I am having trouble with removing the cake from the pan and leveling it out then having the bottom of the cake actually be on top. does that make sense? I want the bottom of the cake on top so its more smooth but how do I do that without having to flip the cake 100 times until I get it right? Or am I making this way to difficult on myself?

Is the cake sticking?

Or are you just thinking you're juggling cake around too much? You probably aren't.

If you can, try to level the cake by trimming it in the pan. Or better yet, many people just take a cake board and then press it onto the top of the cake (in the pan) right after you take it out of the oven.

It sounds as if you are making it more difficult than it has to be. Run a spatula aroung the cake between the cake and the pan. Put a cake board on the top of the cake, Hold the cake board in place with and open hand and just turn the pan upside down. Now, if you are having difficulty because you left the cake in the pan too long, if you have a gas stove just put the cake over the flame for a short time while in the pan and rotate. Do this to the sides and bottom.HTH

here is how I do it.

I get it out of the oven and let it cool for a bit. Then I take a spatula and make sure its not sticking and I put the board on top of the pan and flip it. So now its flipped with the bottom of the cake facing up, but I cant ever fit my leveler into the pan in the beginning to make sure that the actual top of the cake is flat. So I end up flipping it again, leveling it, then flipping it again.

I also tried putting a spatula under the cake (before I've done anything to it) and try to sort of get the cake to slide out so I don't have to do any flipping and when I did that, it just started splitting so I stopped.

Line your pan with parchment paper and you shouldn't have an issue with it sticking. I didn't do it when I first started baking because I thought it was a waste a paper but now I do it all the time. Smooth and no worries about tearing unless of course I try flipping it immediately out of the oven. (it happens)

Ok, I am unclear about a few things: do you use prepare your pan with bakers spray and then line the pan with parchment and another lite layer of bakers sprat? What are you using to level the cake? I have heard people lay a towel over the cake and level with their hands. I don't do that. I level after the cake is completely cool. And sometime I I freeze them a bit so they aren't as crumbly.

What kind of spatula are using?I use a thin metal one. Sometime referred to as a pallet knife. Let me know if this helps. There are a few ways to level a cake. Hth

Here's my method.
#1--I use home made cake release
#2---After cake cools for 10 minutes, I run a knife around the edges to make sure it isn't sticking.
#3--I put a cooking grid on the cake and taking mitts, grab the grid and pans and flip over. (The cake is now upside down)
#4 --I then take plastic and make sure I have enough to cover and wrap the cake and put it on the cake. I then place a cake board on top of the plastic and flip again. Now the cake is right side up. I continue wrapping and pop in the freezer. I don;t top until I am ready to fill & crumb

"Ok, I am unclear about a few things: do you use prepare your pan with bakers spray and then line the pan with parchment and another lite layer of bakers sprat? What are you using to level the cake? I have heard people lay a towel over the cake and level with their hands. I don't do that. I level after the cake is completely cool. And sometime I I freeze them a bit so they aren't as crumbly.

What kind of spatula are using?I use a thin metal one. Sometime referred to as a pallet knife. Let me know if this helps. There are a few ways to level a cake. Hth"

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first I spray my pan with bakers spray then I put in the batter and bake it. then i take it out of the oven and let it cool. but the cake is always puffed up on top so I need to make that level so I use the cake board and flip it, then use another one to flip it again, then I level it with a cake leveler that I bought in a cake decorating section of a store.

I tried taking the cake out of the oven and tried pressing it down with seran wrap, a towel and it all seemed to peel.

I just want a nice flat cake without having all the crumbles going all over the icing.