I’ve been asked what tools I use to make all my cakes, and decided it’s finally time to share a list of my favorite cake-decorating tools!
These are the baking tools and equipment that I wouldn’t be able to survive/decorate without.
Every product I use is also linked in my Amazon storefront, where I’ve organized all my cake-decorating tools into categories and have also shared the equipment I use to film my videos.
It’s important to note that you don’t need expensive tools to get the job done. Some of the tools I use the most are also the cheapest!
When I first started baking, I would buy one item at a time. I slowly accumulated everything I needed.
It can be a bit daunting to imagine everything you think you need. I recommend starting with the most important cake decorating tools.
For me, these included:
- Some type of spinning cake stand (I started with a $15 plastic Wilton cake stand)
- Large offset spatula
- Bench scraper
- Set of different piping tips
Those were the most essential baking tools I started with. I gradually purchased everything else listed below, as I received more orders.
The cake decorating tools I bought were driven by the actual need for certain items to complete different cake orders.
It also came down to being able to justify the purchase with the extra money I was making from my cake orders.
So here are my favorite baking tools, sorted by importance. I included links to the exact products I use, as well as pictures for all the visual learners out there 🙂
I hope this helps you with your baking journey! Having the right tools can make all the difference.
ESSENTIALS:
1. Spinning Cake Stand
I have had this Ateco 612 cake stand for years, and it has never let me down! It has a cast iron base, so it’s strong and extremely durable.
It can support very heavy cakes and is a dream to decorate with. I’ve decorated several tiered wedding cakes on it.
These are the cake stands you see in professional bakeries. They are by far the best spinning cake stand you can get. It’s a bit of an investment, but when you think about how many times you’ll use it over its lifetime, it’s totally worth it.
Besides my KitchenAid, I consider my cake stand my best investment when it comes to baking tools and equipment.
I also love that it comes with a non-slip mat. This really helps keep your cake board in place while decorating, so your cake doesn’t shift or slide while you’re frosting it.
2. Straight Edged Cake Pans
It’s worth investing in some good cake pans! They last for years and are totally worth it. I love Fat Daddio’s pans (silly name, but they’re my favorite!).
They have straight sides and are made of aluminum. This helps them heat up and cool quickly, which allows the layers to bake evenly.
These cake pans are also very durable. I use either 7″ x 2″ or 8′ x 2″ can pans to bake the layers for most of my cakes.
When buying cake pans for layer cakes, be sure your cake pans don’t have angled sides, or are made with a dark metal!
3. Offset Spatula(s)
My offset spatula is used with every cake I make! It helps to evenly spread frosting between cake layers, and work frosting around the cake for the crumb coat.
I also use it for certain decorating techniques, like creating lines around my cakes, or even to gently push sprinkles into my frosting. It is such a versatile tool and can be used in so many different ways.
I have both a large and small offset. I like using the smaller offset spatula to help me get sharp edges on the tops of my cakes, and when frosting smaller cakes.
4. Bench scraper
This tool is ESSENTIAL to getting smooth sides and sharp edges on your cakes!! I have several, but this one is the one I use the most.
My bench scraper (or as I like to call it, cake smoother) is only 6 inches tall, but it’s actually tall enough for most of my cakes.
I have one with a white hand that I got years ago, but I’ve recently switched over to using the Amazon basics bench scraper. Its grip is actually easier to hold, and now I primarily use it for decorating my cakes.
If you’re after a taller bench scraper, this bench scraper is 10 inches tall and works great.
5. Basic Frosting Tips
I use a wide variety of frosting tips but found that it was easiest when I was starting out to buy a pack of a bunch of tips. This frosting tip bundle has a ton of different types and is a great deal.
It can help you learn what tips are out there, what types of designs you can make with them, and find which ones are your favorites to use.
6. Piping Bags
I use different-sized bags for different projects, but I like to use these Ateco piping bags.
They seem a bit sticky when they come off the roll, but I love the feeling of the piping bags when I’m working with them. They’re very easy to handle, and give me great control when piping.
They’re great quality and never tear or burst, even with stiff buttercream or ganache. I order both the 12-inch and 18-inch sizes, in rolls of 100 on Amazon.
7. Cake Rounds/Cake Circles
I use 10-inch, greaseproof cake rounds because I usually make 7 or 8-inch cakes.
If you make different-sized cakes, these come in a ton of different sizes! Just always be sure that your cake rounds are greaseproof, otherwise, the cardboard will show great stains from your frosting!!
If you plan to make a tiered cake, be sure to get the cardboard cake rounds with a hole precut in the center of the cake rounds. Most of Wilton’s cake boards come this way, which makes stacking tiered cakes infinitely easier.
I also like using reusable cake rounds, which are essentially acrylic discs! These are great when I’m creating content when I don’t want to waste a cardboard board.
8. Kitchen Scale
This is truly the best $10 you can spend when it comes to baking. I almost exclusively bake with a scale and have mostly ditched measuring cups (other than teaspoons for spices and salt).
Using a scale is the easiest way to ensure your baked goods turn out amazing every time. It gives you guaranteed consistency in a way that cup measures can’t. I’m a little biased, but I swear it makes such a big difference in things like properly measuring flour.
You can also use it to weigh how much batter you pour into your cake pans, which helps them bake up to precisely the same height and helps them bake more evenly.
NOT ESSENTIAL BUT GREAT TO HAVE:
- Kitchen Aid Mixer (4.5-quart size) & Paddle Attachment with the spatula – I use these to make every recipe other than meringue! It is by far my most utilized tool.
- Gel Food Coloring – Americolor and Chef Master make the BEST gel food coloring out there in my opinion. It colors both batters and frosting the most vibrant shades and is the only brand I use.
- Acetate Sheets – These flexible plastic sheets are great for naked cakes (Christina Tosi style), ice cream cakes, and also for smoothing cakes with curved surfaces.
- Assorted Circle Cutters – I use these for a variety of different things, from fondant polka dots to making fondant eyes.
- Plastic Squirt Bottles – I use these for all of my drips and drizzles!! Whether it’s regular chocolate ganache, colored white chocolate ganache, or caramel, these bottles allow you to easily get the perfect drips!!
- Colorful Cake Knives – What’s the point in spending hours making a cake if you don’t get a nice clean cut and beautiful slices?? I also love to coordinate my knife color with the decoration or flavor of my cakes
NOT ESSENTIAL AT ALL BUT A REAL TREAT TO HAVE:
- Air Brush – This is by no means an essential, but is so fun to have!! I recently purchased mine, and can’t get enough of it! It really is only needed for specialty or fancy cakes, and I finally purchased one for a big partnership that required it.
- Iridescent Knives – My friend got these for me, and I simply can’t get enough of them!! I also get asked all the time where they’re from, so I figured I’d share the link!
- Decorative Cake Stands – When you put so much time into making a cake, it’s fun to have beautiful cake stands to display them on! I have a few different cake stands that don’t spin, and are solely for photographing cakes 🙂
- Pretty Sprinkle Blends – My favorite brand of sprinkle blends is Neon Yolk Shop! Rosie is so sweet, and she has a fantastic online shop on Etsy
- Kitchen Torch – This can come in handy for toasting meringue, heating up a spatula for smoothing frosting, or even making s’mores.
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