Transformers Cake Pan
The Transformers cake pan is a sweet way to celebrate a birthday! This cake pan is pretty easy to decorate, and could be done by even novices. The good thing is that this cake is current (not retired) so it is very easy to find, and if you were lucky enough to find shaped cake pans in your area this is one you would probably see. It’s far more likely you’ll save money on this cake pan by shopping online. In this post I want to show you some quick decorating tips for this cake and where to get it for a great price.
This cake is definitely not tough to decorate, but it is important that you have a bit of practice with the icing bag before hand. You’re going to have to create a lot of straight lines, and a steady hand and even squeeze will help with that. To practice, get a sheet of parchment paper and test it out there. Once finished, you can put that icing right back into your bowl for use later.
The Transformer birthday cake pan will take some tight attention to detail when decorating to get the “shadows” right and all of the lines parallel, but aside from that it should be a fun experience.
Shopping for the Transformers cake pan online is a good decision. With Amazon you can get all of the party supplies that you need, and have them all shipped right to your door at a great price. With eBay you can save a ton of money over shopping anywhere else.
Here’s what Amazon has to offer-
Here are the current listings for eBay. With some scrolling through the items you’re bound to find the Transformers cake pan at a lower price than most other places.
Mickey Mouse Cake Pan
I never understood Wilton’s thinking behind discontinuing cake pans. The Mickey Mouse cake pan is always in high demand, yet it was retired a long time ago. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that there are four different Mickey Mouse cake pans and one set of mini cake pans. There are some small details that make one of them a collector’s item, while others aren’t. In this post I want to show you how to get black buttercream icing, the difference in the four cake pans, and where to get these pans at a smokin’ price.
If you try to make black buttercream icing from white vanilla it will take a ton of coloring, turn teeth black, and taste nasty. Instead, start with chocolate icing and it will only take a tiny fraction of the coloring to get a black color.
The Mickey Mouse Cake Pan Collection
The most desired (but not most expensive) Mickey Mouse pan is the one that is simply his face. This traditional icon is perfect for any party, and simple to decorate. You can usually find this pan for between $15 and $30, depending on its condition. If you plan on baking, rather than collecting, don’t worry about spending the extra money to get the insert, the instructions are all available for download from Wilton’s website.
The oldest and least expensive of the cake pans is the Mickey Mouse Band Leader cake pan. Why this pan is the least expensive, I’m not sure, but it always has been. He’s wearing a band leader hat that could be easily decorated to be something totally different. Expect to pay between $5 and $20 for this pan.
My favorite of all of these is the “Arms Behind The Back” cake pan. You’ll understand why the arms bit is important after you read the next paragraph. Mickey is standing up with his arms behind his back and wearing pants and a shirt. You can expect to pay between $15 and $25 for this one.
The collector’s item cake pan is the Mickey Mouse Waving cake pan. This pan was produced as late as 1995, so there are still tons in circulation. I think that the reason it costs so much is because he’s wearing his traditional shorts and nothing else. Expect to pay over $50 for this pan, only the Darth Vader and the the rest of the Star Wars cake pans cost as much as this one!
If you want to get one of these cake pans for baking instead of building your collection, shop eBay. You can save a ton of money over buying them from anywhere else. Below you’ll see the most current listings for Mickey Mouse cake pans. Use the arrows to scroll through the listings, click on them for more details, or use the search bar to track down a specific pan.
Cookie Monster Cake Pan
The Cookie Monster cake pan (both of them) has been retired, but you can still find them without much work. Seriously, who wouldn’t love a Cookie Monster shaped cake for their birthday? I don’t know anyone, and if you do they probably shouldn’t be your friend anymore! In this post I want to show you the difference between both of the retired cake pans, and where you can get them from without breaking the bank.
The first Cookie Monster cake pan was discontinued in 1981 by Wilton, but somehow manages to be easy to find in the secondary market. This goes to show how popular baking was then, and how popular it’s once again becoming! This cake pan is very similar to the later one (next paragraph) except there isn’t anything in his hands. He’s wearing a chef’s hat (?) and is very blob shaped. The pan from the 90’s has more detail in the neck so his head doesn’t look like it’s attached to his chest, like it does in this pan.
The later Cookie Monster pan was discontinued in 1996 and has a much more logical shape than the 70’s pan does. The biggest different is that he’s holding a cake in his hands. Obviously, you could decorate it so that the cake is anything (gift, cookie, nothing) so that shouldn’t be something that turns you away from this pan.
