cake pans

A couple of weeks ago when I made my half-birthday cake, I ran into some technical difficulties. Although I buttered and floured the cake pan (as the recipe specified), the cake was difficult to remove from the pan. Some chunks of cake ended up sticking to the pan, which did not make me happy.

Normally, even if a recipe doesn't call for it, I line cake sheets with parchment paper. However, this time I was out of it and decided to see if it's really necessary. In my opinion it is: I've never had a problem getting a cake to come out of a pan when using parchment paper. Here's what I do:

1. Place the cake pan on top of the parchment paper.
2. Trace the outline of the pan onto the parchment paper with a pencil.
3. Cut out the shape just inside the penciled line.
4. Butter the pan, place the parchment on the bottom, and butter again.
5. Follow the recipe to finish the cake.

Do you line your cake pans with parchment paper? Have you ever had a cake that wouldn't come out of its pan?

It's the first day of spring, and my thoughts are turning towards fresh veggies and bright colors. Normally it's the appetizers and main courses that get the spring treatment, but this year, dessert can play along too. This Garden Patch Cakelet Pan ($34) is a garden-themed cake pan that features rows of carrots, cauliflower, radishes and peas. It would make the most adorable petit-fours and hey, maybe it'll get your little ones (or big ones) to finally eat their veggies.

Hippity hop! Although Easter is still several weeks away, the folks at Sur La Table have just put all their Easter wares on sale. The Easter goodies are 30 percent off (or more). And while my kitchen doesn't have much room for any more seasonal products, I am sort of coveting this flower cake pan ($13.96). However, since I don't have room, I'll have to settle for some window shopping. Check out some of the Sur La Table finds I discovered by scrolling through below. There's a bunch of non-Easter things on sale too!

• Nom nom nom, I hope somebody takes this chocolate keyboard out of concept and into reality. — Serious Eats
• Hamburgers and peanut butter? Would you eat any of these weird food combinations? — iVillage
• Like granola? Try new Feed Granola. I've had a few bites and it is delicious — FitSugar
• Still looking for another drink for the big game? Try mixing up Go Team! — Al Dente
• Just in time for Valentine's Day, sweetheart cake pans. — Baking Bites
• Asian Costcos seem a lot cooler than the ones in the US. — Slashfood
• Don't miss out on these lined glasses from Cheong and Nogtev. — CasaSugar
• Are Amou berries really the "Kobe Beef of Strawberries"? — Chow
• This Handpresso espresso machine allows you to have coffee anywhere. — The Food Section
• Can you replace espresso powder with espresso? — The Kitchn

I was walking through Target the other day when I noticed these holiday silicone cake molds. At first I didn't think much about them, after all, shaped cake molds are all the rage these days. However, on second glance, I noticed that they're actually called Pull-Apart Cupcake molds ($14.99). They've got a few different shapes out there — turtle, butterfly, alligator — and have recently come up with a few more additions for the holidays. The wreath and flower basket ideas are a lot of fun, but I think the penguin and snowman might be a little difficult to frost. Either way they'd be fun for a party or a potluck, but are they really cupcakes?

I told myself that I would wait until Thanksgiving had a little time in the sun before I went into full-swing Christmas mode. However, after glancing through the Yum Market, it became pretty clear just how impossible that would be. You guys have already started gearing up! There were Santa hat place cards, holiday cake pans, reindeer martini glasses and more! Personally, I was really excited by the book I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas that TeamSugar member ishop2much bookmarked. Scroll through below to see some of the great Christmas themed items!

Interested in learning how to bookmark? Check out geeksugar's explanation.

One of my favorite things about the Yum Market is checking out all these great whimsical items that make me feel like a kid. En masse, they're a bit "too much," but can you imagine just one of these poking out in a grown up house? Cute little mushroom salt and pepper shakers would look adorable on a formal table. And tea time with butterflies? Oh my! What about whipping up a regal cake with a little ladybug spatula to keep you company? Scroll through the list to discover some of the whimsical things you guys have been bookmarking:

Interested in bookmarking your own items? Be sure to read geeksugar's explanation.