I have an AGBAY and a long knife. The AGBAY would be a GREAT bookend if it weren't so dangerous....
seriously though, it's just my personal opinion and I know it is in the minority, but I don't like to have to spend the time to lower the knife everytime I make a cut. Takes 3 times longer. I like my knife and my AGBAY fell apart about 6 months ago and I haven't bothered to put it back together. (Not that I could get the re-assembly figured out anyway.)
AGBAY is kinda like the CakeSafe. Some people swear by it, some people think it's overpriced for what you get. Eh, potato, potahto.
Nobody has mentioned what they do to the pans. In addition to using the magic cake strips, I do NOT grease my pans at all. I just line the bottoms with parchment cut to shape, and the cake rises up the sides a little better. Then the strips do the rest of the work.
AI also line the bottom of the pans but don't grease or flour them.
I just spent the morning baking and used the batter-up-the-of-the-pan method (how come I never thought to do that before?). It really helped my cakes rise evenly, even more than they do with just the bake-even strips. I want to try the parchment-with-ungreased-sides method, too. That's the way angel food cakes get their height, but I'd never thought of trying it with regular cakes. Thanks for the tip, BakingIrene and costumeczar.
I just read a tutorial the other day, on here, about making cake edges sharp and precise; I wish I could remember what the title was called...but maybe you could find it by doing a search...:/ sorry, I couldn't be more helpful (If I could explain, I would, but it'd be a mess!).
I just spent the morning baking and used the batter-up-the-of-the-pan method (how come I never thought to do that before?). It really helped my cakes rise evenly, even more than they do with just the bake-even strips. I want to try the parchment-with-ungreased-sides method, too. That's the way angel food cakes get their height, but I'd never thought of trying it with regular cakes. Thanks for the tip, BakingIrene and costumeczar.
That tip (ungreased sides) does not work for EVERY cake - if you try that with a mudcake you will have half your cake stuck to the sides
That tip (ungreased sides) does not work for EVERY cake - if you try that with a mudcake you will have half your cake stuck to the sides
No you don't.
ALL cake batter sticks to ungreased pan sides, that's the whole point.
When the cake is cold, you run a small knife around the edge and the cake comes out in one piece supported by the parchment.
But cake has to feel stone cold to the touch--if it still feels warm, cutting it out might crack it.
I think I learnt this trick from Jessicakes and it has worked for me all the time.. scrach or doctored mix.. When the cake is out of the oven, and still hot.. I take a cloth oven mitt (I have one that is exclusive for this purpose) and wet it lightly on one side. I press the dome of my cake down with my mitted-hand gently all over the cake starting from the middle using light pressure until I feel it has become level. Then waiting about ten minutes or so, I run a knife around the edges and invert it over a cooling grid. I never have had to cut off a dome and it helps keep my weight in check (No snacking on the domes)
Let me know if that works for you... Good Luck!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't think the Agbay is the end all be all of cake torting. I guess you could get the double knife one and not have to lower it, but I'm with you jenmat... the knife is just quicker.
I don't grease pans either. I just use parchment for the bottom and sides. I have a band saw that is dedicated to building cake structures and I just use it to buzz a roll of parchment into 4 sections and ring my pans with that. No grease and flour to get on your cakes (I think it makes the sides taste off) or clean up. Just a few minutes in hot water and a sponge takes care of the little big that touched the pan at the very edge. Cakes pop out of the pans perfectly.
I use the method of lowering the temp and the towel as soon as the cake is out of the oven works like a charm I would have to try the batter up the sides method to see how that goes sounds interesting thanks for the tip
I also just put parchment paper in the bottom of my cake pan. I do not grease it. I use dampened magic strips or you can cut towel strips and use the same way. If I am baking a cake 10 inches or more, I use the rose nail method. Also, if you do have a slight bulge, you can put something heavy on top like a cutting board for a few minutes when you first take the cake from the oven as that will push the top down to the height of the pan.
AI've been using lids for my cakes, no Houdini to it- I measured batter, poured into pans, popped on thethe Lid and it works awesome. I have to mention also- NO BROWN TOP- OR OVER COOKED EDGES TO TRIM. :-)
Nobody has mentioned what they do to the pans. In addition to using the magic cake strips, I do NOT grease my pans at all. I just line the bottoms with parchment cut to shape, and the cake rises up the sides a little better. Then the strips do the rest of the work.
Just bought a copy of Cocolat and read this tip. I'm totally jumping on that bandwagon. Anything to reduce pan prep.
