Cupcake Baking Essentials & Two Giveaways!

Across the web today, 19 of my food blogger friends and I have put together collections of our favorite baking, cookie, cupcake, and kitchen essentials and TWO giveaways to go with them!

First, on each blog… you’ll have a chance to win some of that bloggers favorite items.  Once you’ve entered their giveaway… you’ll look for a CLUE that will allow you entry to win a Kitchen Aid Pro Stand Mixer!!   Once you collect all 20 clues, you’ll use the phrase you collected to enter to win the KitchenAid Pro Stand Mixer!

So, grab your coffee and dig in… cause this is going to be FUN!  

Let’s begin with my Cupcake Baking Essentials…

These are just a handful of the tools I use every time I’m in the kitchen to bake a batch of cupcakes.  They range from what I wear to keep me clean to what I bake my cupcakes in!  They are all essentials to my success!

1. 1.  Boojiboo Apron – I own three of these apron and I absolutely LOVE them.  Not only are they cute, but they keep  me clean while baking and cooking.  I use my apron every time I am in the kitchen.
2. 2.  Wilton Cupcake Pan – I know there are a lot of cupcake pans out there to choose from, but I really like the 12-cup pan from Wilton.  It’s sturdy, inexpensive and does the job well.  No need to spend an arm and a leg on a fancy cupcake pan… this one from Wilton is a winner!
3. 3.  Martha Stewart Silicone Spatula –  I have half a dozen spatulas in my kitchen, but this red silicone spatula from Martha Stewart is one I go to time and time again.  I love that the handle and the are connected and that it’s super sturdy.  It scrapes well and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good spatula.
4. 4. German Wire Whisks – I’ve tried many whisks over the years from metal to silicone… but none of them compare to the wire whisks I found at the Tedi € Store here in Germany.   Not only are they very inexpensive, but they work incredibly well.  I bought several of them and won’t use anything else from now on!
5. 5. German Cupcake Corer – This was another find at the Tedi € Store.  At only €0.50, this cupcake corer was a real deal!  It works perfectly to get out the centers of cupcakes for filling… and at this price, I can afford to have several!
6. 6.  German Mixing Bowls – When I bake there’s usually a need for more than just the bowl of the mixer.  These mixing and prep bowls come in handy when I need to sift flour or mix other ingredients before adding them to my mixing bowl.  They’re also great for one-bowl batters and doughs.  I also found these at the Tedi € Store!
7. 7.  Wilton Disposable Piping Bags – I always pipe the frosting onto my cupcakes and every time, I use a disposable bag.   There’s just something about being able to toss it out when I’m finished with that make these bags so convenient.  They’re a must-have for cupcake making.
8. 8.  Sweets & Treats Boutique Paper Straws – One of the most easy ways to make your cupcakes adorable is to put a topper on it.  I use these straws to make signs, banners, toppers for my cupcakes.    They come in all kinds of patterns and colors.
9. 9.  Sweets & Treats Boutique Grease Proof Cupcake Liners – Hands down, these are my most favorite cupcake liners.  Not only do they look incredibly cute on my cupcakes, but they hold their color and pattern… no matter what kind of cake I bake in them.  My good friend, Shannon Harvey of Sweets & Treats Boutique keeps me fully stocked with her liners… which is a good thing, cause I’ll never go back to grocery store liners!

Enter to WIN all my cupcake baking essentials!

So, you want to WIN all of these great cupcake baking essentials?  All you have to do is fill out this form below! Giveaway open to US addresses only.  APO/FPO accepted.  Winner chosen 12/15/13. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh my goodness! I’m so excited to be giving away my first Kitchen Aid Pro Stand Mixer to my fabulous readers! Entering to win is easy!  Simply visit all the blogs participating, collect all the clues (in order) and enter the winning phrase below! Remember…. you need to collect all the clues before you can enter to win the KitchenAid Pro Mixer!  If you don’t have the correct phrase from the Scavenger Hunt, your entry will be invalid. Good luck!

Click on all the blog logos below to enter to win their giveaways and get another Scavenger Hunt code!

KC Bakes Hoopla Palooza White Lights on Wednesday Something Swanky Haniela’s Creative Juice The Partiologist The Decorated Cookie Bella Cupcake Couture Java Cupcake Hungry Happenings Texanerin Baking A to Zebra Celebrations Life Made Simple Sugar Swings Dieter’s Downfall Pint Sized Baker Pass the Sushi