I'm doing a cc tower for my son's bday tomorrow with a six inch cake on top. The first one I made and froze on wed, thawed yesterday. I had a really hard time getting it level and decided to make a new one. I made my baking strips with a towel thinking I wouldn't have to level it and baked at 325. It took forever to bake and when it was done, the sides weren't even brown but the top was really dark. It stuck so badly to the pan around the sides that it was completely unusable. I made two more after that with the same problem both times. Is it possible for the strips to be too wet?

The party is tomorrow, so I accepted defeat and ordered an 8" smooth buttercream cake from Kroger(gasp!) and had it airbrushed blue. It's a spongebob cake and I've already made the fondant accents....so at least it's partly mine. I'm so ashamed!

No, the strips can't be too wet. I've used them for years.

The sides not being browned is not a bad thing. I actually WANT my cakes to come out that way. If the top seemed too brown, you might want to check your oven temp to make sure it's right and not hotter than you think it is.

How do you treat your pans? I stopped using Pam spray because the cakes stuck and when they did come out, the sides were "fried" (crispy!). I grease-only-no-flour and don't be afraid to slap that grease on the pan! I find a lot of folks just barely coat the pan. Put a good thick coat on there.

What kind/brand of pan is it?

I've been doing the wax paper trick. You line your pans with wax paper, no spraying or anything. Once they cook they pop right out. The cakes can be stored out in the open with the wax paper still attached and a piece of clear wrap over the top. The cakes are very moist and you don't have to wash after each baking. Remember to trim the excess wax paper from the edges or they will smell when the cake is cooking. I saw this on a cake video I have at home, can't remember the name. Also cakes don't need to be leveled so you lose all that extra left over cake trimmings.

I don't know, but it works. Wax paper on the bottom and sides.

I use a either a combo of waxed paper in the bottom and homemade pan grease on the sides or fully lined with waxed and parchment depending on the type of cake I'm making and in my experience waxed paper does nothing for doming. I think that depends on your recipe and your baking methods.......

Without being at home looking at my DVD's, I think it was a Sugarcraft video that demonstarted this.

I'll find out more information tonight when I get home and find out the video owner. I'll post more then. You cut the wax paper a little larger than your cake pan so one piece covers the bottom and the sides. Smooth it out so you don't have an wrinkles. Also I use box cake mixes, I just bake for family and friends so I don't invest in alot of extra tools. I try to use things I have at home.

I use homeade pan grease. Equal amounts of oil, shortening and flour. I "paint" it on the bottom and sides of my pans using a pastry brush..and like Indydebi said...use plenty of it.

You can line your pans with wax paper but with the pan grease there is no need. And NO lining your pan with wax paper will not prevent doming.

PANGREASE:
1 cup shortening
1 cup oil
1 cup flour
use hand mixer and blend until thoroughly mixed. Store in airtight container. NO refrigeration required.

I use the home made goop as well and not had a cake stick since that. I do the same thing as Mamarobin.

I'm personally a fan of Wilton's Cake Release - never had a cake stick when using it! You just have to be generous with it. Although...homemade would be a lot cheaper! I think I might give the flour, shortening, and oil a try sometime.

I may have to try the homemade grease. I use PAM for baking and it's EXPENSIVE. Thanks, mamawrobin!

I am a recent convert to homemade pan grease and I cannot stop singing its praises. It works like a charm.

Ok, the DVD was from Sugar Delites - Jennifer Dontz. If you search under Cathyscakes July 8th post she also talks about the wax paper method and how level the cakes are. I suggest you purchase the DVD and see for yourself before deciding it doesn't work.

Jennifer Dontz also uses the wet towel wraps to insulate her cakes. That is what helps with the dome problem.

You folks really buy a special brush to put this stuff on the pans? I grab a small sandwich bag or a sheet of wax paper and use that. I dont' want to spend any time picking brush hairs out of my pans that may have come loose from the brush and when I'm done, I dont' have to wash a brush!

Bakingangel, No I don't have that problem with the outside of the cakes, and even if I did, I'd just rub it off. I've been using homemade pan grease for 10+ years. And yes, i did go to the restaurant supply store and purchase a high quality pastry brush that doesn't shred.

I'm a brush user. I actually bought a silcone one that doesn't shed.

Thanks, y'all, for bringing up the pan grease recipe. I wanted to search for it, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called (okay, no harsh comments about my mental state!). I don't really have any sticking issues with the standard shortening-followed-by-flour method, but it's the step in baking that I always hate! I've always thought that if I could use this one-step method I'd be a much happier camper. I'm off to see whether this is actually true or not.

I always use the homemade pan grease with waxed paper on the bottom--the cakes always come out beautifully. I used to buy Wilton's and really liked it, but I found it got rather expensive since I always seem to be baking.

Homemade pan grease is the reason that I no longer sit on tenterhooks every time I make a bundt cake....

Meh, shred, shed, same effect.

Thanks, Leah, I'll make another batch and try it again.

Indydebi, thanks for the tip, I like the "not washing the brush" idea too.