Hey Everyone,
I was wondering if anyone uses the bake even strips when baking there cakes & how do you like them??? My cakes dont always bake even in my pans so I was thinking about investing in some but wanted everyone opinions. I would like some advice on the Small strips to the Big strips
Thanks everyone!![/url]
Small or big strips are determined by the size of your pans. The 2 pack of small only do up to 9" round cakes.
The 4 pack are all longer and different sizes up to a 14" I think, and you can overlap them. Much better value.
The strips work really well to prevent humps on the cakes, your oven still has to have level racks.
I have always used them and I definitely recommend them. I'd hate to bake a cake without them!
I always use them on my cakes.
I also teach classes and I can always tell which students have used them and which haven't. There is drastically less cake to cut off the top when using the strips. The students who don't follow my advice always do after they see the difference.
When a cake bakes, the edges bake faster than the center. Once the edges set, they no longer rise, since the center is still raw, the center continues to rise. The strips slow down the baking on the outside of the cake so the batter bakes more evenly. It will take a bit longer to bake, but so worth it. I usually remove the strips for the last 5 minutes of baking to get a golden finish on the edges.
http://yoursugarconnection.blogspot.com/2012/03/bake-even-strips-comparison.html
I did this as a comparison for my students.
I totally think they are worth using and use them on all of my cakes.
I love them! I read on a blog that you can use dish rags soaked in water and pinned around the pan too. I haven't tried it though, I'm a bit afraid of them setting on fire.
You can use old bath towels cut into 8" wide strip and folded 4X. When these strips are soaked before baking, they won't catch fire.
The commercial strips have a layer of oven-mitt type aluminum coating on the outside. The strips are nice in that they aren't folded, they are one quilted layer. They pop off the pan without any fuss.
I also use them. Love them. I also tell the students in my class about them and how your layers will look, etc. I don,t push the, as i don,t know their financial situation. They feel lucky , just to be taking the class and then all that they do have to buy.hth
I have been using them for quite some time. I am currently making a wedding cake for this weekend and I used the flower nails in conjunction with the bands. I can't believe the difference in how the top bakes with the flower nails also.
I just started using them too...never baking without them again! I bought only the longer set with my discount coupon for Joann and I made 5" and 6 " rounds with them this morning. They wrapped around twice but my cakes baked beautifully! Go get some for sure
I just started using them too...never baking without them again! I bought only the longer set with my discount coupon for Joann and I made 5" and 6 " rounds with them this morning. They wrapped around twice but my cakes baked beautifully! Go get some for sure
I find that I have problems using them with 6 inch cakes or smaller, especially if they wrap around twice. The sides of the cake don't bake well. I usually skip them on anything smaller than 8 inches and I have the shorter ones too so I don't have to worry about wrap around. I also have an oven that seems to run cooler than it should so maybe that is why I don't need them on the smaller cakes.
I soak a few folds of almost 2-inch-wide newspaper, cover with aluminum foil, wrap around the cake pan, and secure with a binder clip. Works great.
http://yoursugarconnection.blogspot.com/2012/03/bake-even-strips-comparison.html
I did this as a comparison for my students.
I totally think they are worth using and use them on all of my cakes.
Thanks for the link! I re-posted your link (with credit to you) on the Wilton Products forum so others can benefit.
Here's another thread with photos from Wilton.com
"Bake Even Strips and Flower Nail on larger cakes --Photo tutorial"
http://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=8&threadid=148262&FTVAR_MSGDBTABLE=
I agree with KathysCC...I tend to use them only on cakes larger than 8". Before I used the Baking Strips I use to level off so much cake and waste it, now with the strips it's amazing how level they cook, AND...the best part is they cook so even that you don't get the burnt sides to your cakes. Whenever I remove my cakes after baking now I just say, " Now that's a beautiful cake!" Get some, you won't regret it.
I have been using the strips for about a year now, and they are great...A MUST HAVE..
I use 2-inch wide old soaked towels. I wrap them around and tuck them into each other (kinda like you do around your head).
I have used them for years. I like them for my sheet cakes, I just pin two together for the length. I did use the cut up towels for 15 years without a problem, but they do wear out and sometimes little threads of the towels find their way onto the surface of the cake.
I don't use them for 8-inch round and under, but I will use them for the square cakes 6 and 8-inch. A little trim on a 6-inch cake isn't bad, and that will keep hubby happy in the cake department. He loves tops!!
ADo you guys think a strip of soaked towel then covered in aluminum to keep the strips on would work well? Or would it be too much and effect the baking of the sides? Thanks CC community! I don't know how well along I'd be without all of you!
by the way I just learned this lesson the hard way:
don't machine wash your bake strips when you get cake batter on them. Stupid me, yes I admit to such ventures into money down the drain episodes. I could have just wiped them with a clean cloth, but nooooooooo
I washed them all in the machine. It killed 'em. Had to replace all of them. They'd been good to me for about a decade.
You can also buy the cake strip in a long continuous roll and cut you own for custom sizes...works great if you have lots of different sized pans. I cut mine to the pan size and sew the ends together with canvas thread so I don't have to worry with pins!
A
Original message sent by Jeff_Arnett
You can also buy the cake strip in a long continuous roll and cut you own for custom sizes...works great if you have lots of different sized pans. I cut mine to the pan size and sew the ends together with canvas thread so I don't have to worry with pins!
Genius! I'm always losing my pins!
Quote:
cupcakemaker: I had to buy more pins called "T" pins at the fabric store, but the ones I bought were thicker than those that come with the strips and harder to push into the fabric. But they work.
Jeff_Arnett: You did create a smart alternative way to use cake strips, you must bake a lot !!!
I kind of wonder if huge metal paperclips would work, or if bulldog clips would work. just thinking out loud here. Bake Even Strips are so great.
AI use the paper clips. Keeps me from stabbing myself with the pins. You just have to bend them a little to keep them from hanging over the bottom edge
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