10 And 12 Inch Pans....bake Even Strips, Heating Core Or Both?
Baking By Naty Updated 28 Jun 2019 , 11:48pm by -K8memphis
a lot of people bake at a lower degree — I bake at 350 because that’s the temperature that baking powder is designed to work best at — and I want to ensure the best lift I can get — then at the end of the bake i back off the temperature 25 degrees a pop until the cake is done —
it’s not easy to get a three inch rise (at the edges) out of a normal American cake recipe/mix unless it’s pound cake or fruit cake — but I mean I used three inch pans exclusively but only to get a two inch layer after trimming — and then i’d tort it to make two one inch layers —
but anyway — yes I used bake even strips and I folded aluminum foil to stick in the center of large cakes to help with heat distribution — I do not like baking cores because that cake inside there got overdone — a lot of people used rose nails but aluminum foil was my go to -/ never rusts —
K8memphis, thank you for the reply!
So you just fold the aluminum strip lenghtwise place on the bottom of the pan, and pour the batter in the pan over the aluminum?
The last time baked an 8 x 3 cake, it at 325 for 45 mins. and it was not cooked in the middle. I ended up cooking it about 20 mins more then the middle cooked but the rest was a bit dry.
I have read that bigger pans should bake at 325. So i hope it will work. Maybe 325 at a longer cooking time?
Thank you for any input.
I’ve read the same about baking at a lower temp but it didn’t agree w/me — lots of people do that though so someone will pipe up soon I hope —
I’ll try & get a picture of the aluminum foil thing...
but I fold a 5x6” ish piece of foil into about 1x5” — kind of folding the edges into the middle so the outsides are stronger— then in the middle of one of the short ends, I make a tear up the length of it about an inch long — so there’s two pieces still attached that are 1/2” wide — so fold them at a right angle in opposite directions so it’s like two little feet that you can stand the folded foil up on the counter — then sink it down wherever you want it in the pan of batter before baking — making sure the foil feet hit and adhere to the bottom of the pan —
then after baking while still hot you slide a butter knife down each leg to unfold the feet while tugging on it — pulls out easy peasy — and it glues back together kinda sorta —
yeah it seems all weird to read about it but it’s super simple — tres basic
When I bake 10" and 12" cakes, I use five baking nails in each tin. I use baking strips sometimes on smaller cakes, but not on the large ones. I usually bake at 340 degrees. Like -K8memphis, I use 3" pans, but my goal is to get two full inches, after leveling, which I tort into 1" layers.
You are welcome! -K8memphis's trick of using foil is brilliant! If I had not already supplied myself with baking/heating nails, I would have been all over that. I bet it works better than the nails.
I've never used bake even strips or heating cores or flower nails and I regularly make (used to anyway) 13" square and 16" round cakes. I baked at 325 the whole time. Maybe the gods were with me or it was just dumb luck but I never had any problems at all.
Cakefan that’s how I did most of my baking for 25+ yrs I did/do bake at 300 degrees for 20 min then turn it up to 325 for an equal time for cake pans holding 1+ batter w/ time increase for more batter sizes Almost never used any wet bands, nails etc until I read about it on sites like this, tried it but found no need/help except for large squares—there I just used wet paper towels on the corners
I have never used the bake even strips either. I bought some but around 2002 or so, someone on the Wilton site had a fire issue with them even though they were used correctly and that scared me off of them...lol. I bought the heating core and never used it or the nails. I too used the lower temperature. Maybe the type and brand of oven makes a difference? Who knows - whatever works for the individual. When you think of it, the original baking pans were always 1.5 inches deep. Likely someone figured that yielded the best results and that is why we have to play around to get good results with all of the newer pan sizes.
I did start playing with batter amounts and displacement experiments and that was when I discovered that the batter amounts suggested for a 2 inch deep pan when placed in a 3 inch deep pan gave me about a 2.5 inch fairly level cake and it was light - less dense but not so light as to be fragile.( I bake mainly from scratch so white butter cakes are generally more dense in texture than cake mixes.)
Quote by @SquirrellyCakes on 5 days ago
............................................... I did start playing with batter amounts and displacement experiments and that was when I discovered that the batter amounts suggested for a 2 inch deep pan when placed in a 3 inch deep pan gave me about a 2.5 inch fairly level cake and it was light - less dense but not so light as to be fragile.( I bake mainly from scratch so white butter cakes are generally more dense in texture than cake mixes.)
@SquirrellyCakes my first 3" deep pan was used with the lemon cakes and I was shocked at how nice the cake baked evenly~~ without any nails or strips. I used the batter amount for a 2" deep pan in the 3" deep pan like you did. Very nice results. I've purchased a few more 3" deep pans just this week. I look forward to seeing how they bake up. And I need new pans like I need another hole in my pea brain. ha.
Glad you had good results. Haha, can you ever have too many pans? The correct answer is no. You can however, have too little storage space.
I just started baking a year ago, and already have probably around 100 pans. I'm a big fan of the Fat Daddios 4" pans even though I don't make 4" high cakes.
Totally agree, -K8memphis! I never met a pan or mixer that I didn't like!
I want one of those kitchen aid 3.5 quart mixers -- but I really really don't need it but...it's like a challenge hahahaha
ohhhh mixers...be still my beating heart hahahaha
resistance is futile
consider the ramifications if we try to stop -- clearly not worth the dire consequences
You need to start a chapter of Caketoysanonymous!
Quote by @SquirrellyCakes on 58 minutes ago
You need to start a chapter of Caketoysanonymous!
sweet idea.
I keep buying extra bowls and accessories for my mixer, I never considered buying an extra mixer... until now. I just ordered another mixer. I blame you guys.
Kitchenaid has the Professional 600 series refurbs for $200. The great thing is it will work with all the accessories and bowls I have for my Pro 5 Plus. How could I afford NOT to but it? Now, I need to start planning a date with my wife so I can tell her before it gets here.
hahahahaha -- another bona fide charter member!!! 
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