URGENT! wilton doll cake - don't want to use cake mix but how much 'real' batter?

[schoolpanic]

DD2 is having a princess doll cake using wilton doll pan but it's american and the instructions call for cake mix. doesn't give weight just says 'your favorite two layer cake mix'.

never used a cake mix and no idea how much that is. looked online at cake mixes and they come in various sizes. can't find any more info online.
I need to leave to go shopping v soon and not sure what to do.
i usually use nigellas b'day cake mix 275 flour fat sugar, five eggs but don't want to end up with too little mix cos it's important cake tin is full.
anyone used one of these tins and can advise how much cake batter to make?

also, online seems to suggest i need cake release spray as greasing and flouring won't work to get cake out easily so would be interested to hear any experiences as not sure i'll be able to buy spray before i need to make cake tomorrow.

don't know about greasing, but re cake mix amount:

get out tin you know how much you use in it - ie a tin that your usual recipe fills

fill know tin with water to line where mix would go

measure how much water this is in jug

fill wilton tin with water to where mix would go

measure this amount of water

calculate how many times one is of the other

eg - known tin is 1.5 pints

wilton tin is 2.5 pints

therefore do 1 and 2/3 your usual recipe iyswim?

yes, thanks. that does make sense. just not sure i can recall how far up usual tin mix comes. sometimes i split it into two to make sandwich cake but that's a good idea...i'll go and see what i can figure out. ta

I had the same problem last week with the star cake tin - went on the Wilton's forum and people were just asking 'one box or two of cake mix?'.

I used 80z butter 8 sugar 8 flour 4 eggs but it definitely wasn't enough. I had to make another one to put on top (doubling the calories per slice!). Having said that my cakes have a history of not rising spectacularly so it might have been me!

I just greased and floured the tin to within an inch of its life and it released beautifully.

Good luck!