Baking Basics

Here is an article on how to bake a spice cake. A great recipe from my Aunt. This one will surely cure that sweet tooth! One of my wifes favorites.

Birthdays are special occasions for young children. If you have little girls, you know how much princesses and fairy tales appeal. Why not combine the two? Make a Cinderella coach as a cake. It...

Layers of chocolate covered and filled with buttery frosting give German Chocolate Cake the flavors of a rich European dessert. But this cake is all-American, named in honor of the man who created...

Flour is made from wheat, and different types of wheat yield different types of flour. Cake flour is derived from soft wheats and it is used in cakes because its characteristics allow it different...

Cake yeast, also known as compressed fresh yeast, isn't commonly seen in stores today. Most of what's sold in yeast packages is dry yeast, because it has a longer shelf life than fresh yeast....

Baking a cake is both a fun and rewarding experience. Whether you're a novice or you're a master, there are a few basic steps that you need to get out of the way in order to create the perfect...

Cakes split and crack on top when they rise in the center too rapidly after the edges of the cake are set. Some cooks refer to this problem as volcano-topped cakes, and several things can cause...

Is a special birthday coming up for a special person, bake a delicious birthday cake for their amazing birthday coming up or for when your just plane hungry!

The sweetest part of a birthday often can be the birthday cake. If you are surprising someone special with a homemade birthday cake, you are sure to make that person happy. The only obstacle could...

Fondant is one of the most versatile, creative mediums available to both professional and amateur cake bakers. It can be colored, flavored, rolled, cut and molded into virtually any design you can...

If you have a cake recipe or mix, you can learn how to bake in various cake pans by simply adjusting the cooking time. Whether you're making an elaborate cake shaped like a football or Easter egg...

Not all flours are created equal. All-purpose flour and cake flour differ in several ways and are used for different purposes, although it is possible to replace cake flour with all-purpose flour.

Pastry dough flour is milled from soft wheat and, as far as protein content and baking characteristics are concerned, sits midway between all-purpose flour and cake flour. Pastry dough flour is...

A collar for your baking pan allows cakes to rise above the level of the pan by increasing the depth of the pan. With a few strips of parchment paper, you can make a collar that will double the...

Fondant is an edible coating that adds a smooth, glossy appearance to cakes. It has a sugar base and is heated until it forms a pliable sheet. Fondant is often an integral part of the...

Electric ovens offer several advantages to baking, once you learn how to properly use them. When baking cakes in electric ovens, certain actions should be taken to ensure that your cake cooks...

Recipes often specify the type of cake pan you need to use, but if your kitchen lacks one, you need to substitute another pan. Another pan substitution reason: wanting to change the shape of the...

Decorating cakes and cupcakes with your own special designs is fun when baking. By making your own cake stencils, you can come up with designs and ideas on the fly without having to purchase...

If you've ever tried to frost a cake you know how frustrating it can be when you can't get the frosting smoothed out. It is very challenging, especially if you aren't using the right type of...

This one is so much fun, kids can join in too, and decorate any cake like it came from a bakery. Or, a pretend bakery. I had always admired the way roses were done in icing, whipped out on a...

Being able to show off an absolutely beautiful cake that looks as good as it tastes is an easier feat then you may think. Using fondant takes a lot of hands-on work that proves to be worth the...

Ever needed a cake, but don't like the dry, store bought texture of a boxed cake? Fear no more, here is an easy way to make a boxed cake taste homemade every time for sure!

Some cake decorating can be used for many different occasions. The autumn colors can be seen everywhere and the most prominent icon of the Fall season is the simple Tree with it's Color Changing...

To refresh your memory, my mom and dad owned a thriving restaurant/bar 100 miles east of Seattle. When they passed on to that great picnic table in the sky, I got most of the older recipes and...

Smooth frosting challenges even the best cake decorators occasionally. Many factors work together to create a smooth, even surface of frosting on a cake. There are several tricks to help in...

You could purchase a store bought cake or make one from a pan mold. However, you can also make a puppy cake by cutting the cake into a puppy. Here are the steps to take make a hand crafted puppy...

So you want to make a cake, but you don't have anything but a box of mix? No problem. I always have eggs or oil on hand, but never both!

If you love pumpkin pie, then you have to try pumpkin pie cake with cream cheese frosting. This recipe is pretty simple to prepare and will take about an hour to complete. Once it is complete you...

How to make a delicious wine cake, perfect for holidays!

Football shaped cakes can be baked for many occasions. They can be used for birthday parties, tailgating and Super Bowl parties. They've even been used as groom's cakes. You don't need special...

If you live at a high altitude then you know that your cakes tend to peak or poof up and become rounded and maybe crack in the center. The air pressure at high altitudes is less, so from scratch...

Enjoy one of my family’s favorite recipes! This recipe along with many others located under my avatar were first produced and used frequently by my grandparents and their parents. I wanted to pass...

Baking can be fun and super easy! Dump cake is probably the easiest cake one can make. It requires very few ingredients and no skills at all! With this recipe, no stirring is involved, just...

If you are interested in making a rich, delicious fudge brownie cake, follow the instructions here for a special treat. This brownie cake lies somewhere between brownies and fudge. Its dense...

Polka dots add a fun and trendy touch to cake decorating. With roots in the fashion world, polka dots translate into stylish and edible embellishments to dress up a cake. Polka dots work well on...

Twenty-five years together is quite an achievement, so of course you want to celebrate it in a spectacular fashion. To achieve this goal, any cake you make should reflect the lucky anniversary...

Deciding how to decorate a cake for a child usually isn't very difficult. If you listen, most kids will let you know exactly what they like---and exactly what they don't. What's a far more fun and...

Beautifully decorated cakes serve as the centerpiece of a celebration and elicit compliments from guests. Learning the basics of cake decorating enables beginners to create their own sugar...

Fondant is the professional cake decorator's secret. It is used instead of frosting or icing to get the flawlessly perfect appearance of custom wedding cakes and other professional cakes. You...

We have all had it happen, you spend an hour in the kitchen making that special cake only to pull it from the oven, flip it, and only half the cake come out!!

Many times it is difficult to tell if a cake is done or not. If it is taken out of the oven too soon, it remains mushy or running after it cools. If it is left in the oven to long, it either...

Have you ever wondered how the professionals make the delicious middle to their breath-taking chocolate cake? It just takes a few ingredients and you have got the pro's secret to their success!...

Baking, unlike cooking, is a science. Not going by the exact measurements and process of mixing can turn any recipe into a disaster. The only exception to this rule is going exactly by the...

I know cakes from scratch can sometimes seem intimidating, but this is an easy recipe to follow, and so delicious. You will learn how to make and bake Butter Cake which is perfect for any...

In today's economy we all look for way's to save some money. One way is to make your own cakes and decorate them w/ your kids you will be proud of yourself and family time was spent together.

Each ingredient is vital in the process of baking cake, playing important roles in creating a fluffy, golden brown texture everyone clamors for in the end.

It takes a sensible recipe and a good oven to create a delicious homemade cake. A few tips are helpful as well. Always mix your ingredients after each addition. Lightly grease and flour the baking...

Children learn greatly with hands on experience. And children love sweets! But if you take this opportunity and make it a fun time with your child, it will also help your child emotionally, just...

Professional cake decorators use covered boards to enhance the presentation of their cakes. Whether you're making a cake for a birthday or a wedding, you can cover the board that holds the cake...

Cake boards provide sturdy bases for cakes and are often used in large layer cakes to provide stability to each tier. They also provide a base on which cakes can be decorated and then directly set...