Does anyone use the bake even strips, and do you find that is makes that much difference? Do you use it on all of your cakes, or just certain sizes? Thanks, Keli

I've used them a few times but honestly for the mess and water and pins to wrap them around....My cakes come out the same.Some people swear by them and I guess it depends on where you live,Sea level ,oven temp etc...

I only used them once on some larger rounds, and my cakes came out very moist around the edges, and it was kind of gross. It made it hard to frost them. But I want to try again and see if it works next time.

I look forward to hearing what other people say about this one.

I had bake even strips. They seemed to really help to make my cakes level. I only used them 3 times though, because for some reason the strips had a strange unpleasant odor and the odor seemed to be absorbed into the cake. I contacted Wilton and they sent me a mailing label to send the baking strips back to them for a refund. I just mailed them back to Wilton last week. It's really a shame because I really liked how level the cakes came out.

Same here, come to think of it I noticed a funny smell too. I thought it would bake off.

I use them, never have much of a problem at all, though I put them on pretty wet. When you first use them they do put off a smell, and I thought I could taste it in the cake, but no one else seemed to notice when I pointed it out. Now I take them and bake the ever living "smell" out of them 2 or 3 times before I use them the first time.

I use the strips all the time on all of my cakes. They work great for me and no smell.
Before I start on my cake I run water in the sink and put the strips in to soak while I make the cake. I just run my fingers down them to get the extra water out.
Maybe your not getting them wet enough.

I love mine. I even use them on 8" rounds. Yes, the sides are soft & moist, but I consider that a good thing. They keep the cake from getting hard & crusty when they take a while to bake. I have a chocolate chip cake recipe that for some reason takes FOREVER to bake, and if I don't use the strips, even with a flower nail, the edges will come out hard & crusty.

Don't know about the smell. I got mine from a garage sale & they were well broken in.

Dale, I don't know what we did for a chuckle before you joined and started posting on CC! Love your poetry too!

One complaint, I keep watching your avatar and it hasn't done a darned thing, do you think it is working?

I like to use the bake even strips, they are very good about keeping the edges moist and the tops level, but they definitely do need to be very wet.

I've put this tip in posts before...I couldn't deal with the pins that come with them (they really hurt your fingers), so I use those bulldog clamps from the office supply store, that way I can use the strips even on the character pans! Janice

Janice, I forgot who posted that originally, THANK YOU from the bottom of my pin ridden fingers! I have been using the bulldog clips and they are wonderful! I would have never thought of that!

I agree w/ everyone that had positive things to say about the strips...I have been baking dome-shaped cakes for over 17 yrs until our Wilton instructor told us about them...I love them! Haven't had a dome-shaped cake since...you do need to soak them properly so that you don't get that weird smoky smell.

You are more than welcome, New To Decorating, it was an improvisation born out of pain and suffering!
Glad to know that it helped! Janice

Guess I need to put this in the thread about unusual items used as tools!

Sorry! Not sure what Bull Dog clips are? Are they those binder clips that are black and have 2 little silver pieces that flip up and down? Sorry to sound soooo stupid!

Don't know. Maybe I'll try a set of baking strips again. I thought I had them plenty wet when I used them before, but maybe it's worth trying to really, really soak them and bake them a few times before I actually put them on a cake.

Thanks for the hints.

I've tried the bake even strips several times and my cakes don't look any different then when I don't use them. So, I've just given up.

The bake even strips keep cakemix cakes from getting that giant hump. Never had a weird smell. I would guess that the strips hadn't been soaked and were cooking.

I love the bake even strips and have been using them on all of my round cakes for many years. I did purchase some new ones in the past year and found they are not the same as the older ones I have. First.. the material is different.. very shiny. The older ones had a dull finish. Secondly the newer ones were not as easy to soak.. took a long time for the water to absorb. Third.. they are much more difficult to pin. One came unpinned during baking and practically melted when it touched the oven rack. I have never experienced the off odor that others have mentioned with either the new or old strips.

