PART 1 bake without breaking a sweat HOW TO USE THIS BOOK while on your cakey adventure, you may ask yourself . I wonder what that [cake, frosting, cookie, etc.] looks like in a cake slice? I''m so glad you wondered that. I love to look at pretty pictures of cake slices, too. That''s why I filled a book with them. Yay! Look for the "See It In a Slice" notes to find page numbers corresponding to the picture of the recipe you''re ogling. Oooh, that sounds good, but I don''t have time to bake from scratch. What should I do? Don''t panic! Your box mix secrets are safe with me.

DOCTOR, DOCTOR! is here to save the day with store-bought alternatives listed within most recipes. These tidbits have also been gathered up into one place as a handy-dandy reference guide, Baking Faux Real (page 20). That''s a pretty cake decoration thingy. I want something similar, but I don''t have much time, because I just remembered it''s my [insert loved one''s name here] birthday. Today. I feel your pain. I''m a procrastination monkey, myself. Look for FAUX FABULOUS decorating ideas within many of the decorating projects or head straight to the Candy section starting on page 109.

I wonder what would go perfectly with that [cake, frosting, filling, etc.]? OMG, I''m flattered. I''m honored that you would trust my taste buds with your important cake decisions. Turn to page 50 for the PERFECT PAIRINGS of your cakey dreams. What would a unicorn do? I ask myself that on the daily. A real life unicorn was consulted during the writing of this book. Her tips and musings can be found sprinkled throughout the book under UNICORN THOUGHTS. (OK, you got me.

I''m the unicorn. Find out why on page 189.) Chapter 1 THE GOODS BAKING, FILLING, AND DECORATING A CAKE REQUIRES practice, patience, and the goods. Your cakey tasks will quickly move from tedious chore to enjoyable pastime when you use the right tools for the job. The equipment and brands I mention in this section are things I use all the time. The photos are of my actual tools, straight from the box. (Well, after a little bath and polish.) Since picking up cake baking and decorating as a hobby or profession requires an investment in specialized tools and ingredients, it''s important to know which ones work best in order to save yourself time, money, and frustration.

If I could wave a magic wand and go back in time, my advice to baby-Erin would be: Buy nice to avoid buying twice. I blew through more cheap-o measuring cup sets and wobbly plastic turntables than I like to admit. Learn from my misplaced frugality and treat yo'' self. TOOLS OF THE TRADE Stand Mixer I use a KitchenAid, as do many other pros and home bakers. They last forever if you take care of them and make very light work of labor- intensive jobs like creaming butter and whipping egg whites. If you plan on baking a lot, you may want to pick up extra stand-mixer bowls so you can easily move from recipe to recipe without having to stop and wash the bowl. You can also use the second bowl to prep the next recipe you want to work on while another one is working on the mixer. Mixing Bowls Keep a variety of sizes on hand for small jobs like separating eggs and large jobs like making big batches of batter.

Purchase bowls that are heatproof, so they can do double duty over a double boiler. I always have at least one microwave-safe bowl in my pantry, too. Rubber Spatulas Solid, heatproof, silicone spatulas are the most versatile and easiest to clean. Measuring Spoons My favorite set of spoons are Williams Sonoma''s narrow measuring spoons. They''re long and thin with a flat edge, perfect for getting down to the bottom of narrow spice jars. Plus, they come with an 1/8-teaspoon measure, the ideal size when you just need a smidge of something. Measuring Cups Always use dry for dry ingredients and wet for wet ingredients. Large glass measuring cups, like the ones made by Pyrex, are also great for mixing small batches of batter or melting things in the microwave.

Look for dry measuring cups made by a reputable kitchenware company that have solidly attached handles. I was a serial measuring-cup killer (snapping off handles and denting cups) until I finally bit the bullet and sprang for a top-notch set. My all-time favorite cups are made by All-Clad. Super bonus, they''re adorable and look like a teeny tiny set of All-Clad pans. Novelty measuring cups in random shapes aren''t to be trusted. (Sorry, cute nesting dolls and flower-shaped cups!) Baking Strips Baking strips can be found in the cake aisle at most craft stores. You use them by soaking them in water and wrapping them around a cake pan before it goes into the oven. The damp wrap keeps the outer edge of the cake cool so that it bakes at the same rate as the cake batter in the center of the pan.

