Cake Ideas can require the purchase of new items occasionally. Well, you have till March 20, 2010 to use the '40% off any one item of regular price' coupon found by CLICKING HERE or on the coupon below.  So go there and print off the coupon and run to your local Hobby Lobby and grab up some cake decorating item you have been wanting. Great for purchase of a Wilton product. Hurry! Only a few days to use it.

If the coupon you are viewing has expired, what was offered for the weekly coupon was nothing in relation to cake decorating (i.e. stained glass, woodworking, etc.).

When the next coupon is available that will benefit purchases towards cake decorating items, it will be posted.

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↑ Sample of the Hobby Lobby Coupon ↑

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 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.

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 can be gotten from e-bay. We put this search tool on here as a service to our customers so they can see what is available for decorating cakes. We do not receive any commission for this service from eBay or the sellers. You don't even have to go to ebay to access it from here.  A description of the item with price and time left will be shown under the thumbnail pictures as you move the mouse over it. The upper right corner shows how many pages of items there are, and you can click on the page number or the arrow to advance to the next page. Just hold the cursor over one of the pictures of the items and it will enlarge. Click on the item picture and it will bring up all the details for that item. Then click on the green 'View & Bid' button and it will take you right to that item on ebay where you can bid on it and see more details. You can even use the 'search' box at the bottom to find something more specific or of interest to you. We hope you like this service we decided to offer to our customers. Feel free to post a comment below on how you feel about this search tool.

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 for the new year can maybe be a little harder to come up with. If you have a New Year's Eve or New Year's Day party, you could make a decorated cake to bring in the new year that depicts an hour glass or a clock. With edible image frosting sheets, it's less difficult to go online and find a picture of "Father Time" or a party hat, horn, and confetti to put on a cake to create your masterpiece. If all else fails, one cake idea is that you can at least make an eggnog cake ! Here is a recipe to accomodate that:

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Eggnog Cream Cake

1 box French vanilla cake mix 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon rum extract (optional) ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (divided) 1½ cups prepared eggnog 1 package (6 serving size) vanilla pudding and pie filling (NOT instant) 1 container (8oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding extracts and ¼ teaspoon of the nutmeg to batter. Bake in 9 x 13 pan according to package directions. Cool completely in pan. In small saucepan over medium heat, cook eggnog, pudding mix, and remaining ¼ teaspoon nutmeg – stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly; place plastic wrap directly on pudding to prevent skin from forming.

Refrigerate to cool completely. Gently fold in whipped topping in 2 additions. Spread pudding mixture over the top of the cake. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.

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Since this cake is actually served in the pan, you could lay a couple of party horns close to the cake and sprinkle some 'incoming year' confetti on the table around the cake. Also have some glasses of punch or eggnog to serve with the cake. To get some ideas of what you can use for this type of party, just visit 'Celebrate Express' and 'The Party Works' banners on the right side of this page. They can accomodate all your party needs year-round, including that New Year's event.

Decorating cakes for different holidays can be challenging, but also very fun and exciting. Just let your imagination flow and you will come up with some New Year's cake ideas.

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 can begin in several ways. Sometimes we get our ideas from pictures we see in books, sometimes from cake pans we see and start to visualize different ways we can use them, or maybe we see some sprinkles or confetti that sparks that idea. In order to assist our visitors, we have set up a store with Amazon that features cake pans of all sizes and shapes, cake decorating books of all kinds from beginner to expert (there's even one of 'Cake Decorating For Dummies' !), decorating supplies from bags and tips to toppers and candles, and baking ingredients that include sprinkles, flavorings and tube icings. There are way too many things to list them all here, including many Wilton products . We have tried to include many items that decorating cakes requires, plus some things you may not have known was even available! So come on over to visit by clicking on the blue banner above that says 'Visit CakeIdeas101.com Amazon Store' and see what we have made available for you all in one shopping place. You will be directed away from this site, but there are a couple of places on the Amazon site then where you can return to us by clicking on 'Cake Ideas 101' and it will take you back here to the home page. If there are items you would like to see us carry, please contact us and we will see about getting it added to our store. We hope you enjoy your shopping experience in our Amazon Cake Ideas 101 Store, and that you find many of the items for decorating cakes that you are looking for at a very reasonable Amazon price.

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 many times revolve around how many people a cake will serve. Of course the biggest determiner to that question is how big the pieces are cut . Generally, a cake mix box is going to say that a mix will make 12 servings. Those are pretty hefty portions if you are looking at it in a 9 x 13 pan. That means you would slice the cake in six rows the width of the cake and then cut it down the middle, making 12 pieces. We usually slice it in the six rows but cut it twice the other way for 3 rows to make 18 pieces, and these are still plenty big. It can just as easily be cut in 4 rows to produce 24 pieces. If you are serving other things like ice cream or nuts and mints, this is a nice-sized piece. Cake is usually served as a refreshment and not as a meal anyway . Cakes done in the sheet pan (or cookie pan) that is about 11 x 17 can easily be cut to serve 28 people, and that is with just one cake mix. This is 4 rows of 7 pieces, as illustrated in the first picture below. The second picture shows individual pieces marked for a 12 x 18 cake that will serve 50 people. It uses 2 cake mixes.

Round, heart, and other miscellaneous shaped cakes are a little harder to figure for how many they will serve. It's best to keep in mind how thick the pieces will be. As in the two above pictures, the one is in the cake pan and is only about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. The second one is from a 2" deep pan. So even though the pieces in the second one are smaller in surface area, they are also at least twice at thick as the one in the pan. If the decorated cake is a layer cake, you have even more height so the pieces can be cut narrower for the same amount of serving size. As you can see, decorating cakes for that special occasion can be a little tricky in the planning when it comes to figuring how many it will serve. The shape of the pan and the height of the cake can account for several variables. But just as a basic guide, a good rule of thumb is to figure one mix will make anywhere from 18 to 24 pieces to serve the guests. Of course, the biggest thing to figure in would be the person cutting the cake. If they like hefty pieces on the plate, you may just come up short in the end. Guest will then either be receiving a 'sliver' of cake in order to make it stretch, or they will get not at all . If unsure there will be enough to go around, take a stash of homemade chocolate chip cookies to serve to the end of the line if you do run out, and I'm sure they will be just as happy .