Somehow both of these cake pans avoided collector’s item status (unlike the Star Wars cake pans and Mario cake pan). This is great for you if you plan on actually baking with it! You can get these pans very cheap, usually less than the price of a new cake pan on eBay (see below).
There is also a rare Muppet cake pan that’s really hard to find, but it could be used as Cookie Monster, Grover, Animal, or any of the Muppets.
Here are the current eBay listings that you can use to buy or bid on the Cookie Monster cake pan. Use the arrows to scroll through the listings, or use the search bar to track down exactly what you’re looking for.
Number Cake Pans
Number cake pans are pretty straight-forward. You get the numbers that you need, bake them, and decorate them. Instead of going into details on each pan, like I usually do, I’ll give you some really helpful decorating tips and where to find them at rock bottom prices.
From the amateur’s eye it would seem that a number cake pan is really easy to decorate, but they can be pretty challenging. When you look at the number 8 and number 6 cake pans, there are small holes where the cake curls around that have to be frosted or fondant applied. This is is pretty tough to pull off! The trick with icing is to do that area first, so that you don’t screw up the rest if you do it last. With fondant, get ready for some patching down deep. It’s tough to get big fingers down in there to get it done. You’ll need some narrow spatulas or long, delicate fingers.
Another extremely useful tool is a lazy susan. Every cake decorator should have one of these, but they’re incredibly helpful when decorating number cake pans. You don’t want to have to continually walk around the counter decorating all of the lines and curves on these pans, so get yourself a lazy susan!
These are all Pantastic cake pans, which means that they’re plastic. On the surface you’d think that they would just melt, but they don’t unless you bake with the oven way too hot. They’re also microwaveable, I’ve never tried it, but I heard that it works.
Here are the number shaped cake pan from Amazon. As you can see, they’re very affordable but don’t expect to get more than a few uses out of them. Below these you’ll see the pans on eBay.
(Numbers 6 and 9 use the same cake pan!)
Here are the current listings from eBay for number cake pans. Use the arrows on the right to scroll through the list, or use the search box to track down the number that you’re looking for.
Ninja Turtle Cake Pan
They’re the worlds most fearsome fighting team! The Ninja Turtle cake pan is perfect for those that are current fans or just want an awesome blast from the past. Somehow, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have never gone out of style, and this makes the demand for the cake pan very high. However, unlike the Mario cake pan and the Star Wars cake pan, the price for these hasn’t gone through the roof. There are actually two different Ninja Turtles cake pans, and a mini cake pan that’s extremely rare. In this post we’ll take a look at all three of them.
The most common Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cake pan is the plain face pan. This is simply a turtle’s head that can be decorated to be Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, or Raphael. All you have to do to is change the color of the icing for the ninja bandanna thingy that they wear. You can usually find this pan for less than five bucks on eBay (listings will be available at the end of the post).
Another cake pan is the full body shot (see picture above). Again, this pan can be any of the turtles that you want it to be. The full body pan can be found inexpensively as well, although not as cheap as the head pan, on eBay. Usually for around $10.
There is also a mini cake pan/treat pan that was made by Wilton in 1994 that has six cavities for cake/cupcake. These are extremely rare when compared to the other Ninja Turtle cake pans, and I had a hard time finding information on it, although I have seen it in the past. You can expect to pay between $30 and $50 for these, which is obviously a big difference from the full size cake pans but the pan is very cool.
eBay is the best place to get these cheap, but Amazon also has them if you prefer shopping there. So see Amazon’s options, click here
Here are the current eBay listing for a Ninja Turtle cake pan. Use the arrows on the right side to scroll through the listings, or to track down the exact one that you’re looking for use the search box on the top.
Square Cake Pan
The square cake pan is one of the most common and functional pans that we can have in our kitchen. There are thousands of different uses for it aside from baking, so having a set of them is crucial to the well stocked kitchen. In this post I want to give you some insight on why it’s important that you have different sizes of square cake pans as well as show you where to get them cheap.
A square cake pan set is probably the best place for many people to start. The common sizes are 9″, 11″, and 13″. Having each of these cake pans is important because there are tons of different baking jobs that you will do with these over the course of their lives. If you’re planning on baking a tiered cake with these, it’s extremely important that the pans are proportional to one another so that the cake will be balanced. That means that each tier is two inches smaller than the previous tier.
You will also get a lot of cooking done with a square cake pan set. Casseroles, melts, and enchiladas all work very well in these versatile pans. If you have a set that is nonstick, be sure that you don’t scratch the surface and chip the nonstick, this becomes toxic.
Cheap square cake pans are available both on Amazon and eBay. Click here
Here are the current listings and prices from eBay for their square cake pans. Use the arrows on the right to scroll down and see everything, or use the search box to track down the exact pan that you’re looking for.
