"Wow! That is so cute! You are really creative!"

And the best news is that this scenario is easy to produce. This Easter let a beautiful cake be the centerpiece on your banquet table. A molded cake pan is all you need! Half of the work is done when you let the design of the cake form while it bakes!

You do have some choices in cake pans and designs.

For the beginner, Wilton offers a simple way to dazzling cakes with shaped pans. Choose a simple egg or cross pan. The key is to generously grease the inside of the pan with either shortening, or spray shortening, then lightly dust with flour. Make sure you have all areas of the pan covered to prevent sticking. Avoid cakes with added ingredients like nuts or raisins. Pound cakes, yellow or chocolate work very well.

Once the cake has been baked, all you need are a few basic decorating tools. Pastry bags, couplers, and a few simple tips like #3, #16 or #21 usually provide all the designs you need. Easy to follow instructions come with these pans, along with suggestions on colors or design. The cross pan allows plenty of room for any special message or scripture to be included. The ideas are endless and you can gear the design to your taste.

One of the cutest shapes is the stand-up lamb pan. Who can resist a cute little white lamb as a decoration for Easter? This pan makes a 3 dimensional lamb that sits up and smiles at you! Prepare the pans the same way and pour the batter into one half. Snap the other half on the filled pan and tighten the pans together with string or wire. The cake will rise as it bakes forming a complete lamb! Follow the instructions included for added tips on baking and cooling. You may want to bake this cake one day and frost the next! Add piped colored frosting for ears and mouth and use candies for eyes and nose. Now use the tip of your choice - possibly #16 - to make all that fluffy white wool. You can also use flaky coconut to help give the illusion of sheep's wool. Have fun and be creative! You may want to tint some coconut green so the lamb looks like it is laying down in a meadow. You and your guests will be delighted with the final result! If your name is Mary - watch out for the jokes!

Arrange fresh flower petals around the sides of the cake and it looks very charming in the center of your table!

Another flowery idea is a rose bundt pan! The detailing of the rose petals on this pan produces a very elegant cake. Once again you can dust with powder or drizzle with a red-tinted glaze. Another unique idea would be to create an individual rose cake for each guest. If you top the rose cakes with different colors of glaze, you will have a bouquet of beautiful roses for your guests to choose from.

Yes, this is the way to become "the star" of the dinner! Too bad you can't serve dessert first - Hmmmmm, that's a novel idea!