I do like this product, My cakes came out fairly even, much more so that when I don't use these strips. My oven is a mess so I do appreciate having these. The reason that I gave it only Four stars is because they are not that easy to tie around the cake pan. The become loose rather easily and it's a bit annoying to have to tightening these before placing plans in the oven.
Would I buy again? I think I would actually, one, because they are so pretty and I like buying pretty things that I can put away nice and neatly. And two because before buying these, I cut up a long towel into strips and used those instead and while this did work for me, I still needed to cut and even out my cake layers a bit. With these Wilton strips, i find that I do not need too.
To maximize their effectiveness, tie them a bit loosely around your cake pan, once they are shaped, slide them out and wet them thoroughly and place them in your freezer for about 10-15 minutes. Take them out, they will be a bit stiff from freezer but they should have the shape of the pan so all you have to do is slide the strip from underneath the pan and close it tight. Pans are now ready to bake!
When baking cakes at home, I've always been disappointed by how "crispy" they come out around the edges and, of course, the frustrating process (and waste) of leveling domed cake tops just to make a half-way decent-looking layer cake. This led me to give up on baking cakes at home for a long time. Then recently I happened upon a series of baking videos where the host swore by these little strips (combined with good-quality, straight-sided cake pans, of course). Impressed by how consistently fluffy and flat-topped his cake layers seemed to always come out, I decided to give home cake-baking another try and bought a proper set of cake pans along with these little strips. Holy Cow, I'm so glad I did--seriously, no-fail awesome results every time! Making cakes is now so much more fun and satisfying. I will never again attempt a layer cake without using these wonderful little strips. For less than $10, they're so worth a try. I bet they'll become a new cake-baking essential for you as well.
P.S. In case, like me, you're dithering between the Wilton brand cake strips and the Rose's Perfect Cake Strips brand, here's why I ultimately went with the Wilton strips, for what it's worth:
1. They were the ones that video baker recommended, and I figured if he got such great results from the Wilton ones, they were probably pretty decent.
2. They were less than half the price of the Rose's brand (two for $8 vs. $10 each)
3. The Rose's strips are made to fit a 9" cake pan only and, while I've seen a lot of folks rig up ways to make them fit 8" or smaller cake pans, the Wilton strips are made to be easily adjustable in size with the handy little belt loop. I think this definitely gives the Wilton strips the edge in terms of design.
4. While the Rose's strips don't require any soaking prior to use (since they're silicon, not fabric), I didn't find it a big deal at all to just pop each Wilton strip into a glass of water to soak while I was prepping my ingredients. By the time I was greasing and flouring my pans, the strips were ready to go.
I had a pair of these already, but ordered another set for when I make three layer cakes. These work GREAT! I usually roll them all up together and put the rolled up 'disc' in a bowl of water with something weighing them down to keep them submerged while I make the batter. After filling the pans with batter, I pull the strips out, running the excess water out (you don't want them dripping) and fit them around the bottom of the pans then pop them in the oven. Works like a dream every time!
I was excited when I took the cake out and saw that it was flat. No more mountains to deal with. Lol! Love this product.
Wow, it works! For years I've accepted that my cheesecakes will be "burnt" around the sides and have a massive crack right through the middle giving them that "rustic" looking feel. After reading about these bake even stripes I was skeptical but thought for 9 dollars I could take the chance. I'm amazed - they actually work, never before have I made a cheesecake that was flat on the top after baking AND didn't look burnt around the sides. If you're considering buying this, then stop thinking and add it into your shopping basket - it's GREAT!
Feature Product
- Bake Even cake strips have loops to secure them to your cake pan
- Color: Purple
- Material: Fabric
- Includes two 35 x 1.5 in. (88.9 x 3.8 cm) strips
- Baking cake strips are oven safe up to 400°F
Description
Ever wonder how the pros bake moist, level cakes with no crowns, cracks or crusty edges? They use Bake Even strips. These fabric bands insulate the sides of your cake pan so that your batter cooks evenly. After fitting to your pan, soak strips in cold water, remove excess, wrap around pan and cinch to tighten. You'll never have to level a cake again.
I purchased two sets because I was planning on making a three layer cake. As per the package directions, I soaked the strips in cool water while I made the homemade German Chocolate cake batter. I had to put a dinner plate over the top of the when the were soaking up water in the sink. I pre-fit them before putting them in the sink to soak so when the pans were filled with batter, all I had to do is slip them on. Easy-peasy🙂. When the cakes were done baking, I set them on cooling racks for 10 minutes, then placed the rack on top of the cake and I was able to easily invert them. No hard crusty edges, very level tops, and the strips did not discolor or fall off while baking. These were a great purchase IMHO.
These really do work. You just soak them in ice water for a bit and put them around the pan and bake the cake and the cakes come out much much more level - no more dome top! After using these the first time a year ago, I bought an extra set to have on hand for when I make multi layer cakes. You will still need to level your cake slightly, but it will be small adjustments rather than cutting off a large piece of the top. It is definitely easier to fit them to the pan BEFORE you get them wet - trying to adjust them when they are wet and cold is much more difficult. I've re-used them multiple times with no issues. I've used mainly with the wilton round baking pans but they've worked on my other brands as well. I highly recommend for anyone who does any basic level of cake baking/decorating.
These cake strips are a bit pricey for what they are, but they are hard to find in stores and I don't know if another company makes them, so it's perhaps lack of competition. However there is no question that these cake strips will give you a cake that is flat and much more evenly cooked. It's so much easier not to have to cut the top of a cake layer with a knife in order to get it level before frosting!
This worked surprisingly well. The cakes baked without the dome shape. I was concerned about the fabric burning. It turned a little brown. I probably should have re-moistened the strips midway, but the end result was what I had hoped for without that step. I like that the loops keep the strips in place. I thought of using a wet towel as some posters from my google search have suggested. But I think that would have been cumbersome. These strips make it easy as it fits the height just right and I don't have the extra bulk from a towel. I don't make a large quantity of cakes, but this was worth the purchase, because I don't have to wrestle with the uneven top when frosting the cake.
I've always had to level cakes, and I face the awkward internal battle of "should I save this and use it for cake pops, should I eat it, or throw it away" and with these I don't need to worry about that. I was a little skeptical at first, however, the first two cakes (and all subsequent ones) have turned out wonderfully. I no longer need to level any of my cakes as they all come out flat when I use these. I have not used them on any cakes larger than 6 inch, however, I could see them easily fitting on 8 inch cake pans as well. All in all for the cost they are 100% well worth it. Less cake waste!
