Bake even strips for cakes

Has anyone heard of these bake even strips that you wrap around your cake pan while baking so that the top of your cake comes out flat? I have to admit - I love the idea of this, as I'm pretty bad at trimming cakes. But I'm also pretty wary of something like this - seems like if it really worked I would have heard of it before now. Has anyone used them?

WannabeBaker
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5 Comments

ATG117
ATG117 December 2, 2012
Never heard of these before? Why do they work (I read something about them keeping the sides of the pan cooler, but not sure why that would affect doming)? Are they reusable?
 
boulangere
boulangere December 2, 2012
Yes, the ones you can purchase are reusable, though I reuse foil strips as well. They effectively create conditions similar to a water bath used for baking custards, including cheesecakes. However, if you baked a cake in a water bath, it would approximately never get done; hence, wrapping strips. They delay heat penetration to the perimeter of the cake so that it and the center get done at pretty much the same time so that at best a small dome forms.
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour December 1, 2012
I use them if I'm doing a large and fancy cake. I find they keep the cakes almost perfectly flat, even with a 15-inch round.
 
boulangere
boulangere December 1, 2012
You can achieve the same effect by folding strips of aluminum foil to fit the depth of your cake pan(s), and wrapping them around the pans as you would the strips.
 
Joanne C.
Joanne C. December 1, 2012
I used these often at one bakery I worked at. They work pretty well. You still often have to trim the cakes as they will still dome a little but they don't dome as much.
 
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