cake baking tips

The Kitchenaid Professional 600 Vs. Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer

One of the most well thought of mixers that you can buy today is the kitchenaid mixer. They are by far the most popular mixer on the market today for good reason. With a reasonable price point, and high standards for design and quality, the kitchenaid professional 600 stand mixer is the perfect choice for many people. The kitchenaid artisan mixer is also highly regarded as well.

There are a couple of differences between these two models which I will now discuss. First, the artisan mixer has a five quart steel bowl while the 600 series uses a six quart size bowl. Either of these will be okay for most people who use them because the size differential is not very noticeable.

The other main difference is that the size of the motors on the two mixers is quite different. The kitchenaid professional 600 stand mixer has a large 575 watt powerful motor. The kitchenaid artisan mixer however has a 325 watt motor. While it remains a very capable motor, a lot of people may prefer the extra power that the 600 series uses. Great sales can be found on both mixers, and the price difference can be small if a good sale price is discovered.

Either of these two exceptional models may be purchased in a large range of colors. Some of the colors available include silver, white, red, pink, black, blue, grey, green, and many others. With so many to choose from, there is always going to be one to fit your kitchen theme and style.

These mixers are built to last a lifetime. When mixing up foods, they do not move around at all because they have enough weight. Both motors have ten different speeds to choose from. When finished mixing, there is an easy tilt feature so that you can have easy access to the bowl. This can come in very handy at many times.

Furthermore, both the kitchenaid professional 600 and kitchenaid artisan mixer come with a one year warranty. If it happens to break, which I highly doubt on these sturdy mixers, the warranty will cover it. There are several mixing tools that come with these machines. There is a dough tool, a flat masher, and a wire whip. If this is your first time using an appliance like this, there are instructions on how to properly use each different tool. Each shape and style of tool provides a different type of action when mixing. When making dough for instance, compared to mashing potatoes, it can be very important to use the correct tool extension. When it comes to mixing the ingredients together, the two really have quite different requirements needed, which is why you get the various attachments. There really is not a bad decision when it comes to picking one of these two models, and you can be excited to get either one.

In case you are surfing for info about the topic of quick and easy recipes, then please make sure to go to the site that is mentioned right in this paragraph.

They Many Great Advantages Of A Marble Rolling Pin

Whether you have been baking for many years, or are just starting out, having the proper tools for the job is of great importance. Baking is more of a science than other types of cooking due to the need for precision when measuring and weighing ingredients. You also have to deal with yeast and baking soda as a way to make bread rise. Truly great bakers are really artists of cooking. Because of the often complex aspects of baking, it is a must to use the best tools. You cannot expect great results by just throwing things together and hoping for the best.

One of the essential tools of any good baker is the marble rolling pin. There are many reasons that these types of rolling pins are great. First, they naturally do not stick as much to whatever you are trying to roll out. When making cookies and breads, this is always a key factor. Also, the natural marble stone is cooler than other pins. This helps stop the butter inside the dough from heating up and melting. There is also less chance of sticking for things that are cooler. If you happen to still have problems with sticking, then a light spray of non stick cooking oil with really help as well. If short on counter space, many times people use a butcher block kitchen cart for added work space. These can add functionality and charm to the kitchen space.

The next great thing about a marble rolling pin is that they are fairly heavy. This is fantastic because it will do most of the work for you when using it. You will need to use less strain and pressure to roll the dough. This is also a great bonus when it comes to things like crushing nuts, crackers, and cookies for pie crusts or other things. The extremely smooth surface of a marble rolling pin makes them a breeze to clean when finished using. They can be easily wiped clean and be ready for the next project.

Marble rolling pins are really quite beautiful in addition to everything else that makes them so useful. The stones have nice color and swirling patterns that is different for each pin. You might even desire to place them on top of the counter for display in your home. They also store well, and if you have a butcher block kitchen cart, that is also a good place to keep them. Since a marble rolling pin is more of a specialty item, it is often best to order them online. Many places even offer free shipping these days, so good deals can be found. A marble rolling pin is also a great and inexpensive gift for people around the holidays. These pins are great for a wide variety of tasks including many kinds of cookies and dough. No kitchen should be without one.

People who are want to get info about quick and easy recipes, then visit the web site which is quoted right in this passage.

