Find a nice sharp knife that will go from one edge of your pan to the other and just saw thru the top.
For smaller cakes I find the Wilton wire cutter does well - again saw thru the cake.
If the cake has not reached the top of the pan you didn't use enough batter
If there is a big hump in the center w/low edges your oven is too hot. Bake at 300 or 325 for best results.
The Wilton wire cutter has never done me wrong, it works up to 12''
Someone once told me to put a couple cake rounds in the bottom of a clean pan and then place the cake ontop of cling wrap and drop it in ontop of the rounds and then use the top of the cake pan to slide an extra long bread knife across. But I like the Wilton cake leveler the larger one with a blade. The wire one doesn't stay put and isn't wide enough.
I HATE the Wilton leveler. I don't call it a leveler b/c it's never level. The wire can bend & get all wompy. But if you have to use it then I would cut w/ a sharp knife to start & finish the cuts. Another thing, if your cake domes you may be over beating.
I have read that some people cut a piece of foamcore to fit in their pan. then after the cake is cool they put the fc in the pan, then put the cake back in the pan & level it that way.
Someone once told me to put a couple cake rounds in the bottom of a clean pan and then place the cake ontop of cling wrap and drop it in ontop of the rounds and then use the top of the cake pan to slide an extra long bread knife across. But I like the Wilton cake leveler the larger one with a blade. The wire one doesn't stay put and isn't wide enough.
This works nicely if you have a 2" cake pan, you use the cake pan as a guide to level the top of the cake. Then stack 1" worth of cake rounds, put in bottom, (I wrapped in saran real quick so I didn't ruin them) and use the top of the cake pan again.
This was the only way I was able to consistently level cakes (properly). DH got the agbay and that is handly dandy but costs a hot fortune..... I would never have spent that much for it.
I swear by mother's method of torting, which I also use to slice off the tops if the cake has not reached the top of the pan. I put my cake on my turntable, hold a serrated knife against the side of the cake where I want to tort it, spin the turntable without moving the knife to score a mark all the way around the cake. Then I take a length of sewing thread, wrap it around the cake in the score mark, cross the ends and pull them to cut through the cake. It works like a charm every time, and no need for any extra equipment.
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