I am using the Wilton 3inch high round 6inch pan to make a top tier of a wedding cake. I am having trouble getting the cake to cook properly. I didn't fill the pan any more than half full. I used the heat collar thing around the bottom for even distribution.... I put it in the oven at 350 for 35-40 min, just like the instructions on the paperwork for the pan.... It is browning on the top and the middle is completely WET!!! I know I'm going to end up with overdone sides and a gooey middle. What to do? 
I just made 4 ~ 6" heart cakes last night. I bake them at 325 and it takes quite a bit longer to bake, just keep checking on it - it takes mine up to 50 minutes or more.....I don't use the core on a cake that small around, but it may help you. I think just lowering the oven temperature would help you.
Oh yeah...forgot to add that after the original 40 minutes were up, I did lower the oven temp to 325. You are saying that I should begin cooking at that temp?
Sherry, could you explain the flower nail...Thanks!! (I know what a flower nail is...I just don't know what you want me to do with it) 
You can use a flower nail as a heating core (I learned this here on CC!) All you do is grease and flour the nail really well (just like you would prep your cake pan). Then place the prepared nail in the center of your cake pan before you pour in your batter. It will act as a heating core and only leave a tiny hole in your cake. You can use multiple nails for larger cakes. I have tried this and it works amazingly well!
Yes, start out at 325 bake at that temp for the whole time. I am not Sherry, but if you want to use the flower nail, grease it all over and stick it big side down in the middle of the pan - I just push mine through the batter after I have poured it in the pan, some might stick it in there first. I only use it on the 10" and bigger pans though - it isnt' really needed on the smaller ones. (IMO)
Ok..soooooo..I just took my second cake out of the oven. 325, 60 minutes, flower nail in center.
When I checked the cake after 50 min, browning (more like golden) on top, liquid middle. I added another 10 minutes....now, top of cake is brown which I could probably deal with. Here's the kicker......the middle of the cake has sunken in!!!!! 
sounds like your thermostat may be off a little.... you can always hid the sunken part.... but that is a bummer! sorry to hear it happened to you.
Yes, it sounds like an oven temp problem. It shouldn't take an hour and a flower nail to cook that little cake.
Did you have any interruptions while you were mixing the batter (like a screaming baby) and maybe add too much liquid?
It is such a bummer when a cake doesn't turn out right.
k did you use a mix or is it from scratch, did you touch the top when you checked it? did you jostle the pan or have kiddies jumping around? (threaten my kids within an inch of their lives if they jump around while i am baking a cake, lol) Sorry cakes can be very tempermental creatures, Sometimes they turn out perfect and you can duplicate all things and the next one will come out looking like punched bread dough. O well more room for filling i reckon.
What is the exact recipe you are using? It has to be
1. too much liquid in the recipe or
2. your oven temperature is Wayyy off
I would to to Walmart and get an oven thermometer and check it. they are like 3 or 4 bucks, well worth it to know what is going on in there.
Did you open the oven during cooking at all? That's what the problem sounds like to me. By opening the door it takes all the heat out of the oven, even if it's only open long enough to peek at the cake. IMO you don't need a flower nail for a 6" cake. I only us them for 10' or larger just like Quadcrew said. Cook at 325* for 45 to 50. If you want to look at the cake wait till after it's been baking for 35 minutes. Good Luck! You'll figure it out!
Alrighty folks! Some great suggestions and some that made me remember what was happening while I was baking!!! My husband, before leaving for work, opened the oven. I quickly yelled at him!!! Oh wait..that was the first cake that didn't sink.
Ok wait...while the second cake was cooking (in the last ten minutes) my 3 YR OLD flipped a kitchen chair over right in front of the oven. Again..there was yelling!
As far as the recipe....Classic White Cake II from this site. I did add a package of instant French Vanilla pudding to it.
It also looks as though I'll be getting a thermomator for the oven to check that out. If it is off...what then? 
By the way...thanks for all of your help!! This is WONDERFUL!!! 
Don't fret hun, that happened to me when I was trying to make my turkey cake (first ever, and i mean ever attempt at a carved 3d cake). My first cake I made I used an extended cake mix and, wouldn't you know it, the bugger fell. Looked more like a dough bowl than a cake, but o well, used that one for the "croutons" and stuffing. Tried again with a scratch cake and it didn't fall (quite as much lol), but I reckon because it was such a big pan, and yes I did use the flower nail trick too. I just figured that this dang cake is gonna fall no matter what, so, I said heck with it and used it, just made sure to fill the cavity (which really wasn't that big) with frosting so the dern thing wouldn't split when turned over. Fortunately didn't have that problem with the cocoa cup. Interesting huh?
I edited this post because I need to remind myself that this isn't a chat room, and I need to remember my punctuation and capitalization. Sheesh!
Ruh-roh! You can not add a box of pudding to a scratch recipe like you would a cakemix. 
Food engineers have spent decades making cakemix foolproof. So you can dump a cup of this or that into the batter and the cake will still turn out ok. For every change you make in a scratch recipe, you'd have to adjust the other ingredients.
You probably just slightly overcooked the original cake you made. You should remove the cake from the oven while crumbs still cling to the toothpick and not when the toothpick comes out dry.
It doesn't have the richness of a scratch cake, but Pillsbury white cake has a traditional birthday cake taste-not bland. Add almond extract to give it a "wedding" cake flavor. Adding sifted cake flour will reduce the fluff factor of the cake. Some people add an entire cup of flour, but to me this reduces the flavor too much. I've used 1/4 to 1/3 cup flour.
hth
hth
I haven't used the 6inx3in pan, but I use the 8inx3in pan every month. I agree with those that say lower the oven temp and the flower nail. The flower nail does help cook it more evenly in the thicker pan.
Something I have noticed with the 3in pan I have is that the top is always darker than the cakes that come from the 2in pans. If it really bothers you you can always trim that part off later.
Just to keep everyone up to date on my madness....
I leveled off the top of the cake..and it seems as though the sunken in part didnt really go that far down!! YAY!
I also made cupcakes for tasting...as the 6in was for a practice run on decorating...and they are very good!! I made the same recipe with out adding the pudding mix a couple of days ago...and that was the one that was dry. These seem to be very tasty and moist!!
Thanks so much everyone!!
By the way...I either need to get a computer for my kitchen, or I need a 12 step program because I am totally addicted to CC
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