I do many of the above suggestions.
1. make sure you don't have too much leavening, and your batter isn't too thick.
2. use homemade bake even strips
3. don't over fill your pan for the type of batter made (I fill chocolate to just under half full, while pumpkin goes almost to the top, most others are about 3/4)
4. tap pan so bubbles come to the top, then run a butter knife through them.
5. Spin the pan around on the table so the batter flings up on the sides evenly.
6. use heating core in any pan 9" and bigger (like a flower nail but my husband made them and they are all stainless steel and rust proof.
7.bake at 285° in my commercial convection oven
8.level and torte at the exact same time with my wonderful Agbay
I'd really like to try the whole "don't grease the pan" thing. does the cake still shrink from the edges? if so, does it tear? do you obliterate the sides of your pan, scraping them with a knife, or can you use a thin metal spatula?
Incidently, the way you keep from having to move you blade up and down for each cake if you only have a single bladed agbay, or other leveler, is to level all your cakes to the same height, all at the same time, then adjust your blade, and torte them all at the same time.
I have an 8' work table, and tiered cooling racks, and a commercial oven that has 6 full size racks in it, and multiples of every pan, and 6-8 each 6" and 8" pans, so I bake all my cakes, cool them and flop them all out on the table in a long line, about 18" wide then I use my Agbay and level and torte them all at the same time. takes about 5 minutes to flop out about 25-30 cakes, line them up, level and torte. I would love to see someone try that with a bread knife, except the site of other people's blood sickens me. 
I LOVE my kitchen! And if I could do it, anyone can! I made $14,000 a year when I started buying for it. It took years and years, buying things one at a time. I got my first Wilton kit when I was 16, but I had been using it for 8 years, lol. (It was my mom's but she only used it about 5 times, while I used it dozens of times, and was much better than her, she finally just gave it to me. Officially.) I got a few Wilton pans here and there, but really started collecting for a future business when I was 24 and quit my grocery store bakery job. I was a divorced mother of three, with an infant and two toddlers, working crappy jobs and going to business school, and doing cakes and sewing on the side. I found out it was illegal to do cakes without a commercial kitchen, so I looked into what I would need, and got saving, and buying a little at a time. I got a $500 filthy convection oven off craigslist and had it for 4 years, in the basement, not even knowing if it worked! The 3 bowl stainless steel sink I had for 5 years, before it was hooked up. $350, off ebay.
I was on food stamps when I started out, and just made rule to never go backward, and never borrow money. It took 7 years, but I did it! And it's the only thing I have ever wanted to do, besides be a midwife, but you can't go deliver babies at the drop of amniotic fluid, when you are single with small kids and no support or babysitter, or friends or family.
Wow, Annabakescakes, you're my new hero! Are they making a movie of your life yet? My jaw is on the floor with admiration for all you've accomplished. And you've inspired me to stick to it till I get what I want. I'm a retiree on a fixed income (not a terrible one, fortunately, but certainly finite), but I'm determined to have a great commercial kitchen in the next few years. You can be sure I'll be coming to you for advice. Sorry for hijacking this thread, y'all, but this woman is amazing!
Room temperature ingredients. Wilton bake even strips. If there is a slight dome I cut it off at the top of the pan with a long knife.
I have actually started using the upside down method of frosting. Always wanted to try it but was afraid. It works beautifully for me for sharp edges.
Cuts down on frosting time immensely. Before I could sit and smooth the top of a cake for 20 minutes and still not have it like I wanted it. So, it works!
AAww! That's really sweet of you to say that as you can tell by many of my interactions on here, my people skills have taken a hit in my pursuit of financial freedom...I don't suffer fools well, which is a big reason I wanted my own business :-) but it has gotten worse, lol.
I am very proud of myself, though I am not done yet! The main thing I can say to do, is save a couple hundred dollars, then start looking for deals on large equipment. Keep saving, as you buy and store your stuff for free. (Pile it around your house) I am still doing it to start a retail location. My daughter has a tiered display under her loft bed that she plays Barbie's on, lol! As soon as you get enough items that you can't walk through your house, and you have everything you need, you go for the building to put it all in. In my case, it was buying a house. Then we had to save for plumbing, and electric, and building materials. It took 16 months to build out the kitchen because we paid as we went, while raising 4 kids on 1 income, below poverty levels. Eat beans and rice, and rice and beans, and spaghetti, and Ramen noodle. It builds character! Lol
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