I bought 6" and 8" cake rings and am wondering how to use them effectively (not for cutting out cake rounds, but for layering and icing).

For those of you who like using a "cake ring" for filling and icing your cakes, could you step me through your process?  I have seen cake rings used (briefly) on Amazing Wedding Cakes.  I understand that it helps when filling cakes with oozy fillings, and I get that it helps hold up the cake as you build layers.  Do you also use them for frosting the tops or sides of your cakes?  I was thinking, if at the right height, it could help as a guide to get a smooth, even layer at the top of a cake.

hmph ... the internet tells me that you can bake with these too??  Anyone bake with cake rings instead of using cake pans?

I've baked using those. They work well. I've also baked half sheet cakes and then cut with the rings. I've also used one (at the right height) to smooth the top of my cake. But I've done that with one that's 3.5 inches tall and it's adjustable.

I have these:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00359KD78/?tag=cakecentral-20

http://www.pastrychef.com/ADJUSTABLE-CAKE-RING_p_1185.html

The closest I can find to a tutorial is this, even though she used a regular pan.

http://cakejournal.com/tutorials/cake-tins/

But I mostly use my Gold Touch pans to bake now. After those, I can't get used to anything else.

How interesting!  Thanks a bunch for those links.  I'm excited to try to baking with them and also experiment with thin layers.