the best way is the Agbay leveler. Costs a mint but worth every penny.
Cat
I agree on the Agbay. It is perfection. The Wilton leveler always made my cakes crooked.
Remove your cakes from the pan. Place 1 to 3 cardboard circles in the pan. Put the cake back in the pan. The cardboards have created a "platform" that now raises your cake above the top of the pan. Use a long knife and using the top edge of the pan as a guide, level the cake.
A perfectly (and I mean PERFECTLY!) level cake every single time.
The only bad part is sometimes its hard to get the cardboard out of the pan. Someone suggested putting saran in the pan first, before putting the cardboards in, to be able to just pull them out, so you might give that a try, too.
I tried the way IndyDebi said and it works awesome. I always have a problem with leveling too. I have been known to but a little of the cake under one side like a shin. 
to bring up one side when I cut too much off one side.
leveling I don't have a problem with since I bake my cakes so they come up over the top of the pan and just level them with the pan but torting is another subject...saving my pennies for my Agbay! LOL! (which btw, am I the only one who thinks the name sounds like pig latin? LOL)
Cat
I stopped torting and shallow bake BUT I do weigh the amount of batter going into each pan. It does take a little longer overall, but its worth not getting so frustrated with trying to level.
Now, here is a big but (and we are not talking about my body parts) Indy...Never thought of your method. Maybe I need to go back to torting using your method. Cakes going in the oven tonight...I am going to give it a shot!
Remove your cakes from the pan. Place 1 to 3 cardboard circles in the pan. Put the cake back in the pan. The cardboards have created a "platform" that now raises your cake above the top of the pan. Use a long knife and using the top edge of the pan as a guide, level the cake.
A perfectly (and I mean PERFECTLY!) level cake every single time.
The only bad part is sometimes its hard to get the cardboard out of the pan. Someone suggested putting saran in the pan first, before putting the cardboards in, to be able to just pull them out, so you might give that a try, too.
this may be somewhat off topic but I've been looking for LONG knife (llike ones we used at the bakery) and I can't find any! I mean the really long knives. I've tried an internet search but the only knives I see are like 12" and that includes the handle so the blade isn't really 12". Any suggestions?
this may be somewhat off topic but I've been looking for LONG knife (llike ones we used at the bakery) and I can't find any! I mean the really long knives. I've tried an internet search but the only knives I see are like 12" and that includes the handle so the blade isn't really 12". Any suggestions?
You might try any restaurant supply store and look at their meat carving knives.
I'm fortunate that I have a niece who manages a national chain cafeteria and when their meat carving knives go too dull to carve the beef and turkey, she gave me one or two. they were still plenty sharp enough to cut cake. And the blade alone is 14-15" long.
Thank you, indydebi, for ALL of your info. You have provided me with some VERY useful information, as I'm a self-taught amateur. Keep the good info coming! 
Lamson, Dexter and Ateco all make cake knives. As indydebi mentioned, the best place is definitely a restaurant supply store, but you can do a search for "cake knife" on google or amazon and find them. Practice makes perfect with levelling and torting. Good luck!
Lamson, Dexter and Ateco all make cake knives. As indydebi mentioned, the best place is definitely a restaurant supply store, but you can do a search for "cake knife" on google or amazon and find them. Practice makes perfect with levelling and torting. Good luck!
Thanks to you and indydeby...I did a search and found some. I was putting in the wrong info...I was using 'bread knife' instead of 'cake knife' for the search--duh. Of course a lot of wedding cake servers came up but I found several really long serrated knives...just what I've been looking for! yippee!! 
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