Sheet Cake Pan
A sheet cake pan is the tool of the restaurant trade. They’re used for everything from brownies to cooking bacon in the oven. At home you can get just as many uses from them, even baking cakes! In this post I’ll give you the run down on all of the different uses that you can use these for as well as where to get them at great prices.
Baking large cakes and brownies are the regular uses for sheet cake pans. Most traditional ovens aren’t big enough to fit a full sheet cake pan, but half sheet cake pans work great. You can use these for baking cookies or as a tray for heating anything in the oven, like french fries, baked chips, roasting garlic, or baked cheese.
You don’t need a non stick surface on a sheet cake pan. Aluminum sheet cake pans can maintain their pretty shine if you use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat when baking things. Having a few of these pans on hand is very helpful when big baking projects come up. Having four pans works best for me so that I can bake two sets of cookies on both racks of my oven and get the next two ready while they’re baking.
Amazon has an excellent selection of sheet cake pans that you can check out by clicking here
Here are the best prices from current eBay listings. Use the arrows to scroll down, or use the search bar on the top to track down exactly what you’re looking for.
Batman Cake Pan
Finding a batman cake pan for a good price is a tough job. There are three different Batman cake pans, and all of them are currently discontinued. In this post I want to show you the difference in the three, decorating tips, and where you can buy them from.
The first, and most common, batman shaped cake pan is the Batman With Moon cake pan from Wilton. It’s Batman flexing his muscles in front of the moon. This pan can be found relatively cheap (around $30) on the secondary market. I like this pan for birthdays because the space around the moon is perfect for a happy birthday message.
The second, and most bizarre, batman cake pan is the Batman Beyond cake pan. I’m not really sure where Batman Beyond fits in with the Batman story, but it’s a strange looking cake. He has extremely narrow and pointy ears and red details on his suit. If you had this cake pan you could decorate it with the more traditional gear.
The third, and rarest, cake pan is the Superman Batman cake pan. This pan can be decorated as either super hero, and comes with plastic emblems for their chest and a plastic face. Prices for this cake pan can be pretty outrageous, but it’s very cool. If you plan on getting this cake pan, be sure that it comes with the plastic pieces, or it’s going to be a serious pain to decorate.
There is also a fourth pan, the Batman emblem cake pan. This is also retired and hard to come by.
Here are prices and pictures from Amazon.com. Clicking on one will take you to more information.
The main problem that people run into when decorating these cakes is how to make frosting black. The trick is to use a black corn sugar gel (they have it at the grocery store) mixed with chocolate frosting. If you use white frosting it takes a lot of the gel to get it black, and it will turn everyone’s mouth black in the process. Starting with chocolate takes far less coloring and will taste better.
Batman cake pans are also available on eBay. Here you’ll probably find better prices than you would on Amazon since there are more options.
Guitar Cake Pan
A guitar cake pan is the perfect tool to kick off any musicians birthday party. A simple cake pan like this can be decorated as an acoustic guitar, a bass guitar, an electric guitar, or even the Guitar Hero guitar for a GH party. The best thing is that the cake is not difficult to decorate so even the most novice decorators can get great results. In this post I want to offer some tips for decorating this cake, as well as show you where to get it cheap.
Since there are so many different ways to decorate a guitar shaped cake pan, it’s important that you have a good picture or an actual guitar to work from. The more time you spend finding this important piece, the better your cake will come out because of your increased understanding of the guitar’s shape.
The only tough thing that you’ll come across when decorating this cake is making sure that the strings (if you choose to add them) come out parallel and straight. To get this right, decorate the body and the neck of the guitar first, then take a straight-edge and carefully lay it into the cake where the strings are going to be. Don’t push hard or the icing will bunch up on the sides, all you want to do is give yourself a groove to guide the icing or gel that you’re going to add. Remember that a guitar has six strings, so it works best to figure out the center of the neck then add three straight lines from each side of center. The section that leads to the tuning post (the very top) will still have to be done freehand, but the rest of your lines will be neat and straight.
If you’re making a Guitar Hero birthday cake spend the extra few minutes to bake the “buttons” rather than just decorating the squares right onto the cake. I’ve seen this done both ways, and it makes a huge difference. To bake the buttons use a sheet pan with parchment paper and put a ladle full of cake batter for each button onto the paper. Bake it at the normal temperature for 6-8 minutes, or until it’s done. After they’re cool, peel them from the paper and cut the buttons out with a knife. Adhere them to the cake with a dab of icing and you’re ready to rock!
