "fall", but I have never had an issue.