I use un-doctored cake mixes for my baking, Pillsbury is my favorite! I started using that before I heard of the WASC recipe, many people have commented on the moistness of the cake so I just don't see the need to add to it. I love the simplicity, though I would like to try it sometime (with all the raving!). I really would like to make 3 layer 8 inch cakes and am just having a tough time figuring out an easy way. One box makes 2 (approximately ) 1 1/2 inch cakes after leveling. Today I thought I would make 1 1/2 boxes of mix for 2 -8 inch pans thinking that would make 2 inch cakes that I could torte and put the extra layer into the freezer. Well I didn't adjust my time and temperature enough for a thicker cake and edges got pretty hard. But even with 1 1/2 boxes of mix the cakes were about 1 3/4 inches tall after leveling so I can't half that nicely. Does any bake mix bakers make a 3 layer cake? How do you go about doing it? I have 8x3 inch cake pans...should I bake a whole box mix in each? If so, what would my new baking time and temp be?

I never used 3” deep pans but reading this I wonder if you are leveling them down to much   When I bake I use lower temperatures so I don’t have to level at all   Cakes come out w/o that center hump   Another thing you might want to do is to cover your cake with a board & press down to flatten the cake so you don’t have to level much If at all   Some years back the  box mixes became smaller & it has really turned our world upside down:(   You might just have to buy an extra box & Devide it up into 3oz pkgs to add to each box of mix bringing it back to the original size most of our recipes & pan sizes are based on 

Oh that bit about pressing your cake down is done as soon as it comes out of the oven   There should be enough batter in the pan to bake up to the top of the pan then if it is over the top you can level it even with it 

I am lazy and not into doing math, so I would just use two boxes of cake mix and if they filled my 3" pans more than half full, which is the recommended depth, make a few cupcakes with the rest.  I really think two cake mixes would be about right for three 8" pans.

I wish I hadn't gotten the 3" deep pans Kakeladi, I don't know why I decided to do that! I might just have to ditch them and get 2" deep pans. I got more expensive ones (at least in my opinion), I read so many good things about Fat Daddio's cake pans and had to get them. I feel like my cakes rise a bit more in these pans. I like to use baking strips and think that helps a ton but I've never tried just baking at lower temps, that's something to consider. When you use a cake board do you flip the cake out of the pan, top side down after taking it out of the oven? Or do you just press down with the cake board while it's still in the pan? It sounds like fantastic idea, thank you for sharing! Also, you may be right about the excessive leveling. I just recently got a leveler and just assumed you level so it's completely flat? Like start leveling at the lowest point of the cake so there's no rounded-ness to the edges? When I bake in my 9"x2" pans I don't have to level as much...these Fat Daddio's are tricky.

The cake that I had made was for my mother in-laws birthday. It just ended up being a 2-layer cake and after eating that I think I may reconsider making a 3-layer cake. I thought it had plenty of frosting with just one middle layer and it looked very pleasing after being cut. I've always thought a 3 (or even 4) layer just looks more pretty and professional. But I was pretty satisfied with how it turned out..minus the being a little on the overdone side.

I use Fat Daddio 3" deep pans and I love them.  The main reason I like 3" pans is that I have a tendency to run them over in the oven and what a mess!

Fat Daddio pans are anodized and should be used a little differently than regular aluminum pans.  It is recommended that you bake at a temperature at least 25 degrees (F) lower than you normally would.  That is the reason the outsides of your cake over baked.  When using them, I generally bake at 325 degrees F., sometimes even a little lower.  Also, they are not supposed to be washed in the dishwasher.  Don't really know why, but I do hand wash.

Yes you do put the cakeboard on top of the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven, while it is still in the pan, and press it gently to level.  It is not necessary that you have absolutely no rounded edge.  The frosting will fill in the space.  Just be sure and turn the top layer upside down so it has a nice, flat surface with sharpe edges.

Thank you for that info about the Fat Daddio pans Sandra! I remember when I received my new pans it had a handy chart, suggested fill and baking times (and maybe temps) for different pan depths. I thought I saved it or at least took a picture of it but I can't find either and I can't find that chart anywhere online. I also sort of had the attitude that these are just pans what could be so different?! Face palm, ugh. So how full do you normally fill the 3" pans since you said you got them because you had smaller pans run over?

Ideally, they should be filled about 1/2 full, but if I only have a small amount of batter left, I will go ahead and fill them to no more than 3/4 full.  I do also use a parchment paper collar at least 1" taller than the pan.  It is a real oven saver!

They really do cook quite differently.  No long ago, I baked a cake with two regular pans and one Fat Daddio at the same time, forgetting I needed to use a lower temp for the FD.  It baked much quicker than the other two and the outside edges were slightly over done.  Good thing I was watching.

I ordered my pans from Global Sugar Arts and Alan Tetreault has a video that tells you how to use FD pans.  It is worth a watch.

Yes to what Sandra said about leveling   As I said I don’t have 3” pans so follow what she said:)   I usually did just 2 layers 2” ea w/ one filling   Started that after having a couple of wedding tiers that I had Torted so there were 3 fillings slip apart  in delivery    I felt it was much safer w/only 1 filling after that :)   And my decorating days were back in the ‘90s & early 2000s  before the tall tiers became so popular 

I totally agree with kakeladi, if I am going to deliver a stacked cake, I forgo torting and filling extra layers but do add a generous amount of buttercream between the layers.  It does seem to be more stable.  I often tort cakes for home or for friends who are near by and just one tier.