Chicago Metallic Multi-Tier Cake Pan Set

Five stars for an AWESOME baking pan. I was originally going to use a Bundt pan to make a rum cake recipe for my boss' birthday but couldn't find it so I ended up with using this - and why not? I had it in my pantry, I never used it because I didn't know what kind of recipe to use but it was so easy using this with any standard recipe (I used "Golden Rum Cake" on Allrecipes and left out the nuts, used a mix of rum and Starbucks coffee liqueur). Transporting and decorating the cake was easy - I did everything the night before: baked the cakes and poured the rum glaze and let them cool in the cake pan, then covered them with Saran Cling Wrap; packed an aluminum 12 inch pizza pan, a roll of parchment paper, scissors, pencil, powdered sugar, fine sieve for sprinkling the powdered sugar, various colorful sugar and sprinkles and a "jar" of freshly cut ferns and orchids from my backyard. When I got to work, I inverted the pizza pan over a sheet of parchment paper, drew the outline of the pan with a pencil, cut along the line to get a nice circular liner for the pizza pan, then proceeded to tape the fern fronds to the pizza pan, going all the way around the pan. The parchment paper circle then went over the fronds to cover them, then I inverted the cakes onto the pizza pan (they slid out easily - I greased and floured the pan before baking), used a sieve to finely sprinkle powdered sugar over the cakes; decorated them with sprinkles, fancy sugars and fresh orchids....professional -looking in less than 15 minutes! The results for a simple cake recipe, when presented in this cake pan, made all the difference between "good" to "awesome!!"...yes, presentation does matter, it made all the difference and now I have co-workers demanding I make my "special" cake again. It's hilarious to think there wouldn't be as much demand, say, if I had baked this exact same cake in a standard Bundt pan. I even had one co-worker remark that it was "wedding quality" and that I should start selling these moist cakes. Another co-worker was so flabbergasted that she repeated my name at least 10 times. And yet another co-worker asked for seconds - and that he was an "expert" in desserts and that it was probably the best thing he'd tasted. Funny, how a little presentation goes a long way!! Get this cake pan and you'll be the hit of your next office party! Turn ordinary cake recipes into amazing pieces of "art"! UPDATE = I cannot seem to add any of my personal photos to this review

This is a totally fun and unique way to make cakes. I bought the product knowing that the cakes would be small, and they are. I really wanted to practice piping and decorating with fondant, since I am new to cake decorating. Perfect for this! I plan to use it for my own upcoming bridal shower, since I love baking, and instead of the typical "lingerie" party, we're going to have a "bakery" party. We will all decorate our own cakes with icing, maybe fondant. (I read about the bridal shower/birthday party from other reviewers - great ideas!!) The only thing I had difficulty with is the amount to pour into the pan. I decided to use boxed mixes, since I was technically experimenting. My first fumble was filling the cakes to the very top, and boy, was it a mess! We had cake pouring out of the pan (I put a cookie sheet under when I noticed the impending rising!). The cakes were actually beautiful, and I just shaved off the bottom layer before I took them out of the pan. The next batch was better, though this time I filled according to the directions (haha!) and it seemed like I could only get three cakes fully filled and one about 3/4 filled. So I dipped into the others just a bit to level the last one. The cakes were not as tall as my first batch. So I am going to try an in-between. I guess I will have to use more than one box of mix? Anyways, it takes some experimenting and if you have time do do it, go at it! The directions for a cake that came with the pan may offer more even proportions, but I have not tried that cake yet. Totally love this pan!!!!

I received this earlier this week, and set out baking within minutes. I had read some reviews prior to delivery and was worried about the little cakes sticking in the pan, but I had no problems whatsoever. I used a baking spray, same as I use with all of my pans, and once I flipped them and let them sit a few minutes, I took my rubber spatula and gently tapped on the tops of each layer and sides (just for extra measure). The pan slipped off perfectly! Each cake is probably six inches tall by around 3" diameter (bottom tier), 2" (middle), and 1" (top)... probably around 2 inches tall each tier. I think this is the perfect size for so many projects! They would make beautiful little Valentine's Day cakes for a couple to share, they're perfect for a princess cake for 'big sister' of the new baby (to make her feel special too during the baby shower). They're a great size to make and freeze and use whenever a special small event comes around, like a coworker's birthday as a surprise... I would highly recommend this cake pan to everyone. Great addition to your pan set, high quality, better than what I expected for the price.

