Equipment & Tools
When building your cake decorating supplies, you need to consider what type of decorating you’re planning on doing. Do you plan on just occasionally whipping up some cupcakes or a layer cake, or do you plan on making a frosted and tiered masterpiece? The former would only require just a few basic supplies, however the latter would most definitely require a larger number of supplies.
A great way to get yourself familiarised with supplies out there is to venture to your local craft chain store, or supermarket and have a look at the supplies they offer.
Here is a list of equipment and tools that you can start from in order to build up your cake decorating toolbox:
Basic Toolbox essentials
Long serrated knife
(a bread knife will do) for levelling and cutting the cakes. You can also purchase a proper cake leveller if you wish to, however its perfectly fine to start by levelling and cutting cakes using a serrated knife.
Spatula or spreader
When smoothing down frosting or icing, a regular rubber spatula will not be precise and efficient to complete the task, however this can be done with a specialize cake spatula. An angled spatula allows for you to spread the frosting and then smooth it out without your fingers getting in the way. A larger size (13inch) is great for standard cakes, whilst a smaller one (9 inch) is ideal for topping cupcakes and desserts
Piping nozzle
In order to create borders and extra details, piping tips of various shapes and sizes can be used. There are hundreds of varieties out there, and the possibilities for decorating techniques are also endless. However, when first building your toolbox there are only a few tips that are suggested. This includes a star and a round tip, and you should go for stainless steel instead of plastic as it allows for a smoother and more precise finish.
Piping bags
These are vital for ensuring that you achieve a more precise finish when piping, and come in a variety of styles and sizes. The most popular and widely available are disposable plastic which normally come in a bulk pack. However, if you’d like to be a bit more environmentally conscious there are reusable options such as silicone or plastic-coated cloth versions. These are then paired with a coupler, which allows you to easily interchange the piping nozzle, whilst also ensuring that the nozzle is fastened securely to the piping bag.
Food colors
When cake decorating it is always recommended to use gel colors as they do not make icing or frosting separate like water-based colors do. Whilst you can use powder-based food colourings, they contain more additives and require a significant amount in order to reach the same desired colour compared to gel coloring. Start with the primary secondary colors and get used to mixing colours, and then if you’re aiming to broaden your toolkit, then you should consider investing in different colors.
Hand mixer/stand mixer
Beating butter or cream for a variety of frostings and icings can become time consuming and energy draining especially if doing by hand. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely you will be able to achieve the same consistency and smoothness, when making with a hand or stand mixer. With a wide variety of mixers available, it is all dependent on personal preference and budget when choosing the right one for you.
Not essentials, but still handy to have:
Scraper/
smoother
This tool is ideal in that it will help you achieve the smoothest finish with your frosting on cakes. This tool is also considered to be a multi tool as it can be used to scrape and spilt bread doughs, but also chop ingredients. Definitely a worthwhile investment if you’re planning on taking your cake decorating to the next level.
Turntable
this is more of a luxury item but can make the process of decorating so much easier. Whilst you can just use a plate or board to decorate your cake, it can impact on your range of motion when icing your cake. A turntable is ideal in that it can increase the ease, effectiveness and speed of decorating, and you can control the speed at which you turn it. The smooth turning movement will allow for a smoother and even spread when frosting a cake.
Cake board
(these can come in a variety of sizes) and provides a great flat and supportive surface for you to both work on the cake and then display it when finished. It is highly recommended to use a surface, rather than working directly on a turntable or display plate, as it will allow for freedom of movement when decorating. Use a cake board that is slightly larger than your cake if you want room available for piping a border around the cake, or use a board that is slightly smaller than the cake if you don’t want to see the board. This will still ensure that there is a decent support structure underneath.
