Some tips when making cut-up cakes

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Oct 10, 2007

* "Use a really good nonstick spray so the cake doesn't stick to the pan," said Melissa Barlow, author of "Easy Cut-Up Cakes for Kids." She recommends Bake Easy, a spray made by Wilton that is sold in craft stores. She prefers a nonstick spray instead of lining the pans with foil or parchment paper, because the foil could leave creases or marks on the cake that may be hard to cover.

* Some brands of cake mixes may differ in volume, but not enough to affect the cake, Barlow said.

* "I like my cake to be moist, so there are a couple recipes where I suggest adding sour cream," said Barlow. "Also, if you throw in a package of dry instant pudding mix into the batter, it will make it more moist. Just be sure you're using flavors that complement each other -- for a yellow cake mix, use a vanilla pudding mix and so on."

* To display her cakes, she often covers a cutting board with foil. "If the cake is bigger than that, I'll use some cardboard and cover it with nice paper or foil."