Click on the image above to see step-by-step directions.

Sculpted or shaped cakes are all the rage, and you can use many techniques to offer this type of cake without creating extra labor or expense, all the while gaining extra revenue. One of the easiest ways to create a low-labor sculpted cake is to begin with a shaped pan, in this case a versatile half egg-shaped pan. Use the pan for Easter egg cakes or animal cakes, such as a bunny. The shape works for almost any animal decorated as lying down. The shape allows for quick and easy icing, and with the icing method demonstrated in the photos you can smooth buttercream very quickly. With the shaped cake pan and using the easy icing method, you can quickly produce several cakes at one time while still adding customized decorations to create personalized cakes for each customer. Another time saver is to use decorative silver trays. They add visual/ presentation appeal, while saving time on preparing cake boards. They are a great item to keep on hand not only for cakes that don’t require internal support, but also for cookie or candy trays.

Ashley Vicos Like many girls of her generation, Ashley Vicos’ love of baking began at age 5 with an Easy-Bake Oven. That love has become her career as she now owns Atlanta-based Sweet Ashley’s, a commercially licensed cake studio, where she creates custom cakes and teaches cake decorating classes. Vicos has competed in several decorating challenges on TLC and the Food Network and has been seen on NBC and CBS.