Amazon has guitar cake pans for about $12, which is a great price. Check them out here
eBay is usually the place to get the best prices on cake pans. Below you’ll see the current listings for all of the guitar cake pans that they currently have. Most of them are new, some are used, but they all should be a great price.
Specialty Cake Pans
Finding the specialty cake pans that suit your needs can be tough with so many different choices and price ranges that are out there. In this post I want to show you the different types of specialty cake pans so you can make a better decision on which you need, as well as show you where to get them at the best price on the web.
Getting a great deal on cake pans is easy. You either shop with Amazon or eBay and you’ll always get the best price. Your needs determine which you use. If you have other shopping to do and want it all shipped to you at an excellent price, use Amazon. If the only thing you need is a cheap specialty cake pan, use eBay since they consistently have the lowest prices on cake pans. Each description below will have links for you to check out and compare prices from each vendor.
Bundt Cake Pans
Bundt cake pans are traditionally used during the holidays and have intricate designs along the outer walls of the pan. The pan is fluted (also known as tubed) so that the deep cake can be cooked all the way through. Fruit cake, pineapple upside down cake, and angel food cake are commonly made in these pans, but you can bake whatever you want in them.
Common materials are aluminum and silicone. Nonstick surfaces are extremely important when using a bundt pan, since the cake is prone to sticking in the detail of the pan.
Compare prices for bundt cake pans from Amazon here.
Springform Cake Pans
Springform cake pans are pans that are made from two pieces. They have an outer “shell” that acts as the wall of the cake pan and a bottom piece that comes out so the cake can be released from the pan. These are designed for cakes that can’t be flipped over to be released from their pan. This is usually cheesecakes and tarts, but there are also springform bundt pans.
These are almost exclusively made from aluminum, and most will be nonstick so the cake doesn’t stick to the sides when it’s released.
To compare prices for springform pans from Amazon, click here.
Shaped Cake Pans
Fun cake pans like Elmo and Spongebob fall into the shaped cake pan category. In the broad sense of the term every cake pan has a shape, but this term is generally saved for the character cake pans and other creative shapes. These cake pans can be used for any occasion and with any cake mix, so they are very versatile.
Aluminum is the most common material for shaped cake pans, but there are also silicone and plastic molds that are safe for the oven. Most aluminum pans don’t have a nonstick coating, so you have to be sure to have a good baking spray on hand before starting.
To compare prices for shaped cake pans on Amazon, click here.
Having a collection of specialty cake pan is imperative to any well stocked kitchen. It’s usually best to start with the simple ones and graduate to the complex and unique pans. Baking cakes is something that brings families together in the kitchen and at the table, and having all of the proper tools will help you do this more often.
Curious George Cake Pan
Shopping for a Curious George cake pan can be disheartening since one doesn’t exist, but there are other options! In this post I want to show you some cool alternatives as well as some old-school decorating tips that can help you get the perfect Curious George cake!
The problem is that there aren’t any licensed Curious George cake pans, but there are monkey cake pans and round pans that will give you the space to decorate his cute face right on top. Luckily, Curious George is a very simple looking cartoon character, so even people with limited artistic skill can get his face right on the cake’s top.
In order to decorate his face on a round cake pan, you need to start with a good picture. Pick one that shows his face clearly, and save it so that you can blow it up and print it. The size of your round cake pan will determine how big you blow the picture up. After you get the picture printed, check out this how-to on decorating a Curious George cake. She does it and explains it much better than I could!
If freehand cake design isn’t your thing, you can check out this pan
How To Find A Cheap Shaped Cake Pan
Shopping for a shaped cake pan is much different now than it used to be. There was a time when you could find all of the popular ones at a great price by just heading to the grocery store, but that’s changed quite a bit in the last ten years and now finding shaped cake pans is tough and getting them cheap is even tougher! In this post I want to show you some ways that you can find them in your town as well as where to always get the best price for them online.
The flat-out best place to get a cheap shaped cake pan is at a store like Target right after the holiday season. Big-box retailers will buy these to sell for the holidays then try their best to liquidate them once the new year rolls around. You can get incredible deals by going this route. I picked up a Nordic Ware mini dino cake pan (that’s usually around $35) for less than $15, and I saw the Wilton Giant Cupcake for under $20 (it’s usually around $40).
I know that this doesn’t help you at all if you’re reading this in any month other than January, so there are some other options. If you live in a city that has lots of restaurants, there are probably some restaurant supply stores. You probably won’t be able to find a Spongebob cake pan there, but the standard shaped cake pans should all be there for local bakeries to shop for them. You may need to have someone with you that has an account with the store, or do what we did and use a website (like this one!) to get yourself an account.
