All the cake shows i see on Tv show really thin layers and they use lots of them, Im wondering if i wasted money on all my pans the 2 and 3in ones i like the way the cake looks when you use thinner layers , Any ideal on how they get this? Im thinking not filling the pans too high , but they all look like the same height when they flip them out I like a lot of fillings between layers and this looks great.

Use a cake leveler to cut taller layers in half or thirds It's called torting the cake.

[quote="Texas_Rose"]Use a cake leveler to cut taller layers in half or thirds It's called torting the cake.[/quot
I do torte my cakes , but not that many times, Im too chicken

You can use a cake lifter to separate thinner layers.

This is the one I use http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=cake+lifter&oe=UTF-8&cid=13842030801087085706&ei=B6NqTLuZFoPswAX59Yn8DQ&sa=title&ved=0CCgQ8wIwBTgA#p

Before I got it, I just slid a thin cutting mat between the layers. That worked just as well.

I love my cake lifter and use it lots. Also, when I cut thinner layers, I frequently put them on parchment paper. Then, as I place the thin layer on top of the filling that will be underneath it, I roll/pull the parchment layer out from under the layer as I drop it down. If the layers are especially hard to handle, I stick them uncovered in the freezer for a few minutes to firm them up - and the cake, too. The fillings are a lot less sticky when their surface is cold. I think that handling the thin layers actually gets easier as you build up confidence and don't hesitate as you're handling them. As they say - practice makes perfect!!

i have noticed on a few "cake shows" that they bake really big sheet cakes that are only an inch or so thick...then they take what appear to be cake circles (look like big cookie cutters) and cut out circles for layers of cake. eliminates any torting and they seem to stack lots of them for each tier. i have seen it done with squares too. i want to give it a try as well but means going out and buying another pan!

I bake sheet cakes and cut with SS rings. I have 5", 6", 8", 10" and 12" rings. All other sizes I cut as needed. This way each cake layer is the same, no torting necessary and less crumbs. Other perks: sheet cakes bake fast and cool faster than "pan" cakes. You'll never go back to using pans!