Cake Ideas – Preparing for the Graduation Cake Rush

Cake ideas start coming around in May for 8th grade promotions and high school and college graduations. This is one time of year when everyone seems to want their cakes on the same day or couple of days. This definitely takes some planning and preparation. The last few years, I have had orders for 25 or more cakes to be done in about 3 days. The first time I had that many orders, I baked and decorated a certain number of cakes per day – till exhaustion, with only 4 or 5 hours of sleep between. The next year, I did it with a whole new routine. The week before all the cakes were needing to be decorated, all the cakes were baked and stuck in the freezer, and many batches of decorators icing were mixed up and put in the refrigerator. Then the week prior to the graduations, the number of cakes to be decorated each day (usually 6 or 7) were taken out of the freezer the night before. That way it was just a matter of decorating cakes for the day and no baking was involved. That made things go so much smoother! It's much easier to concentrate on one thing at a time, like either baking OR decorating – not both 😉 So how do you prepare the cake for freezing? In one of my earlier posts, I explained how I line my cake pans with waxed paper before baking. Once baked and cooled, I dump the cake out on the waxed cardboard and leave that waxed paper on them to seal them for freezing. I also have 1/4" boards I put under those cardboards to help support the cake to keep it from splitting. I then insert the whole thing – cake, cardboard, and 1/4" board into a white unscented 13 gallon tall kitchen trash bag and seal it up. This helps protect the cake in the freezer. Pull the cake out of the freezer the night before and let it thaw in the bag overnight. This is also the time to set the frosting out of the refrigerator so it will be softer for spreading the next day. The next morning, take the cake out of the bag and remove the waxed paper from the cake. This whole process has kept the moisture sealed in the cake. Doing cakes for graduation if you have several orders can be a little stressful, but if you can establish a routine that works for you, it will go much smoother. If you have any other cake decorating ideas for the graduation rush, please feel free to post them here as a comment to share with others.

Be sure to sign up for our FREE eBook “Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert” by subscribing to our FREE Monthly Bulletin at the top of the right side about decorating cakes, and to receive contest notifications, recipes, and cake ideas.

Cake Ideas – Using Coconut Flour vs. Wheat Flour

We know there are a lot of people out there who are allergic to wheat flour and the products made from it. Since one of the main ingredients in cake is flour, it stands to reason that many people are not able to enjoy eating cake because of these allergies. After hearing a lady comment that the cake looked so good, but she just could not eat it, we knew there had to be something out there. She asked me if I knew anything about coconut flour. I had to admit I had not even heard about it. So I did some research on the product. Many people who are allergic to wheat have no problem with the coconut flour at all. Granted, it is more expensive, but isn't it worth being able to have a piece of cake now and then instead of not at all? 😉 In our research, we found a company that offers the coconut flour at the most reasonable price when we compared them. This company has many health food related products that we would like to encourage you to check out while you are there that may also assist you in any other areas of your life. There are two ways you can actually find the coconut flour. 1.) Simply click on the coconut flour picture below to go in to the store. There is a blue bar across the top, and in the middle it says to select a product category. Click on the down arrow and select baking products. It will ask you to refine your search further. Click on Gluten Free. At the very top of the list of products you will see item #274-0001. Click on the word Coconut Flour beside it. 2. Or when you are at the blue bar, use the 'search' function at the right and type in the product code of 274-0001and it will be the first product brought up. Just click on the words 'Coconut Flour.' Either way, this will take you to the page where you can read all about the flour and it also gives the nutritional information if you scroll down the page a ways.

Now what good is that coconut flour if you don't have a recipe book to go along with it so you can know how to use it to the best advantage? Well, we have solved that for you too. We did some more research and found you a cookbook!

We hope you will be able to use these products for you or those you love so that those with wheat allergies will be able to "Have their cake and eat it too!"

Cake Ideas- Valentine’s Day Cakes

Cake ideas start to be sought when Valentine's Day approaches in order to make a treat for those special someones. A decorated cake for that holiday can make it memorable, no matter what the age of the recipient. What are a few ideas for the cake itself? Well, pink and red are usually associated with Valentine's Day. So how about using Strawberry or Cherry Chip cake mix for a pink cake or a Red Velvet cake mix for a red cake! Or you can always use a White mix and add red food coloring a few drops at a time to get the shade you desire. The frosting can be white or pink and then use any of the various shades of pink and red for the trimmings, writing, and decorations. The decorations on the cake can be any variation of things to spruce it up. Ideas for that could be red or pink artifical flowers, Valentine confetti, a cake topper, or fresh strawberries (don't put these on till ready to serve 😉 ). Since hearts are usually associated with the holiday, a heart-shaped cake definately fits the occasion. If a heart pan is not available, you can actually make a cake in that shape by pouring half the batter in an 8" square layer and the other half in an 8" round layer. After they are baked and removed from the pans, turn the square layer with a point on the bottom like a diamond. Cut the round layer in half and place the cut side of each half of the round layer against one upper side of the square layer, making it look like it has Mickey Mouse ears. What shape do you see? A Heart 😮 ! Heart-shaped cupcakes or ones in Valentine cupcake papers make great individual servings or something special for school parties. Any shape of pan can be used for a Valentine's Day cake and the decorations will give it the character needed for the special occasion. You can use any of the items listed earlier for decorating the cake, or you can also use colored decorating sugar, red hots, or candy conversation hearts that are in season for the holiday.