These are by no means 100 percent necessary, but they are pretty cool to have if you bake on a regular basis. You''ll end up with flatter cakes with a softer crust that are easier to handle and require less leveling. Scale Weighing ingredients is the most accurate way to bake. But if you''ve been baking with cups and spoons for 30 years with great success, then don''t mess with a good thing. Scales are handy to have on hand for weighing random bits of butter and chocolate chips. Candy Thermometer Look for one that comes with a clip for attaching the thermometer to the side of your pan. The newer digital ones are great-they''ll beep when you reach the temperature you''re looking for, saving you from having to stand next to the pot and watch the mercury rise. Cake Pans I like tall pans and I cannot lie.

All of my cake pans are 3-inch-tall, light-colored aluminum pans. Light-colored pans conduct less heat, so they''re less likely to give your cakes a dark crust. Tall pans are also more versatile because you have the room to bake as little or as much batter as you like. Cookie Sheets Rimmed, light-colored aluminum cookie sheets are the most useful to have. A lighter color means the pan is less likely to turn the bottoms of your cookies black. Rimmed baking sheets are safer to use and are great for containing messes. Cooling Racks These are nice to have, especially when baking in a small space. Cakes and sheets of cookies can be stacked on racks to cool.

Parchment Paper Frankly, rolls of parchment paper are annoying and often more trouble than they''re worth to use. The paper is difficult to handle, curls, and can cause cookies or decorations to become misshapen. Boxes of flat, precut sheets of parchment paper can be inexpensively purchased online and in restaurant supply stores. Silicone Baking Mats These are perfect for baking more delicate items, like meringue cookies, that may stick to a greased cookie sheet or parchment paper. They''re versatile, typically heatproof to over 450°F, and will last forever if you take care of them. Icing Spatula Acetate Clear, flexible sheets of plastic are ideal for working with chocolate. The slick surface leaves chocolate work with a gorgeous sheen. Sheets or rolls of acetate can be found in specialty chef supply stores and online.

They''re a one-time-use item, but worth the hassle to find if you''re making something special or have an interest in chocolate work. Dishers or Portion Scoops If you''re not down with the dishers already, it''s about time you get to know them. Dishers are portion scoops used in commercial kitchens to ensure uniformity in measuring. They come in all different sizes and are sold in restaurant supply stores and online. Each one has a different colored handle indicating the volume of the scoop. Larger dishers are perfect for filling cupcake liners or dividing batter evenly between pans. Smaller dishers make great cookie and truffle scoops. Ask a pastry chef what their favorite disher is and I''m certain you''ll get a response.

I''m a green- handle (size 12, 2 2/3-ounce) girl, myself. Piping Bags Large, plastic disposable piping bags are the most useful to keep in your decorating toolbox. You can cut them down if a smaller bag is better for the job. Piping Tips and Couplers Every brand numbers its tips differently, so pay attention more to the size and shape tip that you need. Round, star, leaf, and rose tips are the most common tips. Each can be used in a number of ways to fill, finish, and decorate a cake with very little piping expertise. Couplers come in two parts. The larger part is placed inside a piping bag before filling it with frosting or meringue.

The smaller outer ring is tightened over the coupler and piping bag to hold a tip securely in place. Couplers make switching tips a breeze, and you don''t have to constantly empty and refill piping bags. Rubber Spatula Icing Spatulas Offset and straight icing spatulas are the two most commonly used in cake decorating. I keep a large and small one of each on hand when filling and finishing cakes. My preference is for spatulas with plastic handles because they are easier to keep clean. Some people have strong feelings about which spatula should be used for which decorating task (filling, crumb coating, etc.). I say use whatever you''re most comfortable with.

Turntable This is the best cake investment you will ever make, even more so than a stand mixer. A good turntable will enable you to get the smoothest buttercream finishes in the shortest amount of time. I''ve had.