Giant Cupcake Cake

I bought this GIANT cupcake pan a few years ago. I wanted to make a fun cake for my niece's 1st birthday. It was fun to make, but can be interesting to decorate. You definitely need a rotating cake stand to help decorate it.

First piece of advice, try using a box cake mix on your first try, just so you get the hang of it at first. It takes about 1- 1 1/2 box cake mix, and then once you get a feel for the pan, feel free to use your own recipe like I did. 

Bake time: If a recipe says 350 degrees for 25 minutes, put it in the oven for 25 minutes, and then monitor it. It does bake a little longer than a normal pan cake, but not by much. I think the one I made last night was about 30-35 minutes. 

When decorating: decorate the bottom first, and then decorate the top. I find it  easier that way. Also make sure to level out the cake so the top piece sits flush on top of the other. I also stick a wooden rod in the center to keep it from moving around and to help stabilize the cake. 

I made this one today. I didn't have my cake stand, so the decorating isn't as perfect as I like, but it still looks good. The icing on top, I used a 1M cake tip by Wilton.

Here is the what the pan looks like. It bakes all at once in two different parts.

The cake I made a few years ago for my niece's 1st birthday party.

Found these cute designs online: