food52:

The coolest DIY we’ve seen in a while: How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Using Empty Coffee Cans

Read more: The Secret Yumiverse

Expert Advice; How to Wrap, Store, and Keep Cake Fresh

(for layer cake, sheet cake, pound cake, quick breads, and even cupcakes. We’ll break it down into into frosted and unfrosted, cut and un-cut cakes, and then take a look at when refrigeration might be necessary.)

• Unfrosted and Un-Cut Cake - Wrap these tightly in plastic wrap, top, sides, and bottoms, so the plastic is touching the sides of the cake (that is to say, don’t just drape the plastic over the top). Second to this, go for a plastic bag with a “zip-lock” type seal. Store these wrapped cakes on the counter at room temperature, and they’ll keep for about a week before starting to stale on you. Oil-based cakes tend to keep a day or two longer than butter-based ones.

To keep cakes for longer than a week, try freezing them.

• Frosted and Un-Cut Cake - The frosting actually acts like plastic wrap here, protecting the cake from air and moisture in the environment. A frosted cake can be kept at room temperature for 4-5 days. Cover it with a cake keeper or an overturned bowl to protect it from dust, pet hair, and other things in the air (plastic wrap isn’t necessary and would smoosh up the lovely frosting). Parks says that she actually keeps her frosted cakes in the microwave!

• Cut Cake, Frosted or Unfrosted - Parks says to think of sliced cake as a living organism. As soon as you make a cut, moisture begins to escape and cause the cake stale more quickly. If you can, cover the sliced edges with more frosting to protect the cake from moisture loss. Otherwise, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the sliced side and make sure it sticks. Then proceed with covering and storing the cake as for the un-cut version. Cut cake keeps for a little less time, about 3-4 days.

• When to Refrigerate Cakes - Cakes both frosted and unfrosted, cut and un-cut, are perfectly fine at room temperature for several days. Refrigeration is only necessary if your apartment gets very hot during the day (As Parks says, “High moisture + high sugar + high temp = bacteria feeding frenzy”) or if you’re making a cake that won’t be served for more than three days, like when baking cake ahead for a party or special occasion.

To refrigerate, wrap unfrosted cakes in plastic to protect it from absorbing any weird fridge smells and to protect it from drying out, and then unwrap it to warm up on the counter before serving. For frosted cakes, chill the cake uncovered for fifteen minutes to harden the icing, then wrap it in plastic wrap.

Credits:

• TheKichn
• Stella Parks: BraveTart

(Images: Funfetti Cake/Faith Durand and Carrot Sheet Cake/Emma Christensen)

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10 Reasons to Use Parchment Paper {click link for more details}

1. It’s user-friendly: Ignore the watermark. It’s branding, not an indication of which side to use. Unlike aluminum foil, either side is the right side. As far as handling goes, if you can tear off a sheet of aluminum foil or waxed paper, you can deal with parchment. PaperChef makes pre-cut sheets. If these appeal, be sure to check your pan size first. The sheets don’t fit my pans, but are still very handy for counter work.
2. It’s compostable and 100% recyclable: Our municipality earmarks waxed paper for landfill. Parchment paper, however, can be disposed of with the compostables. I feel no guilt tossing used parchment. Plastic wrap on the other hand? I apologize to future generations.
3. It’s reusable: As long as the item you’re cooking isn’t too wet, you can get a second or even third use out of a sheet of parchment. Think kale chips, cookies and granola. Fish? Not so much.
4. It works in heat: Because parchment can take indirect heat up to 425°F,  you can bake cakes or roast meat and vegetables without fear. But it is paper, so keep it away from the broiler or stovetop elements.
5. It works in cold: Moisture-resistant parchment withstands temperature fluctuations better than waxed paper. Use it to roll chilled items like icebox cookies or herb butter. Place a piece of parchment between hamburger patties, waffles, or squares before they go into the freezer. The food will divide easily and the parchment divider won’t tear.
6. It saves clean-up time:  While parchment doesn’t actually wash the dishes, it might save you the effort. No more chiselling cookies off baking sheets or leaving portions of cake in the bottom of the pan. And lasagna? Say good-bye to overnight soaks. Just line and lift. It also reduces prep mess. You won’t need cooking sprays and will never have to grease and flour straight-edged cake tins again. Convoluted bundt pans are another story.
7. It prevents spills: Parchment won’t defy gravity, but it can help you lift items from the pan more easily. Let the parchment overhang the edges to form a makeshift handle. Then simply lift the baked goods out. Bonus: When baking granola, fold the parchment lining into a funnel for easy pouring.
8. It saves your pans: Think of parchment as a protective layer. Since I’ve started using parchment my pans have stopped aging dramatically. Maybe PaperChef should branch into skin care.
9. You can write on it: Grab a Sharpie. The ink won’t soak through or smudge once dried. Label what you’ve wrapped. Trace your pan to cut a perfectly shaped lining. Or draw rounds for uniform meringues. (Just flip the parchment over before you pipe. You can see the outline but the food won’t touch the ink.) Wrap a sandwich and write a love note to embarrass your kids — or delight your husband. No fountain pen or blotter needed.
10. It takes many shapes: PaperChef sells parchment rolls, muffin cups, pre-cut sheets, and en papillote bags. If you have limited pantry space, keep a roll on hand. You can bend parchment to your will — or at least fold it into useful shapes. You can cut it to fit any shape or size of pan (see #9), form your own muffin cups (picture below), fold it into serving cones for snacks like popcorn, or make a disposable piping bag.

Mini Banana Split Cakes