Cakes

The Right Time for Cakes is Anytime!

The Right Time for Cakes is Anytime!

For years and years, people all across the world have used cakes to help celebrate a multitude of occasions. From big events like birthdays, weddings, graduations, and retirements, to events as minor as a “thinking of you” moment during the day, cakes have become a staple. Regardless of how big or small the occasion, there seem to be just as many different types of cakes as there are reasons to celebrate with one. Many times people choose to turn to a professional bakery for large jobs with elaborate decorating, like weddings, but when the sheer amount of cake needed is not as large, and the decorating is simple, people bake cakes themselves.

There are many types of cakes that people make the world over. From light airy cakes like angel food cake, to the richest heaviest German chocolate, there is no shortage of excellent cake recipes to select from. Whatever cake you choose and whether you are planning for a special occasion, or just looking to round out a dinner there are some basic tools you need.

What You Need

Your baking needs will vary greatly depending on what kind of cake you want to bake, especially in terms of ingredients. For example, some cakes do not require eggs while other cakes do. Before you settle down to start baking, make sure you’ve read over the recipe and have purchased all the ingredients you need. While many frequent bakers keep often-used supplies on hand, like flour and sugar, some ingredients that are used less may be hard to come by in just any baker’s cabinet or even any corner market.

While the ingredients differ between cakes, many times a baker uses the same tools and utensils to bake. At a bare minimum, you will need a large mixing bowl and a spatula or mixing spoon for preparing your cake batter, and a pan to bake it in. To make your baking experience easier, faster, and more convenient, it helps to use electronic mixing tools as like hand-held beaters. Over the years these tools have been adapted to even work on their own with little supervision, like many models of KitchenAid’s countertop mixer. With that particular model, you simply add your ingredients to the bowl, place the beater in the center, set your speed and hit “start”—it does all the work for you while you have your hands free for other baking needs.

Decorating

One of the final steps in cake baking is decoration, and just as it is with about every other aspect of cakes, this step too can be tailored to your personal needs. It is common to use frosting for cakes, especially for layered cakes and cupcakes, but you can also garnish with less traditional decorations. You can use fresh fruit, candy, and even flowers as creative alternatives to help make your cake look and taste its best.