Great Tools for Cake Baking

Every activity has certain tools that make the job easier. For a carpenter it might be a hammer or drill, a writer might need a laptop or AlphaSmart, and many medical professionals can't work without a blood pressure cuff. But if you do much baking, here are a few great tools you'll wonder how you ever lived without.

A cake leveler like this can make the difference between a cake that forms an inverted bowl, and one that is nice and flat on top. This tool has an adjustable height up to three inches high and eighteen inches wide. Simply twist the feet to lock the height at the desired place. We also have a smaller one that is great for cakes up to ten inches wide and two inches tall. This is a great help when making torts, too.
Among our other whisks and spoons, this Cyclone Whisk has a silicone coated central spiral that adds more air to batter than a traditional whisk. The silicone coating makes the whisk easier to clean. It has an ergonomic handle for easier gripping and sturdy wires and a large head for more versatility. It is also dishwasher safe--two of my favorite words.

This 12" rolling pin not only boasts a great easy-clean non-slip surface, but it's dishwasher safe. In fact, it's the only rolling pin on the market that is fully submersible. The smooth-action roller, and the push-button release on the handles are added benefits available only in the Wilton Rolling Pin. The smooth surface of the barrel makes it perfect for rolling fondant or dough. A must-have for every kitchen!
Stop by our Website to see what other great tools we have available for the dedicated cook!

Liven up crafts with boy embellishments

Looking for a different way to dress up your son's scrap book? We have a fun selection of buttons in sports and other great themes.

Dress it up with Soccer has these ideal buttons and words.

The Baseball selection has balls, bats, mitts, banners and more.

This Train package has seven train engines inan assortment of colors.

And for the boy who loves his dog, there's a choice for him too. This one has an asortment of dog faces and bones.

If you have other crafts, gift cards or scrap book pages that could use fun embellishments, check out our selection. We also have great summer fun, baby shower, and other packages available.

How to make a Wall*E cake

Trying out cake decorating for the first time can be a bit intimidating, but I'm going to show you step by step how to go about it. This Wall*E cake pan was used to create a tasty confection for one of my grandchildren. First removed the picture and wash it out.

Next, grease and flour the pan. It can be hard to get all of the little edges and corners in these shape pans and we recommend using a pasty brush with shortening on it to make sure you get complete coverage. If you don't have a pastry brush, you could just use a plastic sandwich bag on your hand, but make sure every bit of the bottom is well covered, then flour it. If you don't grease it well enough, you'll have bits of cake stick to the pan.

Next, pour the batter into the pan.
When the cake it out and cooled partway, flip it upside down on a cooling rack or a clean dish towel to dislodge the cake from the pan.

Next, ice the outside part around Wall*E. The contrast and lighting is what makes it look like the cake is darker brown than in the previous picture. A spatula is a great tool to use in this step. When you are trying to get the frosting to smooth out nice, one simple trick is to dip you spatula or knife in a cup of water between swipes so the frosting won't stick to it. Just make sure you don't get the frosting too wet.

One great thing about these character pans is that Wilton includes directions on which tips to use when and special tips on how to get your finished product to look right. In this case, they suggest you use a #5 tip to outline the wheels and eyes, and a #10 to fill the spaces in. To smooth the larger section, dip your fingertip in a bit of corn starch, then smooth the frosting with it.

After that, outline the rest of Wall*E in the yellow frosting and fill it in.

With a little care and time, you could be producing this cute cake for a special child in your life. Pastry bags, tips, and other tools you may need are available on our Web site.