Hi, I'm new to Cake Central and I am SO excited to have found you all!

I have a set of bake even strips, and I really like what they do for my cakes. I haven't noticed a smell at all. My one concern, though is that their width is so close to the height of the pans that I have - it worries me that while it's baking they will dry out, slip and burn on the oven racks. Am I just being super paranoid?

Are they supposed to be flush with the bottom of the pan or the top?!? I thought it was bottom. Does anyone have the instructions?

When I took my decorating classes five years ago, I learned to use wet paper towel strips, 2 ply! I use them all the time and have had zero issues with my cakes mounding in the center.


Amy

I have a set of "Magi-cake strips (1st prise)" which are the same thing, just a different brand.
I've only used them one time, but I noticed that they started to smell a little towards the end of baking so i figured that they were drying out and "cooking." I didn't notice the smell affecting the cake at all though, and when I tried keeping them really soaked I didn't notice the smell until the last 5 min. of baking.

Gingoodies: The cake strips I have are pretty dull looking too, even though they are new... not sure what that means though. also I found that sort of squeezing then while they were submerged helped the water soak in and get the air bubbles out.

bonniebakes: I don't think it matters if they are the same width as the highth of the pans. In the picture on the box of my package that's how they look.

rbbarker: The instructions mine came with never said it they should be level with the top or the bottom, so I just put them in the middle. lol, i don't think it matteres too much, at least I hope not!

The Wilton ones specified and I thought it was bottom. Now I want to be sure.

For me, I only use them on my sheet cakes. They help me get away from hard corners and edges. They helped me a lot with that because that was one of my biggest problems. But other than that, i don't use them for leveled cakes. I guess you can say that I found my own reason for them.

When I use the bake even strips I tend to have to cook my cakes longer than usual because i am assuming that the strips help the cake bake even from outer to inner so it slows the cooking process of the outer part of the cake. I don't use them unless I am doing a stacked cake and i need for the rounds or square to be even. As far as the domed tops, if I get them, I level that off with a cake leveler. If you are getting them I think that cake is being overcooked.

When using the bake strips, wrap the strip around the pan firmly just above the bottom of the pan. If the strips are in contact with the bottom, it means they will be touching the wire rack, which will cause the strip to dry prematurely.
Make sure when using the strips to soak them well in cold water and then put them on pretty wet, getting them nice and tight on the pan.
If you are getting a rather large cake hump, and it is splitting the cake, chances are you are over mixing your batter.
I generally cook at 300 to prevent humps, of course it does take longer, but it makes a pretty flat cake. You can also use the strips when cooking at 300 for a perfect cake.
You can take a damp hand towel, fold it over twice and smush the cake flat, but this only works if it is done immediately after the cake comes from the oven. It works quite well.
You can also just cut the top off even, whatever works best for you.

EVERYONE!!! I was having trouble with getting the pins in too, on the bake even strips, and I just had a notion... wonder if washing them in the washing machine would make the pins easier to insert??? Well, I washed them and WALAH!!! The pins go in, easy as can be! I know this is a kinda old topic, but thought this might help you guys!

Several people had issues with these catching fire when they were used properly. Wilton is aware of the problem and would send out new ones to people that could send back the defective strips. That is likely why you are seeing a change in the new ones on the market. The old ones that were susceptible to catching on fire were not recalled, but they will replace them.
So perhaps the funny smell is related to this issue.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

Hi, I found and saved a picture of the clips, they are called binder clips, and save your fingers. Work even to hold the strips on the character pans! Janice

Hi, I found and saved a picture of the clips, they are called binder clips, and save your fingers. Work even to hold the strips on the character pans! Janice

Sorry, I clicked before I attached the picture!

I was taucgt by a baker of 30 years and she had me use bar rags. O guess thats the neme, shop rags maybe, any how use then just the same as Cake strips and MUCH MUCH MUCH less expensive.

I haven't had much success with the strips either.

Use the smush down method and love it.