Parrish Magic Line 5 Piece Aluminum Cake Pan Set, 3'' H, Round

First of all, the description at present doesn't let you know that the five pans you receive in this set are 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep. Yes, there really are FIVE pans in the set even though the picture only shows four. They are a heavy gauge aluminum and made in the USA. Please note that the pans really should be hand washed instead of putting them in the dishwasher.I have used primarily Wilton pans in the past, most commonly the 8 x 3. There are a few differences in these pans that make Magic Line my choice for future use. Magic Line pans are heavier and have thicker walls than their Wilton counterparts. Will this make a difference in baking? I'm not sure. But I do know that immediately after I bought my Wilton 8 inch pan, my daughter dropped it from a height of about three feet and the pan dented easily. She felt bad about the accident and bought me a new one. It also got dropped, and also got a really nice dent in it. Guess what? When the Magic Line pan of the same size hit the floor (as most everything does in my house) there was no evidence of a dent or scratch on it. That alone sold me on the durability of these pans. Wilton sells two different sets of similarly sized pans. One, the wedding set, has the 6, 10 and 14 inch pans. The other contains the 8, 10, 12, and 14 inch pans. Both retail for about $49.99. That makes this five pan set a much better buy at $47. Also, unlike Wilton's pans, each of this had the size of the pan engraved on the bottom. I hate having to pull out the measuring tape to check pan size before I can bake! Both Wilton and Magic Line pans will bake you a decent cake if you remember to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper (don't forget to spray or grease the paper as well as the pan) and use a heating core with the larger pans. I use the Wilton metal flower nail instead of a regular heating core. If you plan to use this method, be sure and poke the nail through the parchment with the base of the nail between the parchment paper and pan to facilitate ease of removal. If you plan, and I'm sure you do, to make multi-layered cakes you might consider purchasing  Wilton Tiered Cakes  for a reference book.Just as a quick guide, I can tell you that to fill these pans with batter, you need 3 cups for the 6 inch, 5 cups for the 8 inch, 8 cups for the 10 inch, 10 1/2 cups for the 12 inch and a whopping 15 cups for the 14 inch pan. Cooking times vary but I think you're looking at between 50 minutes on the small one, up to 2 and 1/2 hours on the largest one. Get some long testers (I use bamboo skewers) because that is the best way to tell if your cake is done. You should bake the three largest sizes at 325 degrees Farenheit, while the two smaller ones do okay at 350F. I've used the bake even strips and I'm not sure if they help or hinder the process, so I won't venture an absolute opinion on their value. I will also tell you that handling a 14 inch cake is a world unto itself. I currently don't have a cooling rack large enough for this cake, so I took two of my smaller ones and tied them together. (I'm planning on buying  Nordic Ware Extra Large Cooling Rack 16 Inche by 20 Inch before I tackle another 14 inch cake) Since my cake lifter is too small for the 14 inch cake, I made a cake circle out of old cardboard boxes that was about 20 inches in diameter and several layers thick. I hot-glued the layers together until I had a very strong board, which I then covered with foil. It was indepensible in flipping the cake from one side to another. I'm sure you could get the same effect using  Wilton 16-Inch Round Silver Cake Base, 2-Pack  which you should use for your cake base anyway unless you choose to use a separator plate. For the 4 other pans, my  Nordic Ware Cake Lifter  worked just fine. Leveling the cake was another matter entirely. I didn't have a large enough leveler to do the job, so I bought  Wilton Large Folding Cake Leveler  at my local craft store with a 50% off coupon. It didn't work for me. The blade was too flexible and tore up my cake. I tried it on two different ones before I gave it up. My old, small Wilton one was too small to do the job. I did have a  Kaiser Bakeware Patisserie One Wire Layered Cake Cutter  on hand was just barely big enough and did an adequate job (I had to mark the cake and start the cut with a serrated knife), but it does have it's own issues. It will work though if you don't have the money to buy the big Agbay ones or time to make your own. Have fun with these pans, they are great!

I like to bake and when I first started I used regular pans and things would always stick and the pot would begin to look nasty after some time.These have lasted me over a year now without any changes. And I have used them many times. They are the only ones I used when making a cake. I have never had a burnt or unevenly cooked cake with these. And the sizes are great. The smallest seems like a great size for a small cake, I don't think you can ask for smaller if you are making one small cake. However, sometimes (rarely) I wanted something smaller for an addition to a really small tier cake, mainly for decoration. But that would probably be like a large cupcake so I don't expect to find that size in a cake pan. The largest size pretty big, I don't think I've even gotten to use it because it feeds so many people! But I love having it just in case. Or if I want to make a large one layer cake.When I can I plan to buy the square version of this set.I am not sure how non-sticky they are, which they do not say/claim in their description. But some people may try to use it without an lining and I can't say if that's a good idea or not. Professionals recommend always lining any pan with parchment paper and that is what I do. I have never used the pan without that, so I can't tell you how well it would work without it.Extra info:To line the pan is pretty easy. You measure the pan around and cut a strip long enough to go all the way around (with about an inch extra to overlap) and tall enough that it sticks out of the pan.(A more advanced way is to have about 2 or 3 inches sticking out. Then fold the bottom of strip horizontally, about an inch from the bottom of the strip. After folding it cut tab about an inch apart and up to the fold 1 inch apart so the bottom should look something like this | | | |.) Then cut a circle to fit the bottom of your pan. Before putting the lining, grease your pan and then place the strip in (if you made the tabs, place those so that they outline the bottom of the pan, and the circle piece can go over it). After that you just add the circle cut out to the bottom and just add your cake mix whenever you are ready.

I'm an ameteur baker who makes cakes for my family's special events, birthdays and showers. I'm so glad I bought these pans! I love the 3" level. I don't have to worry about spillovers, and I love making my cake layers extra tall. I use the rose pin in the middle for a heat core on the largest two, and wax paper on the bottoms, and my cakes came out great. They seem well made and don't seem to be scratching easily. I'm very happy with these! Thanks to the other reviewers for the good advice.

Love these pans! I originally ordered the 2" deep pans, but quickly realized that I prefer the time saving 3" pans. As a professional baker, time is money to me! One tip- do NOT wash these in the dishwasher after use, if you want to keep the beautiful anodized coating. I washed my 2" deep 6", and 8" in the dishwasher after an order, and was horrified when I pulled them out. They have since been returned and replaced with these 3" pans. So happy with my purchase! Worth every penny.

Baking a 3" cake is impossible. I've tried adjusting everything. I finally added metal baking cones and even then my cakes did not bake through. The best reason for 3" pans is to get a true 2" layer without needed trimming. Otherwise, these were pretty much a waste. The quality of the pans is incredible and I won't ever buy another brand.

Use for my daughter's main wedding cake and they turned out great since they are such a heavy gauge. I use Fat Daddies heating core with the large pan which help get the center of the large cake done perfectly.

Excellent product. Purchased for my daughter. First set arrived in a nearly destroyed box (UPS) and the damaged set had to be replaced due to damage. Amazon was great in helping with the return.