Create a checkerboard cake!

Have you ever seen those fun cakes that when cut look like checkerboards? You can make one of those three-layer wonders in your own home and wow your friends with this great Checkerboard cake pan set. The set comes with three 9" round pans and the batter dividing rings. You simply mix your cake batter, set the dividers into the pan and pour the batter into the rings in alternating patterns (there are complete instructions in the box), then pull out the dividers before baking!

Follow the link above to learn more about the pan set. Also check out our other great deals on our website.

Get Ready for a Goulish Halloween

October is only days away and decorations are cropping up all over. Are you looking for a fun addition to your display? Check out these spiders. They're available in 20", 30" and 50" sizes.

Have a corner or eve that is screaming for an addition? Check out this ghoul. It hangs 18" long from a 6" elastic so it bobs up and down. It has a hard vinyl head with a black cape. We also have the grim, witch, and vampire versions.

If you prefer your decorations to be a little less ghastly, check out this wizard instead. All of the hanging Halloween characters are limited to quantity on hand.

Of course, what's Halloween without a big spiderweb (and where would you put that spider without it?) We have not only the standard .7 oz package, but this super giant spider web, which is 2.4 oz nd will stretch to fit an area 15 foot across.

For more information, or to look at our many costumes, makeup, wigs and other spooky necessities, check out our website.

Keep decorating supplies together

One of the most frustratiung thing when you're in the middle of making a cake is not being able to find the tip or coloring you need. Because the tools for cake decorating can be many and varied (and completely addictive) here are some storage solutions. First, so you can keep those tips in order, there's this tip saver case. It comes in two sizes. The small one will hold 26 tips, and two flower nails. The large case holds 52 of your standard-sized tips and two flower nails. These cases do not include the tips, though you can buy full cases including the tips here.

The beige and red tool caddy has a lift-out tray that holds 48 tips and 12 color jars, with lots of room for pastry bags, spatulas and more underneath.

Then there's the ultimate tool caddy. This caddy has room for 36 tips, lots of color jars, room for spatulas, pastry bags, and many other things with three levels of drawers to keep it all organized. This caddy doesnt include any supplies, but it won't take much work to fill it up!

Just getting started, or have a family member who wants to start decorating cakes? This 50-piece tool caddy could be right up your alley. It includes a variety of tips, colors, tools, and a beginner's guide.

Or, if the contents of the last caddy aren't enough for you, check this 101-piece set out. This set comes with more colors, tips, couplers, spatulas, and other useful supplies. Among other things, it includes a cake leveler, butter and white vanilla flavorings, bake even strips, and a fondant smoother. This is a great deal, since the individual items would cost far more than this if purchased separately.

To learn more about these items or to see what else we have available, check out our Website.

Give your cake a different look

Wedding cakes with round tiers will always be the classic standard, but if you still want that classic look, with a twist, there are other great pan shapes out there to use. This Petal Pan set comes with all four pieces in 6", 9", 12", and 15" sizes. These are 2" tall and work great as a set or mix and match with round or square pans for variation.

Another option is these fun hexagon pans. This set also includes sizes 6", 9", 12", and 15".

These heart-shaped pans are also a great solution for weddings, engagement parties, anniversaries and more. This set includes pans sizes 6", 10", 12", and 14".

Remember, it's recommended that you use a heating core on pans that are more than 10" across. You can find these and many other things on our Website.

We've recently gotten in a bunch of new candy molds and candy melts. We have lots of new products and colors, so I thought I'd highlight a few of them. Summer weddings may be over, and Valentine's day is a while away yet, but some things are never out of season.

These roses would be nice for a sweet sixteen, an engagement party, or wedding. It is a lollipop mold with nine caveties for big, bold candies.


The Roses in Bloom mold has only one design, but ten cavities to make candies the perfect size for party favors or mints along the edge of the plate.

And for weddings or engagement parties, there are these fun Wedding Shower lollipop molds. It has the five designs for a variety of melt-in-your-mouth offerings.


Another option is the double-heart lollipop mold, which has four cavities to allow for large candies.

If you're looking for something a little different, we also have these flower pretzel candy molds for a completely edible snack.


You can find more candy molds, the candy melts, bottles, bags and other necessities for candy making on our Website.

Great Cakes for Boys

A few weeks ago I highlighted some adorable bug and animal cakes. Since many little boys aren't into butterflies or lady bugs, I thought I'd highlight a few fun shapes with engines. As always, the cake pans come with instructions on which colors and tips to use in order to make the cakes.

Below you can see the Cars shape of Lightning Mcqueen. This is sure to be a hit with any kid who loved the movie. We also have cupcake liners, candies, picks and treat bags to match here.

If your child wasn't really thrilled with Cars, but still loves race cars, we also have a NASCAR-style pan complete with a flag.

If your child is more into fire fighters, check out this ladder truck pan.

For train lovers, we have this train cake pan.

Or this fun 3-D train pan which you cook in two parts and then put together for an upright cake.

If you have a little farmer boy (or girl), maybe this tractor is right up their alley.

To check out the other fun pans available on our site, or to pick up some tips, bags, colors or other decorating supplies, check out our Web site!

How to Fill Cakes

Have you ever done a layered cake with fun fillings? If you think it's hard, it's time to think again. I'll give you a step-by-step layout on how it's done. Below you can see the cake my daughter recently made. She baked 2 8" rounds and then sliced them horizontally to make four layers. This is easiest and most level if you use a cake slicer. This one is great for cakes less than 10" wide, and this one is perfect for larger cakes. If you don't have a slicer handy you can always use a long serrated knife but it's a lot harder to get the layers even. So you start with your clean surface, this time, the middle of the cake.

Next you take your frosting and outline the cake on top. This keeps the filling in between the cakes so it doesn't squish out and bulge the sides. This was just piped on with #7 tip.

Since she had some frozen pie filling, she just spooned some on and used a spatula to spread it. An angled spatula is actually easier for this job, especially if you are filling a large cake, but you can make do with a regular one if necessary.

Next she put on the top layer, then did the crumb coat. It's easiest to decorate a cold cake, so all of the layers were chilled before slicing. The extra advantage is that the crumb coat sets/dries faster on a cold cake. A crumb coat is used to seal all of the crumbs into the cake. That keeps the outer coat clean and looking nice. Make sure you scrape the crumbs off your blade into a small bowl or cup to keep the bigger bowl of frosting clean as you work.

Once the crumb coat has set, you put on your final layer. In this case she didn't do a second coat to the top of the cake because she knew it would be covered up, but if she had done a chocolate cate or tinted the frosting on the white cake she might have needed to do a top coat to make sure the cake color didn't come through.

Next she did a shell border around the bottom and top and filled it with cherry pie filling. It ended up being both pretty and very yummy. The main caveate she mentioned: Make sure you put the top border on first and give it a little time to dry before adding the cherries on top. If you top it before you put on the border the frosting won't stick and it'll slide off the sides when it has the cherries pushing against it.