Buying a shaped cake pan online is a whole different story. They are everywhere, and usually at a great price. I’ve learned that it’s almost always cheaper to not buy directly from the manufacturer (Wilton or Nordic Ware) since they’ll charge full price and won’t have any good shipping deals.
Instead, I buy all of my cake pans online from Amazon or eBay. I use Amazon when I need more than one or other stuff since they usually have shipping deals (free is me!) when you reach a certain dollar amount. eBay is the best choice when all I need is the cake pan, or if the pan I’m looking for is retired. They will almost always have the lowest price, but compare between the both to see.
To see all of Amazon’s shaped cake pans, click here
Here are the current listings for shaped cake pans on eBay. Use the arrows to scroll through the list, or use the search bar at the top to track down the exact pan that you’re looking for.
Stainless Steel Cake Pans
Using stainless steel cake pans in your kitchen will give it a very professional and restaurant feel. Most restaurants and bakeries won’t use aluminum cake pans like we do at home because it won’t stand up to the repeated abuse that they deliver and it doesn’t clean up as well. Almost all of the traditional shapes of cake pans are available in a stainless steel form, but don’t expect to come across Spongebob or Boba Fett!
The thing to consider when looking at a stainless steel cake pan is its price. Some stainless pans are going to cost a fortune, which is not the price that restaurants pay for them! There are some companies that feel like they can charge an arm and a leg to consumers and a far different price to institutions. I want you to know that you shouldn’t pay forty bucks for a stainless steel cake pan, and I’ll show you where to get it cheap!
If you know someone who owns/manages a local restaurant you may be able to get a better deal without me. Small restaurants will usually have accounts with their local restaurant supply store that will have aisles and aisles of these cake pans. Unfortunately, most of these places won’t allow you to shop there without an account so ask your friend if you can tag along the next time they go. Most restaurant supply stores don’t list prices for anything on their shelves, rather they have a negotiated price with the restaurant for what they pay.
Fear not if you don’t have restaurateur friends, there are other options. Both Amazon and eBay have stainless cake pans at great prices. Below you’ll see options from both.
To see all of the stainless steel cake pans that Amazon has to offer, click here
Here are the current listings from eBay. Use the arrows to scroll through the list, or use the search box to track down exactly what you want.
Finding A Great Deal On A Fluted Cake Pan
With so many different fluted cake pan choices on the market it’s tough to find the right one for you and know that you’re getting it at the best price. In this post, I want to take a look at some of the different types of fluted cake pans and show you where to get them for a steal of a deal!
First, we should talk about why they’re fluted in the first place. Baking cakes in that shape is a long tradition, mostly during the holidays, when bundt and fruit cakes are common desserts. It’s believed that this style of baking goes back to Germany, and the word “bundt” is believed to have been coined in 1901 in the American cookbook The Settlement Cookbook by Lizzie Kander from Milwaukee. The flute is there so that heat can pass evenly through the cake and allow it to bake. Attempting to bake a cake that thick sans the flute would end burned edges and raw insides.
The most important element in a fluted cake pan is the ability to get the cake out of the mold. I’ve had tons of people call me up through the years and ask me for help getting their stuck bundt cake out, and the only way to remove a stuck bundt cake is to whack it against the counter. You’re not going to have good results, but the cake will come out! A nonstick surface will help out a ton, but it won’t guarantee the cake coming out. An even coat of baking spray and flour applied just before the cake batter goes in will help you get the cake out. To increase the likelihood that fluted cakes don’t stick there are now springform and silicone cake pans.
If you plan on baking traditional bundt cakes, any fluted cake pan will do the job. If you plan on getting different uses from it, like fillings and cheesecakes, you may want to look into different shapes. There are fluted tart pans that work great with fillings, and springform is mandatory for any cheesecake application.
Now that you know a lot more about fluted pans, let’s take a look at where to get them for the best price.
eBay and Amazon consistently have the best prices on the web for cake pans, and that holds true for the fluted variety. Use Amazon if you have other shopping to do, like party favors or gifts. Use eBay if the only thing that you need is the pan as cheap as possible.
Here are the most popular pans from Amazon, and below you’ll see current eBay listings.
To see all of Amazon’s fluted pans, click here
Here are the current eBay listings. Use the arrows on the right to scroll through the results, or use the search form to track down exactly what you’re looking for.
Adult Cake Pans
Searching for adult cake pans online can lead you into some strange sectors of the internet. Luckily, I’ve put together a pretty good list of them for you so that you don’t have to end up on a very NSFW site or have packages delivered to your door from shady places!
