how big around are they? are you using a heating core or a flower nail if they're bigger than 10 inches? do you keep repeatedly opening the oven door to check on them? have you put an oven thermometer in your oven lately? what recipe are you using?
I think bake even strips are a lifesaver with my chocolate cakes. I always have a hard time telling when chocolate cakes are done...
Ummm... there are a lot of elements in question here. Why are you blaming the pans? The people above ask solid questions. Do you KNOW your oven temp is right? Are you using a heating core or even bake strips?
I have heard that the 3" pans are sort of finicky, but I wouldn't say it has anything to do with the name brand of the pan.
I love my Fat Daddio pans. I do bake at 325--do not let them over-bake or the edges are quite done. I don't remember the time on mine but definitely test the temp of your oven. When you get it timed right, the cake comes out perfect and no crumbs.
I occasionally use wet towels pinned around the pan (as in Bake Even strips--but I am too cheap to buy those). And sometimes I do use the flower nail in the center on 11X15 pans and up. Always on the 3" pans.
The pans I have are 16 x 12. 3" tall. i do like the fat daddio pans I'm just having a hard time figuring out how to get the cakes baked right.
I use box mix- 3 of them in that size half pan. (2 boxes is not enough)
I am getting too much of a dome in the middle so a good chunk of the cake goes to waste. The edges are drying out too fast and of course the middle is not always coming out. I tried the flower nail idea and that seemed to help a bit but did not fix the whole problem.
I'm not opening the oven till what appears to be the last 15 min to check the final time and I'm pretty sure my oven temps are good. (regular electric ovens)
Maybe more than one flower nail?
Try using the magic strips or you can wet a towel and wrap around pan. The bump in the middle is from the cake cooking too fast around the edges and pushing the mix up in the middle. The moisture from the towel or magic strips will keep the edges from cooking fast and will even out you cake and cook more evenly.
I would put a thermometer in your oven just to make sure. I've always had electric ovens and they have ALL been off, one as much as 25 degrees.
You can also lay a clean paper towel or kitchen towel over the cake while it's still in the pan after you take it out of the oven and push the dome down. It helps and then there's not nearly as much to cut off.
Yes, you need more than one flower nail or the heating core. I also have a 3" X 3" round Fat Daddio pan that I use as my heating core when I have a large cake. Put that in and then put some batter inside. When you take it out, pop that inside cake out and push in the hole...of course, you probably already knew that. I'm just too cheap to buy a heating core...just use what I have
Yes, you need more than one flower nail or the heating core. I also have a 3" X 3" round Fat Daddio pan that I use as my heating core when I have a large cake. Put that in and then put some batter inside. When you take it out, pop that inside cake out and push in the hole...of course, you probably already knew that. I'm just too cheap to buy a heating core...just use what I have
What a great idea Mac! I'm going to give this a try as I've always wondered about the heating core but have just used the nails as that is what I have on hand.
Korkyo,
I would definitely do as everyone suggested. Add more nails, put wet terry towels or baking strips around the pan and buy the oven thermometer. It's not too expensive (can be picked up at Walmart) and it will give you piece of mind.
Glad you got things worked out! I have all Fat Daddio 3" pans and that's all I use. I always use the heating core and never have a problem with the cakes getting too done on the edges. I keep a thermometer in the oven all the time to double check the temp. My electric oven is off by 50 degrees which can make a huge difference in baking. So I lower my temp by 50 degrees and things seem to work out just right.
You should be able to get one just about any place that sells dishes and cooking utensils. We got ours at Wal Mart for like $6.
It was definitely worth it because my oven was sometimes low by 25 degrees. I think our top element is going out 
I keep forgetting to run by the Ace Hardware a mile up the road to see how much it would be to just replace the element.
I have heard they're very cheap, I just don't think about it. Haven't needed a cake supply from the hardware store in forever, so I don't think about going there for the element!
I did it again and use THREE flower nails and it was almost perfect. I think I'll add the towels adn see how that goes next time.
okay - newbie question - I understand the theory of the heating core or using the flower nail, I'm just having trouble understanding "how" or "when" to insert the nail(s). My first thought is, if you put it in immediately while the batter is "still batter", couldn't it fall over and actually bake into the cake? what am I missing here? 
dxerebl--you use the type of nail that you'd pipe a rose on. Spray it with Pam, set it in your prepared cake pan, point up, and then gently pour in the batter. For a conventional oven I'd use one nail for anything 12" or larger, and two nails for 16" and 1/2 sheet pans. I have a Deluxe oven and rarely use nails or strips. 
dxerebl--you use the type of nail that you'd pipe a rose on. Spray it with Pam, set it in your prepared cake pan, point up, and then gently pour in the batter. For a conventional oven I'd use one nail for anything 12" or larger, and two nails for 16" and 1/2 sheet pans. I have a Deluxe oven and rarely use nails or strips.
Yup that's what I do too (although I use homemade cake release on mine). Every now and then though I get a bit distracted (I think it has something to do with my 4 kids 
) and I forget to put the nail in. When that happens I just push it in to the bottom after the batter is already in place. Other than a teeny tiny film of cake (very negligible) it is fine that way too.
HTH!
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