By Sharon Franke, Good Housekeping
With Nordicware's Cars 2 Cakelet Pan (a Williams-Sonoma exclusive, $39.95) you can celebrate the release of this summer's hottest film (that is, for boys under 10) with mini cakes that will thrill little drivers-in-training and make you look like a baking genius.
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of cast aluminum with a nonstick coating, the pan makes eight car
characters from the movie: Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Francesco
Bernoulli, Finn McMissile, Luigi, Guido, Fillmore, and Shu Todoroki. You
can get as intricate as you like with the decorations or just dust them
with powdered sugar.
To
make sure you don't wind up with cars that look like they belong in a
junkyard, make sure you follow the following directions for greasing the
pan — yes, even though it has a nonstick surface. After all, if you're
going to the trouble, you want to make sure that the cakelets don't
sitck and break when it's time to pop them out, and you want to see all
the details that make these characters so special. Using solid
shortening, make sure to brush every single nook and cranny of the car
forms. Then sprinkle them with Wondra brand flour, knocking out any
excess. Alternatively you can spray them well with Baker's Joy Nonstick
Cooking Spray.
If you're not a master at frosting, or Zookeeper is the movie of choice in your house, you might like Nordicware's Hungry Animals Cake & Ice Cream Pan
($31). These open-face animals are just as adorable and don't require
as much post-baking attention. Just plop a dollop of ice cream into each
hungry cake's mouth.
For some great recipes to bake up in these playful pans, take a look at our versions of chocolate and carrot cake. If you prefer the convenience of store-bought mixes, check out the results of our yellow cake mix taste test!
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For other kid-pleasing summer treats be sure to see my posts on The Best Ice Cream Makers and the Zoku Quick Pop Maker.
Want to learn how we put consumer products to the test and keep you safe? Sign up for a tour of the famous Good Housekeeping Research Institute. If you visit, be sure to say hello when you come by the Kitchen Appliances & Technology Lab.