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, recipe, and cake ideas.

Cake ideas and cookie ideas are a couple of things that can be found online without much effort. There is actually a site called Bright Ideas – "a mecca for mingling with other creative friends and the perfect place for finding inspiration for ‘any day’ or ‘everyday’ celebrations. . . It's the perfect place for birthday and holiday ideas, but we think you'll find it's so packed with creative thinking that you’ll be inspired to make every day a special day." You can actually search for what you are interested in by activities, events & parties, holidays, ingredients, and difficulty. You can not only 'get ideas', but also 'give ideas' on this site. They have tons of recipes and a free newsletter you can subscribe to (Don't forget to subscribe to ours while you are here ). There are some really clever ideas for treats for kids to take to school for different holidays, or to add a little festivity to the dining table for your family get-together. This is just a very fun site we wanted to share with our readers, even though it's not just limited to decorating cakes and cake ideas. 

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 come and go, but cake decorators are usually here to stay. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, sometimes we all need a little inspiration. So I am bringing to you a FREE eBook you can download and save to your computer.  All you have to do is subscribe to my FREE monthly newsletter and the ebook will be sent as a link in your welcome email.  The name of the eBook is "Cake Decorating: How To Go From Beginner To Expert." Just come on over to the top of the right hand side of the page and sign up for the FREE monthly newsletter. Be sure to include your birthday (month & day only), as there may be a little surprise for you that day . Go ahead and claim your FREE eBook!

Cake ideas come to life when the finishing touches are put on the cake. Decorating cakes is fun, but what is done to "polish" it with the last little details is what leaves that lasting impression. Once the cake is frosted and decorated with the borders and design on top, little things can be done to make it noticeable – not just a cake on the table. Here are some ideas that can make your decorated cakes look remarkable.

• Put artificial flowers (or real ones if available) in one or two of the opposite corners of the cake. This will give it a definate 3-D effect. Artificial flowers come in so many colors and kinds that you can let your imagination run wild. Mix and match the kinds and colors to come up with contrasting or complimentary colors to the rest of the cake theme and design. Whether using fake or real flowers, just cut the stem about 1 1/2" long and poke down in the cake in whatever position or angle you desire.

• Use spray food coloring to add a little color without having to use colored frosting. If there is a certain place you do not want any overspray, cover it up with a sheet of paper while spraying. Start with a light mist and then go over it till you have the shade you want.

• Sprinkles are a great way to add color to the cake, they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and themes, so let your imagination run with that one.
• Confetti can be used to decorate cakes because there are not only designs available, but also words. People will a lot of times sprinkle confetti on tables for decorations at a party, but it can also be used on the cakes. Just make sure you tell the people when you serve the cake that they will need to pick the confetti off . The main timesweI use confetti is around the frosting sheet on a 12×18 or 11×17 cake where you end up with a wide border, that needs something to fill it in. The other time is on sheet cakes on the individual pieces. Below are pictures as an example of both instances, and the first one actually shows how a black and white photo looks when used for the frosting sheet.

• Small toys and decorations can be placed on the cake that go with the theme. For example, we are from a rural community and a cute idea for a little farm boy is to put a miniature tractor or toy cows or horses on the cake. And what little girl wouldn't like a little princess doll on hers?

These have just been some examples of cakes we have produced for customers. The finishing touches are what gives the cake a personality and character.  Just use your imagination and come up with your own cake ideas. 

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 generated onto edible image frosting sheets can create decorated cakes that will never be forgotten. We have been using this style of decorating cakes for several years now and have come up with some tips we would like to share with others who either currently use them or are thinking about investing in them in the future.

• There are a couple of different edible image frosting sheets we found, but we decided to go with ones that are on a slick backing that is released from the frosting sheet itself when you are ready to apply it to the cake. The other type is the actual sheet itself that is run through the printer. We were just personally uncomfortable with using this second type.
• Before printing off the frosting sheet, run a sheet of copy paper through the cake decorating printer to test the printing to make sure there are not any missing dots or lines, or there will be lines on the printed design. Do a cleaning if necessary.
• If the frosting sheet had dried out some to where the corner pops loose from the backing, lightly mist it with some water so it will adhere back to the sheet, and then let dry before putting through the printer.
• Use a spray bottle to lightly mist the top of the cake where the design is to be applied. If the icing has slightly crusted, this will allow the edible image sheet to adhere to the cake.
• Right before applying the sheet to the cake, stick it in the freezer for about ten seconds. This takes any moisture out of the sheet to help release it from the backing.
• If you are having trouble yet getting it to release, get a corner started with a fine paring knife with a flexible blade. You can then use your angled blade spatula to slowly and carefully slide between the sheet and the backing to release it. Normally it will just come right off, but we all like to be contrary once in a while
• When placing the sheet on the cake, try holding it directly above where you want it to be positioned because it is going to stick right where you put it, especially if you have spray misted the top of the cake.
• Use a star or shell design to go around the edges of the frosting sheet just to make sure they are sealed down and give the finished look to your decorated cake. Depending on the cake, we generally use white frosting for this or choose a color that is in the design itself to accentuate it, even if it's a minimal color you want to bring out.

Whether decorating cakes with traditional methods or with the new wave, we hope your choice or transition will be helped with these cake ideas.