Finding the perfect adult cake pan is a great way to kick off any bachelor/bachelorette party. There is a surprisingly large amount of choices available. You’d think that there are only so many parts of the body that a cake pan can be molded from, but I digress…
Without getting into too much detail and turning this site up to PG-13 *gasp!*, I’ll just show you some of the best options out there. If you don’t want to deal with the shadier side of the web, stick with Amazon and eBay. They have all of the same choices for adult novelty cake pans that the adult shops do, without worrying about your boss or IT department wondering what you’re doing on those sites.
Also, check out our pages on boob cake pans and penis cake pan.
Amazon is the best choice when you need to get more than just the adult shaped cake pan. If you also need party favors, gifts, or just something for yourself, you can get it all shipped right to your door at a great price. If the pan is all you need, and you want it cheap, go with eBay. It’s almost impossible to find stuff cheaper anywhere else.
First, I’ll show you some of Amazon’s options, and below you’ll see the current listings from eBay.
Here are your adult cake pan options from eBay. These listings are current and real-time. Scroll down with the arrow on the right, and use the search box at the top if you don’t see what you’re looking for.
Spiderman Cake Pan
When shopping for a Spiderman cake pan, you have to realize that there are lots of different versions out there. Some of the older cake pans are collector’s items and can fetch well over a hundred bucks when they’re for sale. In this post I want to show you the differences in them, as well as where to buy them from without breaking the bank.
Spiderman has gone through some (minor) costume changes throughout the years, but his popularity has never faded. Which has led Wilton to release lots of different Spiderman cake pans, three to be exact, and they are all extremely popular.
The newest Spiderman cake pan is a shot of his head and his hands in action. This cake is tough to decorate. The perspective of his hand in the front in relation to his head and other hand make getting the outlines to look right a bit of a pain. If you’re new to decorating cakes, I recommend giving this cake a test-run before you bake the final one.
The second cake is the Amazing Spiderman cake pan. This cake pan has Spidey in his signature crouched position. I was almost positive that this cake pan had been retired, but I guess that it is still active. You can usually get this one for a great price since it’s been around for a long time and isn’t as popular as the pan above.
The old school Spidey cake pan is my personal favorite. This pan was retired in 2002 and is now a collector’s item. I’ve seen this pan sell for well over $100 and should increase in value as time passes, like the Star Wars cake pans. Like the first pan, this one is tough to decorate. There are the same perspective issues of his front hand to the rest of the body that the first pan has.
Here are all three Spiderman cake pans from Amazon, as well as some other party favors. Amazon will usually have good deals on shipping when you bundle things together.
Here are the listings for all of the Spiderman cake pans on eBay. On eBay you should be able to find lower prices, but shopping for multiple items is a bit of a pain.
How To Get The Best Prices On Bake Pans
Building up your collection of bake pans cake be a costly affair. Some of the high-end baking pans can cost upwards of $50 and when you factor in all of the pans that you really “need” (beehive cake pan?!) you can be looking at thousands of dollars spent on completing your kitchen. This is why it’s important to take a little extra time to see what good deals you can find on the pans that you want (need).
It used to be that we could get cheap cake pans right at our local grocery store. Unfortunately, baking lost some of its popularity, and those easily accessible pans went the way of the dinosaur. Now, we have to resort to specialty stores and the internet.
Finding bake pans in a store is very hit or miss, and the only way you’re going to save any money is if you get them on clearance. Just last week, I found the dinosaur mini cake pan by Nordic Ware at Target for only $15! Nearly all of the time that you find bake pans in a store you can expect to pay full price, or more.
If you happen to live in a large city that has tons of restaurants, there is probably a restaurant supply store that might have the bake pan that you want at a good price. Some of these places will only let you shop there if you’re associated with a restaurant, so you may need to lean on your “connections” to shop this way.
Online is a whole different story. Here, you can find cheap bake pans everywhere. Most of the pans that I’ve bought in the last 10 years have come from online stores, and I’ve always had the best luck with Amazon and eBay – which is why I recommend them here at shapedcakepans.net.
Amazon is the place to shop when you need to get more that just the bake pan and have it all shipped to your house. If you’ve never shopped with Amazon before, be ready for tons of options. It’s like a huge store that’s personalized to what you’re shopping for. To see all of the bake pans that Amazon has to offer, click here
eBay is an entirely different experience than Amazon is. It is the place to get the absolute best price on a bake pan. Vendors are very cut throat with their pricing, which means that you can get some steals. It’s also a great place to find some of the old, retired cake pans that are hard to come by nowadays. Below, you’ll see the most current listings from eBay. Scroll through them with the arrows on the right, or use the search box at the top to find the exact pan that you need.
