I've messed up 2 cakes, by using Pam, and by over cooking them. I read and read and read and read. I posted, and was besides myself. I went to Jo Ann's, bought Wilton's baking sheets (the long silver things). I came back home, and redid the cake in the 8 x 2 inch pan. (It is from a box), but anyway, I greased and floured the pan.
I used the sheets. I brought my oven temperature down to 300 for 20 minutes, then increased it to 325, and checked it every 5 minutes. It came out perfect. Not brown on the sides, puffy, but not domed, with only a tad amount of leveling removed. I will make another cake for my class cake for a week from tomorrow. I have so much confidence in myself now.
So happy. So, thanks Cake Central....Oh, and I made the Crusting Chocolate Frosting for it, and it is oh so good. I do with I could find a white buttercream that matched that frosting. I don't like the taste of the Wilton Buttercream recipe.
Glad you had success! I always use baking strips (except on some shaped pans that they don't fit), and in larger cakes I do the flower nail thing. Bake at 325. I also use cake release instead of Pam. Works like a charm!
It was the pam that was frying my cakes! When I read that, I put the 2 together, went home, with the baking strips. Realized I forgot the cake release, but criscoed and floured the pan. No burning, no crust, no sticking. This cake made me confident. Do you use the strips on glass pans too?
I don't use glass pans, so no, I haven't used the strips on glass pans.
Rhonlynn - To get very white buttercream I use high ratio shortening and you can also get the Wilton white coloring to add to it. That will give you a super white buttercream frosting. 
I saw that stuff the other day...While I'm in the class, I'll use the class butter cream...(Don't tempt me, the store bought Wilton tastes better than that from scratch, but whatever.) Then, I'll switch recipes. On June 7th, I start the fondant course.
Crossing my fingers that the sugar veil lace will turn out okay. And I can wow 'em with it next Tuesday!
You can make your own pan release using equal parts: shortening, vegetable oil and flour. Mix well and apply to pan with a pastry brush. Check out indydebi's buttercream and sugar shack's recipe. You can use google to search CC. Type into google 'Sugarshack buttercream cakecentral' etc.
Congrats on getting your cake to bake correct. I was thrilled when I found out those non-stick sprays were causing my problems too
I am somewhat of a "newbie". May I ask, what is the "flower nail thing" technique that was mentioned for baking larger layers? I know how to use it for making roses, but am not aware of its use for baking large layers. I am familiar with the baking core for baking large layers. Would love to know this hint. Thanks!
I love love love the homemade pan release. Works like a charm every time and it's so cheap compared to the stuff you can buy.
As a tip for any newbie, or anyone that uses bake release strips, I use old hand towels and I've never had a problem. They work so well. You just cut a hand towel in a long strip, about the height of your pan, get it went and ring it out a little and then wrap it around the pan and secure with a safety pin. Nice, level cakes every time.
reneefink , the flower nail method is another way that people find to keep their cakes level. It works like a heating core, and bakes the cake from the middle out (I could just be making that up! lol). You use a large flower nail, like the ones you make buttercream roses with. Grease it well, and stick it upside down (so the top part of the nail, the flat part sits on the bottom of your pan) in the middle of your batter. It helps bake the cake level, but I've found that my handtowel strips work better.
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