If you’re just starting your cake decorating journey, then this post is definitely for you! I have a more exhaustive list of the best tools for cake decorating beginners, but this post has a shorter list to just get started! We’re talking about 5 essential tools for beginner cake decorators that you just can’t make a cake without! I mean, maybe you can, but the cake might not look the best 😅
We’re going to discuss each tool and how they’ll help you make a beautiful cake! If you don’t have any design ideas, we also have a post on easy techniques for making a buttercream frosted cake! While you may need a few extra tools, these cakes are easy and sure to impress 🙂 Now let’s talk about some basic cake decorating tools!
1. Stand Mixer
I’ll say this, once I bought my first stand mixer, I really felt like a professional baker 😉 You only have two hands and a stand mixer will help you make the cake batter more efficiently. As long as you have all of your ingredients prepared and measured (or weighed) out ahead of time, you can add each ingredient when needed.
Plus, you have different mixing speeds and attachments – I truly believe it’s worth the investment! If you only have a hand mixer, they normally only come with the one whisk attachment, whereas many cake recipes call for a paddle attachment.
You can also purchase extra bowls and different attachments, so you don’t have to keep using and washing, using and washing, so on and so forth! It’ll also help you multi-task, in case you forgot an ingredient (we’re only human!) you can grab it while the mixer is still going.
For example, in our yummy Vanilla Cake Recipe, you need to have the mixer running for a while as the cold butter cubes are being incorporated into the dry ingredients. Your hand will thank you for not holding a hand mixer for that long!
Furthermore! If you’re making buttercream frosting, the longer you mix and incorporate air, the fluffier and better it will be. Honestly, save your hands and buy a stand mixer 🙂
2. Cake Turntable
To be completely honest, I’m not sure how you can decorate a cake without a cake turntable! Okay, you probably can, and create a truly rustic cake design. But if you want to get that smooth, clean buttercream frosting finish – you definitely need one!
If you’re not familiar with a cake turntable, it’s not a complicated concept 😌 To put it simply, it’s a cake stand that spins! Pair this with a cake scraper and you can achieve that smooth buttercream exterior of your cake.
You can also create different designs as the cake is spinning on the cake turntable. One design I’ve made many times is a rustic type design with an offset spatula going around the cake – just like the cake in our smash cake instagram reel.
We recently tried a new design, creating waves on an ombre buttercream cake. We achieved this cake design using a metal cake scraper and moving it unevenly up and down the cake. We demonstrated this cake design technique in another Instagram reel for a bridal shower cake!
I just love it when I have the chance to create a cake design using a cake decorating technique that looks perfectly imperfect 😉
3. Straight spatulas and Offset Spatulas
Okay, so you have the cake baked, and a cake turntable ready to be used, but now you have to actually assemble the cake! We also have a full post on how to assemble a layer cake if you happen to be making your first cake 🙂
Having both straight spatulas and offset spatulas (and various sizes) will really help you put the cake together – from the very beginning. Usually, when I’m assembling a layer cake, I use my small offset spatula to spread some buttercream onto the larger cake board, so the cake isn’t sliding around as I’m assembling the cake.
Then, I use a larger straight spatula to add and spread buttercream between the cake layers and all around the cake for that first crumb coat layer of buttercream. Now, every cake decorator has their own preference. I took a beginner’s baking course in school and we were taught to use an offset spatula. But once I finished school, gained more cake decorating experience, and started decorating cakes professionally, I quickly learned that I prefer to use a straight spatula. To each their own truly, whatever feels right for you 🤗
4. CAKE SCRAPERS
After you’ve added buttercream frosting and/or any other cake fillings and applied that first crumb coat of buttercream, you need something to remove that excess buttercream frosting from the cake. That’s where a cake scraper comes in handy!
Just hold it straight against the cake and spin the cake with your cake turntable. You’ll see the buttercream collect onto the cake scraper, then scrape off the buttercream onto a bowl. Continue this cake technique until you’re satisfied with the sides of the cake, and scrape off the top of the cake as well.
Refrigerate or freeze the cake until it’s set, and move onto the masking coat of buttercream frosting. You can use another clean plastic cake scraper for that final buttercream coat, or a metal cake scraper. Again, to each their own! You can place the metal cake scraper under hot water to warm it up and help you get a smoother buttercream finish 🙂
These cake scrapers also come in different lengths, some may be 6” tall, others 10” or even 12” tall. Once you get the hang of cake decorating and use a few different cake decorating products, you’ll learn which cake tools you prefer to use and which cake decorating tools create the best outcome for you.
5. SILICONE PIPING BAGS AND PIPING TIPS
This is a 2-in-1 type of cake decorating tool on our list! Piping bags and piping tips go hand-in-hand! And I personally love silicone pastry bags 🙂 I love these reusable silicone piping bags from Amazon. I’ve purchased them a few times and I’ve accumulated quite the collection!
Now, there’s a trick to washing these silicone pastry bags to prevent them from becoming stinkers. While I’ve never had a problem with these particular piping bags, previous piping bags I’ve had before tend to emit an unpleasant odour over time (ew!)
Since buttercream frosting is super oily and greasy, it’s best to wash these piping bags in the hottest water your hands can handle 🙃 After washing the pastry bags, I like to perform a balancing act and make them stand up on their own until they’ve completely dried. Yes, they’ll topple over sometimes but just stand them right back up!
With piping bags come piping tips. Be sure to invest in a good set of piping tips with a nice variety. I also like to have a set of closed star piping tips and round piping tips from Ateco. Having a variety of piping tips will be useful when creating new cake designs and decorations 🙂
While there are many other cake decorating tools and supplies, these 5 items will help get you started 🙂 As you gain more experience and decorate countless cakes, you’ll discover there are so many more cake tools out there that will help you enhance your craft 😉 But for now, stick to the cake supplies we outlined in this post to begin your cake decorating journey! All of these tools with help you successfully bake and decorate a gorgeous cake!
So! Do you have all of these cake decorating tools? Are you ready to start cake decorating?! If not, these 5 essential cake decorating supplies will lead you in the right direction 🙂
Happy cake decorating!
Mich
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