Silicone Cake Pans
Silicone cake pans are quickly becoming the choice of many at home bakers. At first appearance they look like they’ll just melt in the oven, but don’t let their soft surface fool you! They can hold up to hot ovens and even produce great results. In this post I want to share some of the benefits of using silicone over an aluminum cake pan and show you where to find the best deals on them.
Baking with silicone cake pans has many advantages over traditional pans. The most obvious benefit is their nonstick ability. Even with cakes that get over or under baked the pan will still not stick, and even if you do get a small amount of sticking all you have to do is “peel” the cake pan away from the cake to free it. This is extremely helpful with the silicone bundt cake pan that you’ll see below.
The silicone is also non toxic, which is a concern when dealing with nonstick coated aluminum pans. When the nonstick becomes scratched, the pan should be thrown away since the material is now toxic. I’m sure that there are studies going on to see whether or not the silicone is toxic, like BPA and other plastic compounds, but for now it seems like it’s getting a clean bill of health.
Do silicone cake pans melt? Yeah, but at temperatures that your oven probably doesn’t go up to! Under normal baking use, you can expect to get a lot of years out of your silicone cake mold. Obviously, don’t try to toss it on the barbecue and you’ll be fine for a long time!
Also, these cake pans come in lots of fun colors that will help get the little ones in the kitchen to offer a helping hand.
Where’s the best place to get cheap silicone cake pans? There are two spots, Amazon and eBay. Amazon has a huge selection and offers great shipping prices, which works out best when you need to get other things as well. eBay works best when all you need is the cake mold at the flat-out best price. First, I’ll show you some of the most popular silicone shaped cake pans on Amazon, then you’ll see real-time listings from eBay.
Here are the current listings from eBay. Use the arrows on the right to scroll through the list and if you don’t see the pan that you’re looking for, use the search box at the top.
Aluminum Cake Pan
Having an aluminum cake pan on hand is necessary for every kitchen. They will get the most use due to their versatility and ease of cleanup. Some people will only use aluminum cake pans since they know how they bake and can get the same results each time. This consistency is extremely important when you bake often, and knowing what to expect will help you improve your skills and bake more frequently. In this post I want to take a look at some different types of aluminum cake pans and show you where to get them for the best price.
Almost all of Wilton’s and Nordic Ware’s shaped cake pans are made from aluminum. The cake pans from Wilton are usually from a thin type and Nordic Ware’s are from a heavy cast aluminum. Both work equally great, but I’m convinced that the heavy cast aluminum allows more detail to come through in your cake.
The aluminum tube cake pan is also very common. These are also called fluted or bundt cake pans. Aluminum is the obvious material for these since it heats evenly and allows the cake to bake through the tube.
If you’re looking for the best prices online for aluminum cake pans there are two places that can consistently deliver. Amazon.com and eBay are both known for their excellent prices, and that includes shaped cake pans. Amazon is the best choice when you need to get multiple things and get it all shipped with a great price. eBay is the choice when all you need is a cheap cake pan.
To see all of Amazon’s aluminum cake pans, click here
Here are the current eBay listings for aluminum cake pans. Use the arrows to scroll, and if you don’t see the pan that you’re looking for use the search box at the top to track it down.
Elmo Cake Pan
When shopping for an Elmo cake pan there are actually two options. The first is the common and current Elmo shaped cake pan that is just his face and smile. The other pan is from 1996 and is retired, and rather than just his face it’s his entire body with a gift in one hand and an ice cream cone in the other. Both pans are easy to find, since the retired pan has yet to hit “collector’s item” status. They’re also both made by Wilton, so you know that you’re getting the finest quality at the best price. In this post I want to offer some decorating tips for the cake as well as show you where to get the best prices on the Elmo face cake pan and the Elmo body cake pan.
In the pictures that you see around the web of this cake finished, Elmo’s face is pure red. If you have prior baking experience you’ll know that it’s tough to get icing to be that red without having it taste nasty from the food coloring’s ingredients. Most times when adding red food coloring to white frosting the best you can get is a medium pink color. I assume that Wilton decorated those cakes just for taking the pictures, but normal people will have a hard time getting it right.
So how do you do it? Add and taste! Add food coloring to the point just before you can taste it (usually a tablespoon) and then give it a good mix. It should be a medium pink color. From there you can add beet juice to continue getting it more red without giving it a nasty taste. Beet juice is actually pretty sweet and will enhance the icing’s flavor. Add it a 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you get as close to red as you can without making it too liquidy.
