I Don't Hate My Wilton Cake Leveler As Much Anymore!!

Decorating By ReneeFLL Updated 15 Sep 2011 , 5:07pm by jules5000

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ReneeFLL Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 1:41am
post #1 of 11

I bought the Ultimate Cake Leveler a while back and had so many problems with the flimsy blade that I returned it and told them it was terrible. Even after returning it I kept thinking that it must some how work better than it did the first time I had it. I bought it again and I finally figured out how to level the cakes evenly. It is still not that great of a product but it will work.

Since the blade is flimsy you must put outward pressure on it to keep it straight while cutting. I grab each side of the leveler and pull it in the opposite direction (outward) thus keeping the blade taut. I then saw back and forth in a cutting motion all the while keeping the blade tight. This works great with the exception that you now don't have a free hand to hold the cake. For those with three hands it should work beautifully! icon_biggrin.gif I either get my DH to hold the cake in place or else I put a paper towel on the side closest to me and I let the cake go up against my tummy. When doing this you should only cut about 1/2 to 3/4 thru the cake and then turn the cake around so you can cut the rest of the way thru.
I hope cakers can understand this because I know it sounds confusing.

I will continue to look for a product like the Agbay, but not as expensive. I recently came across the cake leveler by Fat Daddio's but have not really researched it yet. Anyone out there have one and what is your experience with it?

10 replies
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Texas_Rose Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 1:59am
post #2 of 11

I've never had any trouble with the large Wilton leveler...I know everyone else does, but if you think of it as a bread knife, rather than using it like the smaller wire leveler, it works just fine.

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ReneeFLL Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 2:19am
post #3 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas_Rose

I've never had any trouble with the large Wilton leveler...I know everyone else does, but if you think of it as a bread knife, rather than using it like the smaller wire leveler, it works just fine.




How do you keep the blade from bending? How do you hold it? I tried using it by holding one side and used a sawing motion, but the blade still bent and I tried holding it on the top middle and it still also bent. Is there a way to hold it with only one hand and have the blade not bend and cut the cakes level?

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Kitagrl Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 2:27am
post #4 of 11

I finally got an Agbay...I had to throw my Wilton leveler away a couple years ago and was just using a bread knife...I can't cut cakes straight to save my life...so finally went for the Agbay. A week after I bought the basic one I went back to order the second blade. Its REALLY good. I think it will last pretty much a lifetime, and since I've been starting to do a lot more wedding cakes, I will definitely get good use out of it.

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RobinO Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 2:27am
post #5 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas_Rose

I've never had any trouble with the large Wilton leveler...I know everyone else does, but if you think of it as a bread knife, rather than using it like the smaller wire leveler, it works just fine.




I agree - I've never had problems with mine either. Just move it back & forth/perpendicular to your cake (as Texas Rose said, think of a bread knife) and it shouldn't bend.

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Kitagrl Posted 17 Jul 2011 , 2:29am
post #6 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobinO

Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas_Rose

I've never had any trouble with the large Wilton leveler...I know everyone else does, but if you think of it as a bread knife, rather than using it like the smaller wire leveler, it works just fine.



I agree - I've never had problems with mine either. Just move it back & forth/perpendicular to your cake (as Texas Rose said, think of a bread knife) and it shouldn't bend.




Mine worked for awhile but eventually lost its tightness.....

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jules5000 Posted 15 Sep 2011 , 1:23am
post #7 of 11

I sorta understand her directions for using the large wilton cake leveler, but my problem is that the blade itself is not what I call flexible as far as not being tight, but somehow or another my blade has a angle to it and tends to cut upwards so I do tend to get unlevel cakes. Fortunately not too bad, but I do want to get one of those agbays someday. The little one may cut even if you do not have any kind of crust around the area you want to cut it. mainly this is only a problem near the top of the cake if I have to just cut off maybe a 1/8 to a 1/4" it tends to have problems cutting through that crust. Sometimes I get those crusts on the upper edge when the center of my cake(yes I use a heating core and leveling bake even strips both) is not done, but the outside edge is. this happens on mainly cakes that are too small for the heating core. Like the 6" and 8". Anyone know how to avoid this crusting?

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ReneeFLL Posted 15 Sep 2011 , 4:47am
post #8 of 11

What temperature are you cooking at? You may want to turn it down by 25° and cook a little longer.
I ended up getting the Agbay after all. icon_biggrin.gif

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jules5000 Posted 15 Sep 2011 , 1:51pm
post #9 of 11

I could try turning it down, true, but it doesn't do that unless I use the bake even strips. Sometimes I don't use them and only have a little to trim off and sometimes when I have not used them I have a lot so I never know. and on the little cakes 6 & 8" it is kind of weird. I don't have a problem with baking other things at the temperature that they are supposed to be baked at coming out right. So I put it down more to the bake-even strips than anything else I am doing.

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ReneeFLL Posted 15 Sep 2011 , 2:25pm
post #10 of 11

Are you getting the strips wet enough? Otherwise I am not sure what is going on. Hopefully someone else will have an answer.

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jules5000 Posted 15 Sep 2011 , 5:07pm
post #11 of 11

Yes, I am definitely getting them wet enough. most of the time unless I wanted water dripping on the floor to the stove and into the stove, which I don't, I have to squeeze them out some so they don't drip. I know that they are plenty wet enough w/o being too wet.

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