Cake My Day!

Those cupcaking geniuses, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, are back, this time with bigger canvases and bolder creations. Everything that can be done with a cupcake can be done better with a cake—with a twelfth of the effort and loads more wow power, using everyday pans, bowls, and even measuring cups. Turn a round cake into Swiss cheese and Brie, and it’s April Fool’s! Simply press candy into frosting for an argyle pattern or use one of the easy new decorating techniques to produce wood grain for a guitar cake. Whether you’re a kitchen klutz or a master decorator, you can transform a loaf cake into a retro vacuum cleaner for Mom or bake a cake in a bowl for a rag doll. Need a piñata for a birthday party? Bake the batter in a measuring cup. Or skip the baking altogether, buy a pound cake, and fashion it into a work boot for Dad or a high-top sneaker. You won’t believe these creations aren’t the real thing—and they’re so stunning you’ll have to make them!