Shopping for both Elmo cake pans is easy, so you can spend some time tracking down the best deal. Below you’ll see Amazon.com’s best prices on both cake pans, and below that there will be all of the current listings from eBay. Amazon is the place to shop when you need to get more than one thing (gifts, party favors, something for you…) and need it all shipped at a great price. eBay is best when all you need is the pan, and you need it cheap. Check out both for the best price.
And here are the current eBay listings. Use the arrows on the right to scroll up and down to find the one that you’re looking for. Clicking on an item will show you the listing, offer more information, and give you the option bid/buy it.
Where To Find Cheap Character Cake Pans
Using character cake pans to bake someone’s birthday cake is one of the easiest ways to make a birthday party as fun as it can be. It will also help hone your skills as a cake decorator. In this post I want to take a quick look at the history and future of character shaped cake pans as well as show you where you can buy them without breaking the bank.
Character cake pans got their start by Wilton in the mid-70’s with characters such as Holly Hobby, Sesame Street, and Strawberry Shortcake. Back then it was extremely easy to find these pans since they were in grocery stores and even corner drug stores. Their popularity continued to surge into the late 80’s with characters like Super Mario, Bart Simpson, and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I’m not really sure what happened after 1989, but it suddenly became en vogue to stop baking and buy gross birthday cakes from the grocery store. After that, these cake pans became very hard to find and many styles were retired.
Now, baking is surging in popularity once again. There are multiple TV shows on Bravo and the Food Network dedicated to baking cakes, and people are once again getting out their mixers and spatulas. Unfortunately, with the “new” popularity of baking stores have yet to catch up. Finding shaped cake pans in your local grocery store is still impossible, so you have to turn to the internet or specialty kitchen store.
I have two favorite places to buy my cake pans from, and I’m sure that if you’ve seen any other pages on this site you already know what they are! Amazon and eBay constantly have the best prices for cake pans of any size, shape, or character. Amazon is the best when you need a pan that is current and need it shipped to your house along with other things (party favors, gifts, etc.). eBay is best when the pan you need is retired or are just looking for the best price.
To see all of the character cake pans that Amazon has to offer, click here
Here are the current listings for character shaped cake pans on eBay. You can use the arrows on the right to scroll through them, and if you don’t see the character that you’re looking for use the search box on top. I would be extremely surprised if there was a cake pan that you couldn’t find on eBay. If there is, leave a comment below and I’ll help you track it down!
Mario Cake Pan
Super Mario Bros. never goes out of style and neither has the Mario cake pan. I never understood why Wilton has never brought this cake pan back out of retirement since there is more of a demand for it now then there was when the pan was new, but I obviously don’t work for Wilton! There are tons of different Mario birthday party options, but this one is mandatory!
Like the Star Wars cake pan, this one is rare and can be expensive. That means that you need to spend some time researching your options before making a purchase. Luckily I’ll show you your two best choices below!
It’s frustrating when there is something that you really need, like the Super Mario cake pan, and it’s also a collector’s item. There are people who have had one of these for years and refuse to part with it (like me!), but there are some that are floating around. I was lucky enough to get mine new, but the secondary market is full of them. You can expect to pay around $40 for the Mario Brothers cake pan, so if you find it for less consider yourself a savvy shopper.
Also, the shape of the Mario cake pans is ambiguous between Mario and Luigi, so you can make it whichever you want. I don’t know many people that would make a Luigi cake, but I’m sure that there are a couple out there. One option for that is if you have to make two cakes, and one can be Mario and the other Luigi. If a third cake is needed, check out our Cinderella Cake Pan page and you can probably turn that into a Princess Peach cake.
Below you’ll see shopping options from both Amazon and eBay. Both are excellent places to shop from, but they each have their advantages. If you need to do other shopping (like getting a Mario Bros. video game as a gift) Amazon will let you do that and have it all shipped together to your house. If you only need the lowest price on the cake pan and nothing else, eBay is the way to go.
Here are the current listings for all of the Mario cake pans that are currently for sale on eBay. Clicking on one will open up more information on the item.
Highest Rated Cake Pans
Ninja Turtle Cake Pan (1 vote)
Elmo Cake Pan (2 votes)
Batman Cake Pan (2 votes)
Football Cake Pan (3 votes)
Guitar Cake Pan (5 votes)
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My name is Jules and shapedcakepans.net is my newest creation. Shaped cake pans is dedicated to finding you the best prices and shopping experience for cake pans on the web!