I think I've thoroughly demonstrated my attraction to cute cake pans, but I held off from actually buying one until recently, when I gave in and bought this Nordicware castle bundt pan ($27.75, Amazon).

A small friend was having a birthday and I just couldn't resist the chance to finally try out a fun pan. This was surprisingly easy to use and clean, given the level of detail.

Pictures of the final product below...

Milk chocolate cake, just out of the oven.

Garish? Rather. Too much artificial food coloring? Definitely. Way fun? Yes! Birthdays are sometimes an opportunity to suspend the principles of good taste anyhow.

The other thing I like about this cake pan is that it can be flexible - a sandcastle cake for a summer party, a princess castle for a little girl, or a medieval keep, like this one.

This is certainly not a necessity for small kitchens, but it can be a sweet surprise for small people.