Easter is on its way, so let's get baking!

Celebrity baker Charmaine Jones, of CakeDiva, showed News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen and Elisa DiStefano how to make an Easter basket cake.

6 inch silicone cake pans

3-4 mini spatulas

Cookie sheet

16” round form core cake board

Bunny 3D candy mold

Chef master gel food colors

Piping bags

Decorating tips

Covered wires

Floral tape

Dusting powders

Edible disco dust

Fondant

White chocolate

Dark chocolate

Melting pot

Miniature silicone Easter egg mold

Flower cutters

White wire 26 and 24 gauge

Days ahead make the sugar flowers using fondant...let dry then use dusting powders to color. Floral tape together. Make the chocolate eggs and bunny.

The day before, bake your cake, let cool and them place in ziplocks. Make all of your buttercream colors and put into the decorating bags.

At 4 a.m. in the morning level cakes, fill and stack your cakes. Let chill for 20 minutes then decorate with buttercream...chill again... Right before it is presented place fondant flowers in with chocolate Easter eggs with the bunny in the middle... then place handle in with sugar flowers leaves you made cascading around the wire handle. Sprinkle entire creation with disco dust.

Present, take pictures (a lot) cut, plate and enjoy!!

1/2 cup unsalted room temp butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs room temperature

1 Tablespoon Madagascar Vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour (sifted)

1 Tablespoon baking powder (fresh)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350

Place eggs in bowl of warm water

Using an electric mixer cream together butter, oil and sugar until fluffy and well blended.

While mixer is on, crack each warm egg and add one at a time until well blended.

Blend together in separate bowl, flour. baking powder and salt.

While the mixer is at it lowest setting add flour mixture, then buttermilk alternating and ending with the flour mixture.

Put evenly into each silicone pan

You will not have to flour these pan with anything just add your mixture to them.

Weighed them on a scale to make sure they are all the same weight.

Use a few drops of different food coloring in each pan and flavoring to match that color.

Oil flavorings work best such as Lemon, orange, lime, coconut etc. Do not add to much!!! Oils are very strong as well as the coloring.

Stir with mini spatula for each pan with the color of the flavor. Do all of this while the pans are on the cookie sheet.

Place cakes on cookie sheet into oven center rack and bake to 30min or until done. Touch cake quickly with index finger in the middle and it should spring back when it’s done. Take out of oven on cookie sheet and let cool for 1/2 hr.

When cooled just separate the pan from the edges by pulling gently and then flip them over and level with knife when you are ready to use them. Put them in ziplocks to make sure they don’t dry out!

Icing

Confectionery sugar

Unsalted butter and shortening mixture

Heavy cream

Creme Bouquet

Soften butter a little by putting in microwave for 10 second increments. When similar soft put in mixture with shortening and mix for 30 seconds...slowly add powdered sugar to mixture...when it becomes stiff add a little bit of flavoring...remember it is very powerful...whip with your whisk attachment until peaks form.

Separate into bowls for coloring mixtures. Place in piping bags with specific tips for each design. Let sit for 2 hours because colors may intensify.