First time baking with the 3-tiered cake pan and I’m happy with the results with a couple observations: * product came without the advertised cake recipe instructions - does anyone have a recipe, oven temperature, and bake time to share? * box cake mixes will rise to different heights * Trader Joe’s Blood Orange Cake Mix - I filled to 1” below top of tier pan and it didn’t rise to the top so my bottom layer is half the height * Pillsbury - same 1” clearance and it rose above the top of the pan. I trimmed the top. * experimented with and without applying a flour coating after spraying the pan - floured ones popped out easy and the spray-only ones got stuck. Some reviews say to put the pan in the freezer after baking for success getting cakes out of the pan. I’m going to try that next time with the spray-only version as I prefer no added flour. * one review said to trace and cut a piece of parchment paper to put at the bottom of the pan for the smaller tier which is a great idea! Overall I’m happy with the pan and looking forward to making more mini-tiered cakes!

Obsessed with this pan! Used them for my daughter's botany birthday party. Worked perfectly for a bunch of 8 year olds to decorate their own little mini cake with edible flowers. I was nervous about how I'd get the cakes out and then slide out perfectly.

I have to say I was excited to get this cake pan. After reading some reviews, I was armed with how to approach this 3 tiered pan. (how to fill, how to make it not stick, and how to decorate it) The first batch ended up turning into 2 tiered cakes, which was still fun to work with. I just had to cut off the incomplete bottom tier. I decorated with icing and fondant.. it was so cute. The next time I filled it a bit more and achieved the 3 tiered look. Icing the entire thing was a challange but found when you ice the sides - I started with the bottom tier and worked my way up (instead from top to bottom) - have enough icing to overlap the 'top' of the tier you're working on. As I began to ice the next tier, I pushed the icing that overlapped into the that tier. Once I reached the top, I smoothed it out as best as I could and placed the cake in the fridge. I haven't tried using fondant yet - to cover completely only in decorations, but I will give it a go next time. This is a must have for making mini tiered cakes or 'smash cakes' for a 1st birthday or older. It's perfect and simply adorable. I plan on using it for many events in the future. The shipping was fast. I recieved this item within a few days after buying it.

Okay so first off not sure if this came with directions cause I threw everything it came with away. What I did was spray the insides with cooking spray and dusted with flour. Poured the cake mix in. Put into oven and when it came out let them cool about 10 mins or so. Cut the bottoms so they were even before flipping the pan over, and they came out super easy and perfect. Don't fill the pan up to the top. I'm not a baker and I made that mistake, it overflowed. Fill it to the second cake indent or maybe a little passed that. These were the first try, I feel like they came out pretty good (I don't EVER bake, this was just a fun thing to do with my nieces). I recommend it honestly, it was easy and they come out awesome.

This pan makes the cutest cakes ever! I just baked my first batch and stupidly filled the cake pans too much and it expanded over the top. I used a vegan cake recipe and even then, it expanded a TON. Next time, I'll fill the pan just over the top of the largest tier and leave room for the batter to rise. Once it comes out of the oven, to make life easier, I will use unflavored dental floss to cut the top off while it is in the pan so there is a nice flat bottom. I will attempt to cut each tier in half so I can fill the tiers. If that doesn't work and looks weird, I'll just ice the whole cake or I'll separate the tiers and serve them as mini cakes. The cake recipe I used was Kandee Johnson's Chocolate Cake with vegan subs (Ener-G Egg Replacer and vegan buttermilk recipe found on[...]) and the frosting recipe I used was Savory Sweet Life's Chocolate Buttercream with vegan subs. (Earth Balance and unflavored soy milk) Overall, I am extremely pleased with this cake pan. The one downside is that the cake took over an hour to bake but that's just because it is about six inches high. The pan is VERY heavy duty. Make sure you buy it when it is $25 or less if you can find it at that price. The retailer sells it for about $40 which is overpriced in my opinion. Happy baking!