These great tips provided by Shindigz!

EQUIPMENT:

Bakeries today are turning out cakes that are gorgeous, and ever more creative. However, many of us still prefer the tradition of baking our own cakes to recognize special times in the lives of those who are most important to us. Starting with the right equipment will give you perfect results every time. To bake any cake in our party tip section, or for just about any shape you could want to bake, we recommend that you invest in three special pans, and a few other items. Trust us…you’ll use these things over and over again.

16″ round commercial grade pan – straight sides
18″ X 13″ rectangle commercial grade pan – straight sides
Wilton™ ball pan
Flexible metal spatulas – one with a narrow tip for small areas, and one with a large tip to smooth frosting on large flat areas.
Paste food colors
Pastry bag and couplers
Cake decorating tips – several (2-3) writing tips, and a star tip for starters.
Cake boards
All of these items can be purchased at specialty baking stores, and many craft supply stores now carry them.

MIX OR SCRATCH?:

Historically, the main reason to take the extra time to make a cake from scratch was that mixes created cakes that were more tender and crumbly than cakes made from scratch. It used to be difficult to cut a “mix” cake into a creative shape, because the crumbs would infiltrate the frosting. Not today! We have tested and tasted all the boxed mixes on the market and can share with you the birthdayzbyshindigz.com favorites. The overall winner for great taste and ease in cutting and frosting is the Betty Crocker™ Super Moist Cake Mix™. A close second was the Pillsbury™ Moist Supreme Cake Mix™. Both have plenty of pudding in the mix, and they really are delicious. If you have a favorite family recipe, or just enjoy baking scratch cakes, our hats are off to you! If you are in the mood for something different, make a rice crispy treat “cake”. The shapes will work equally well, and it tastes delicious with frosting.

FROSTING:

In order to achieve a “bakery perfect” smoothness on your cakes, use a standard recipe for buttercream frosting. This type of frosting generally tastes quite sugary, and uses either lard or shortening to give it a “stiffer” consistency. The favorite of birthdayzbyshindigz.com staffers? Not only is ready-made frosting easier…we think it tastes creamier and less sugary. Try Pillsbury’s™ Creamy Supreme™ frosting, or even Cool Whip™. The photos (coming soon) of the cakes in our cake tips section are all made with ready-made frosting hence they are not bakery smooth, but they were all very tasty to eat! For best results, refrigerate the frosting first, and keep chilled while decorating.

In order to achieve bright, vibrant colors in your frosting use paste food coloring. They won’t thin your frosting like liquid colors will. Some colors can be difficult to achieve without changing the taste of the frosting. Look for “no taste” pastes, or try the following tricks to make the two most difficult to achieve colors. For fire engine red frosting, start with a pink (strawberry, raspberry) ready-made frosting. For black frosting, start with a brown (chocolate) ready-made frosting.

SIZE:

Does a BIG birthday cake taste better than a small cake? No, but a really big cake sure is fun to look at, and makes a great centerpiece for a birthday table! The following guidelines will give you an idea of what size to choose for your party:

1 boxed mix = enough to serve 12-14 guests
2 boxed mixes = enough to serve 24-28 guests
3 boxed mixes = enough to serve 36-42 guests

If you are serving more people than can be accommodated by 3 boxed mixes, we recommend that you either bake extra cupcakes, or an extra rectangular cake. All can just be frosted simply, and cut and served behind the scenes.

Use the following guidelines when choosing a size:

8″ Round pan (2) – 1 mix
12″ Round pan – 2 mixes
16″ Round pan – 3 mixes
9″ X 13″ Rectangle pan – 1 mix
18″ X 13″ Rectangle pan – 2 mixes
Wilton™ Ball Pan – 1 mix

Remember that if you are cutting the cake into a shape, you may be discarding some of the cake, and will need to adjust the size accordingly.

CAKE ASSEMBLY:

Many decorated cakes are too large for standard plates and platters, or call for a more creative display. Before assembling your cake, prepare your cake board. Use standard cake boards, foamcore, cutting boards, 2″ X 6″ boards from a lumber store (a ski cake), cookie sheets or other large flat services. Cover your “board” with foil, greaseproof paper, plastic wrap, a piece of brightly colored plastic tablecover, paper doilies, or well-cleaned indoor/outdoor “turf”. The possibilities are endless, and can change a simple cake into a WOW worthy creation.

After your cake has cooled at room temperature, place it in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The cake will be firmer, and easier to cut and frost. When you are cutting your cake into a shape, or in pieces to assemble together, don’t worry if it breaks. Think of your frosting as a combination of glue, and cover-stick! No one but you will ever need to know. After the cake is assembled and in place on your board, spread a very thin layer of frosting over all the sides. Let the base frosting dry for a few minutes before proceeding. This base coat will help seal in the crumbs, and prevent them from showing up when your cake is completed.

Most of all let your creative juices flow! Use little “props” related to your theme to assist you in your cake decorating, and don’t be afraid to experiment. The recipient of the cake is sure to be touched and thrilled by your effort. ENJOY!

Be sure to visit Shindigz! for great party supplies and cake decorating items for your next special occasion!