So I'm somewhat new to baking.   I get very confused when recipes/ppl talk about layers of cake especially when it comes to come much batter to use in each pan.   How many cups of batter would I use for an 8in round and how many layers does that have? 

That's a good but tough question.  It's really trial and error.  Some recipes, like my vanilla sponge, I can only fill 1/2 way because that sucker will rise all the way to the top of a 2" high pan.  Some other recipes, I can fill the pan 2/3 or even 3/4 full because they don't rise much.

The Wilton site has some charts re: how much batter to put in each size pan.  But, really, just collar your pans and test your recipes-because they are all different.

As far as layers, that's up to you.  Most people will try to get a 2" high cake and tort it (split it in half) to make 2 layers  so 2 cake pans will get you 4 layers.

Other people, will put their batter in 3 or 4 pans and get shorter layer so they don't have to tort.  It's completely up to you and what method you like best.  You can do 1,2,3 or 4 layer cakes too.  Industry standard is 4 layers but, obviously, that's not a law :)

hth

Wanted to ad, because I just saw your other thread re: sinking.  I just started working with 3" pans and I can tell you that some recipes won't hold up with too much batter in the pan, they will sink.  Others, I can get a good 3" rise with no sinking.  

The hardest part of a cake biz besides pricing, of course, is perfecting your baking and recipes.  Sooooo much trial and error because there are soooo many different types of cake and they all are mixed and all perform differently.

yes what junkies said

http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/3361219/ruffles-and-rosesruffles-and-roses

that link will take you to caz123's beautiful 5 tier cake -- there are five different sized cakes stacked up right -- they are each approximately 4" tall give or take --

so typically a baker bakes two cakes for each of those 4" tall tiers -- both of those 2" tall cakes are called a layer -- put together with icing they comprise the one tier  -- if they are torted then you have four layers in each tier but still about 4" tall --

tiers, tortes, layers & cakes 

Thanks everyone! 

Several years ago before I switched to scratch baking, I tried the white almond sour cream cake...but no matter what I did or brands I used it always sank in the middle for me...that's what actually motivated me to master scratch baking.

omg! i'm horrified i typod your name jInkies -- i think my autocorrect on this tablet autoincorrected it -- but no excuses

sorry jInkies