Baking from Scratch ~ Resources to help me find my way

Basic Cake Recipes

The Perfect Cake, Without Packet Mixes

Wish List

PANS
Wilton Cupcake Pan

Alphabet Cake pan

Mini muffin pans

3 pc Diamond pan set

3 pc Paisley Pan set (I just saw these at Walmart and they're TDF!!)

Tasty Fill Cake pan

Wonder Mold Kit

SPRINKLES, COLOURS & SUGARS
Nonparils:
Edible Glitter:
Wilton Candy Eyeballs
Pearlized Sugar
Sugar Pearls
Pearlized Jimmies
Some kind of sprinkles organizer system
Dora Icing Colors set

STANDS
Cupcake stand for 23

BAKEWARE
Egg Separator  so far I'm using the good ole shell to shell method.
Flour / Sugar Shaker
Stackable Cooling Racks
Wilton Candy thermometer
Stainless steel bowls

FONDANT
Butterfly punch
Leaf plunger cutter
Leaf 4 pc plunger set
Alphabet cutters set

Baking Bucket List

CUPCAKES
Filled Cupcakes
Easter Cupcakes  DONE during my Maiden Voyage
Tiramisu Cupcakes DONE went with a different recipe though
Pina Colada Cupcakes
Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes
Snowball Coconut Cupcakes  DONE
Boston Cream Cupcakes
Bing Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
Raspberry cobbler cupcakes
Cupcake Tower
Oreo Cupcake ~ Vanilla base
Oreo Cupcake ~ Chocolate base
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

CAKES
Carrot cake from scratch
Rosie's Fruit Cake
Coffee Cake
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Pumpkin Roll
Tiered Cake
Ambrosia Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Pig Cake
Lava Cakes
Tiramisu

CAKE PROJECTS
Wilton Dora Cake
Cake Pops
Heart Filling Cake
Barbie Doll Cake
Rainbow Cake

COOKIES & BARS
Macaroons
Amber's Peanut butter cookies with the hershey's kiss on top
Cannoli

PIES
Lemon Meringue Pie
Lattice Topped Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Grasshopper Pie

CHEESECAKES
Chocolate Cheesecake
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
White Cheesecake bites

TARTS
Butter Tarts

OTHER TREATS
Stained Glass Jello

The Maiden Voyage ~ Easter Cupcakes

I took advantage of naptime today to embark on my cupcake decorating maiden voyage.  I really should have read some instructions first, but instead I simply dove in.  The kids will have fun devouring these pastel cupcakes later on. 

What I used: 

Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, Wilton ready-made decorator icing, Wilton Lemon Yellow, Pink and Violet in the tiniest amounts humanly possible.  I also used some light purple sugar crystals, yellow sprinkles and an Easter themed sprinkle with tiny bunnies, chicks and eggs.  In the end, I started throwing some pastel M&M's on too.  And lastly, some cute pink cupcake cups because I'm too lazy to grease and flour today.  Time is of the essence and this project is about frosting for me.

What I learned: 

~I figured out how to put a coupler on a disposable bag via trial and error.  I also determined that I don't have a coupler large enough for my huge tips, adding that to the "wish list". 

~I decided that when my instincts tell me to avoid overfilling the cupcake cups with batter, I should listen  instead of worrying about wasting batter. 

~I learned that in the future, I may want to consider looking up some tried and true cupcake designs because when left to my own devices, some of these things turned out a bit funky chicken.

~Last lesson of the maiden voyage, is that I should be careful to center my work.  Lots of lopsided results and off center focal points.

Cake Mix this time.  I'll eventually try my hand at some good old fashioned scratch recipes.

Paper cupcake liners, because sometimes less is more.

I think I overfilled the batter a little.

Looking a little flatish.

This is the icing required for my Wilton cake decorating class.  So I bought the big one with my 50% off coupon.

The stars of the show...Sprinkles and pastel dye.

My dye is brand new, so I just rubbed whatever was splashed onto the foil that I had to peel off.  As you can see, not much required.

Makes you want Easter candy, doesn't it?

Filling the bags.  This is my first coupler ever.

I got through this whole process without so much as a drip of frosting on my fingers.  Miraculous!

More of me filling the frosting into the applicator.  I had to commemorate the maiden voyage!

My three piping bags and tips ready to go!

I wanted to try the huge one to give a big whirl of frosting.  Then two smaller stars that I will be using in my first class.

From here forward, are my final results.

The Arsenal

I'm feeling really grateful for the generosity of my Mom and my Mother in Law who gave me lots of their old cake decorating supplies.  Everything from Wilton themed pans to decorating tips and books.  And especially my hubbie Paul, who bought me the Ultimate Cake Decorating set and has been full of encouraging words since I decided to take up a hobby.  Even joining me on a run to Michaels to line up in at the next isle with another 50% off coupon so I could get a great deal.  I haven't taken pics of it all yet, but here is some of the tools of the trade that I have to date.

Little Organizer for my icing bags

A book from my Mom.  Great recipes in this that I'm itching to try out.

I've heard good things about this Wilton "Cake Release".  Hoping it's all true when I need Claire's Dora Cake to slide out of the pan.

A book for an upcoming class I'd like to take even though I can't stand the taste of fondant.

Little cardboard cake plate that came with my kit.

Another Wilton class I'm looking forward to taking.  But I have this lesson plan and may try it myself first.

My "Ultimate" cake decorating kit.  I could give Wilton a few tips on how to improve this puppy.

Half of my Wilton dyes

The other half of my dye so far.

I only complain about the Ultimate kit because I have enough stuff to fill this tackle box also.

My Wilton Tips.  Some of these are stacked above smaller versions of the same shape.

More tips and tip covers

My collection of non-Wilton tips.  Not that it makes a difference.

Couplers, the little flower pedestals, tiny tongs for handling things.  I'll learn the real terminology one day.

The Spatula collection. 

The biggest drawer in my kit houses all this stuff.  I use ziplocks to keep like-minded items together.

I think these are primarily fondant related tools.

More fondant and gumpaste stuff

This big plastic thing annoys me because it won't fit into any of my kits. 

Some plastic tips (Lily uses these) and a piping stencil set

Bunch of random stuff ranging from disposable bags to silicone cupcake cups.

My Wilton Basics class instruction cards.

Update on 4/28 ~ Just bought some new gear.

This Jaime Oliver Stainless steel bowl set.

Wilton Fondant Leaf press

Wilton fondant heart cutters

Very cool Pyrex measuring cup that has the measurements INSIDE the cup!

Wilton Candy thermometer.  Going to use this next week to make Italian Meringue Buttercream from scratch!

My first mini muffin pan

A cake recipe book to use with mixes. 

FINALLY found my coveted Dora icing colors set for Claire's birthday cake.

collapsable cooling rack

Cakes from scratch cook book.  LOVE this pastry chef.  Warren Brown did a youtube tutorial for the Italian Meringue Buttercream that I'm dying to make.

The second, smaller mini muffin pan.

Oh it was cheap and I was dying to have a huge cake icer tip!

My fav thing ever!  Kamenstein magnetic rack with 6 cannisters.  I bought 2 for my non seasonal sprinkles and sugars.

The jars have a pour spout, sprinkle spout or the lid can open to scoop out contents.  The best part is that the big magnetic circle on the back of these jars also stick to the magnetic wall in my kitchen!  So, instead of screwing the base into my cabinets, I'm considering painting the inside wall of one of my cabinets with magnetic paint, and then painting off-white over that to match the interior walls.  THE BEST solution ever.  There may be more of these jars in my future.