Hi all! I'm making a wedding cake. This is the first time I've had to make a 12" round cake. I usually use my small Wilton cake leveller (the one with the silver string across), but it is too small for a 12" cake. So this time I used my Wilton large cake leveller (the one with the serrated blade) and it wrecked my cake. It cut at a slant (and yes I had it set on the same notches on each side) - the blade kind of twisted on me. So now half the cake is at about .5" and half of it is at 1", ahhh! I'm so angry, what a waste of time and money! What do you all use to level larger cakes? I will probably have to buy another leveller and don't want to waste my money on another crappy one. I live in Canada so I don't have the same selection as in the States. Advice anyone? Thanks so much!

I know how those levelers can be. Not only do the not give the best leveling job but they've also wrecked the sides of my cakes. I use a long bread knife. Mine isn't serrated and is very sharp. I only use it for just bread and cake leveling.

The Agbay leveler is the way to go. One of the best investments I made.

I don't know if this will help as I don't know how you handled the leveling, but what I do is start by cutting in about an inch or less and then turning the cake and repeat this all the way around. Then when it is scored all the way around, continue through the middle. I saw back and forth no more than 6 inch strokes and don't force it. Let the blade do the work. Make sure the legs stay flat on the table. Hope this helps.

I feel your pain... although I do a worse job if I try to "freehand" it. Agbay is next on my list!

Long time ago I worked as a mgr for Quizno's, we had these beautiful long serated bread knives, and I use that for my cakes, works beautifully!

For my round and square cakes I use a bread knife.

For sheet cakes I use a wilton leveler until Friday when my agbay is scheduled to get here!!!! Yipeeeeeee!!

The agbay is the way to go, but using what you have now. Take the little wilton leveler and come at the cake from all sides, then when the cake is scored take a piece of dental floss (non flavored) and wrap the floss around the cake at the score mark and pull both ends in opposite directions You know like you are strangling the cake. it will cut right through.

the floss is the way to go!!

peg818.. I also have used it to cut my cakes when serving. People are amazed at how clean the pieces are.

I feel your pain as well... When I'm using that large leveler, I make sure I have some of that rubbery stuff you put in drawers to keep things in place under my cake (whether it be on a board or a cutting board getting ready to stack)...then I take my leveler, place it against the cake, and take the handles of that horrible thing and pull out to the sides (tightening it) as I cut. Works 90% of the time... I just put up with it until I too have saved enough money to get the Agbay.

Take a machete' to a frozen cake. It's the best and quite therapeutic. lol. Seriously, this big beast of a knife/weapon is the best thing I've found for leveling. All my levelling tools got thrown across the yard a long time ago.

Call me crazy but all i use is the wilton cutter.. there is no way i can afford the agbay right now.. but here is my secret with the wilton... i place the cake on a board and put it flush against the wall on my counter then I take the leveller while holding the blade where it meets the lil feet (that is how I hold mine straight) and just drive it through making sure the feet r always flush on the counter.. I get a straight even cake slice... i hope that makes sense

I had the same problem with the large wilton leveler. The blade twist and cuts uneven layers and the legs need to have a wider base so it doesn't rock. I emailed the company and they said that they would pass the info on to the product development department.
Maybe if everyone send an email they will make the improvements that are needed. Since the only choices that I'm aware of is this one by Wilton and the Agbay which for now is out of my price range.
I would be willing to pay a little more for the Wilton one if it did the job right.

It's Wilton. Seriously, what did you expect?

If you can't afford the Agbay, then a long bread knife works well.
Use the sides of the pan as a guide to cut off the dome.

Take the cake out of the pan. Put in enough cardboards to raise the cake to the place you want to cut. Using the sides of the pan again as a guide, cut.

Try to visualize. It was 2 for 1 margarita night.

i feel your pain.
i too purchased the large and small leveler. and i find that it does more damage to my cakes. what a waste!
for now i use a serrgated ?sp knife. and eye ball it. it kills my knees getting to the eye level.
probably if i ever attempt a topsy turvy cake the wilton leveler would work....haha..........NOT!

I thought it was just me!!! I have this same exact problem. I will also try the suggestions as Agbay is not in my budget either. Thanks

I thought I had my Wilton large leveler licked. I thought I could MAKE it work if I was careful. And it did for a while but I've noticed that the blade is getting looser with age and a few weeks ago, I massacred a cake! It did the same thing yours did, cut at an angle. Grrrrr! Wish there was an alternative to Agbay for hobby decorators like myself.

Love to dental floss idea.....

for large cakes... this is what I do... I only have the wilton small leveler...

When u sing the leveler... I start in one side... start moving side to side slowily... then I take it out..go to another side... start doing that side... I do that in 4 sides of the cake.... then once I get all the cake cut around... I pass it all the way though... (I know how it can mess up the sides of your cake) but when you do use it this way... you will begin on each side from the outside in...so your sides can't get messed up...

On a large cake I go all around the cake and mark the middle with toothpicks... then I use this "guillotine" (I don't know what it's calles... it's a wire that they sell at Mickaels (clay section) with a piece of wood attached to both ends... it's for cutting clay but I use it to cut my fondant when I buy SI in 20 lbs... so I take that "metal string with wooden sticks attached to each end) and I start doing as with the smaller cake... start in different sides aournd the cake and not go all the way through... until all sodes are done... then I take it and pass it all the way through.... I hope that makes some kind of mental picture as to what I am trying to say lol.... but when you do it like this and go slowily you will end up with a perfectly level cake everytime.... as far as the dome... I for larger cakes... the same thing.... with the toothpicks...
I do have a long serrated knife that I bought for this but my "eye balling" skills are not the best... I can't do it with a knife it always come sout crooked...

hth
go around the cake

I love the small Wilton leveler, but the large one is absolute garbage! It destroyed a cake for me once too! Now, I just use a knife as well for large cakes!

I have been searching for a thread that shows how someone modified the large Wilton leveler using plastic feet - seemed to really work but I can't seem to find the thread. In the meantime I came across this one where someone took the blade off and used a guitar string instead. Sounds interesting as there has to be a way to make it work! I just use dental floss and had my husband cut a one inch thick board slightly smaller than my large pans. I put the cake on top of that and use the pan as a guide.

http://imgsrc.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=604848&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15

I found the thread I was thinking of - this is the one with the added feet...

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=657696&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

i used my wilton big leveler once and that was enough for me...just horrible period........and with that just got off the phone with maureen and ordered my agbay... and the beauty of it is they are only like a 45 min ride for me but i'll have it in a day or so i cant wait.....