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Simple Tip: Line Cake Pans With Parchment Paper

partysugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:15:49 -0700

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:

Place the cake pan on top of the parchment paper.
Trace the outline of the pan onto the parchment paper with a pencil.
Cut out the shape just inside the penciled line.
Butter the pan, place the parchment on the bottom, and butter again.
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?

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:29:51 -0700

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.

Sale Alert: Sur La Table's Easter Basket Goodies

YumSugar — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 10:14:35 -0700

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!

Yummy Links: From Chocolate Keyboards to Espresso

YumSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:01:31 -0800

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

Are Pull-Apart Cakes Really Cupcakes?

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:01:33 -0800

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?

Yum Market Finds: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:01:31 -0800

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.

Yum Market Finds: Whimsical Wonderland

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:40:38 -0700

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.

Octopus Cake Pan: Love It Or Hate It?

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 06:01:31 -0700

I'm still not sure what I think about the whole cutesy cake pan trend, but I think it's pretty safe to say that it's here to stay. This time whimsical fun is presented in the shape of an octopus. The octopus cake pan is made from heat-responsive cast-aluminum by NordicWare (who is probably the undisputed champ of whimsical cake pans) and is exclusively available at Williams-Sonoma for $38. Now I think this would be a great cake for a child's birthday party (or perhaps a marine-biologist), however I have a problem pony-ing up $40 for something I might use once or twice. What do you guys think? Octopus Cake Pan, love it or hate it?

Three-Dimensional Bunny Cake

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 05:53:29 -0700

I don't know if you've noticed, but there seems to be a real trend in wonderfully cutesy molded cakes. And leading the way in the molded cake parade is Williams-Sonoma. For the last few seasons, they've come up with some great pans (train set, football stadium, ice cream cones) and now they've got one for an adorable classic Easter bunny. Just bake the two cake halves and join them together with frosting. You can then use colorful frosting and candies to give your bunny a full look, or just dust with powdered sugar. I don't know about you guys, but I'm wishing my kitchen had room for all these charming cake pans. This Bunny Cake Pan seems too cute to pass up. Made by Nordic Ware in cast aluminum (for even baking) with a nonstick surface - $36.95.

Off To Market Recap: Cake Mold

partysugar — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:13:33 -0700

It's my grandfather's birthday this week and I'm in charge of making him a fabulous cake. I've never baked with a cake mold, but they're super trendy right now, and I thought it would be fun to experiment. Unfortunately, I don't own a single cake mold so I asked you to help me find one. You searched the web for a dishwasher-safe cake mold with a creative and original shape. You saved them in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Cake Mold.

Some of the choices are better for little kids, so for my grandfather I'd like to use this fun cascade shaped pan. Aimeeb bookmarked this under $30 pan.

Now that I have the pan, I'll have to figure out how to decorate the cake. This shape lends itself to an endless number of possibilities, does anyone have any suggestions?

Geeksugar has put together an explanation on how to bookmark stuff from the web.

Nonstick Flower Cake Pan - $27.95	Mint Tea Glasses, Set of 4 - $19.50
Red-and-White Chicken-Shaped Baker - $7.95	Positano Egg Cups, Set of 4 - $12.95
Copper Easter Cookie Cutter Set, 4-Piece - $12.95	White Olive-Motif Italian Ceramic Platter - $49.95
Olive Glass Tumblers - $27.50	Easter Egg Platter - $29.95
French Bull Ceramic Espresso Set - $39.95	Four-Piece Red-Footed Sherbet Glass Set of 4 - $15.50
Fuzzy Yellow Chicks - $19.50	Cherry-Finish Acacia Wood Salad Bowl Stand and Servers - $79.95