Must Have Cake Decorating Tools and Supplies

I do cakes. It’s such a fun hobby, and I really want to share with you my must have cake decorating tools and supplies. I’d love for you to visit my cakes tab to see some of my cake designs and recipes. Although this is only a hobby, I have been making cakes for over ten years. I know I love something if I forget to eat while I’m doing it. Cake decorating is that for me.

My husband often says, “The secret to accomplishing any task is having the right tools.” I absolutely believe this to be true when it comes to cake. If you are newer to cake decorating (or even if you have been doing it for a while), I think you might find my Cake Decorating 101 and Cake Decorating 201 posts helpful. Today I want to share some of my favorite tools and supplies for making the job easier.

Must Have Cake Decorating Tools and Supplies

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Cake Pans – When it comes to cake pans, I prefer a non-stick pan mostly because that is all I have used, and it is what I see professionals using. I don’t always trust non-stick cookware for health reasons. If you are wanting to do tiered cakes, I would recommend starting with a 10-inch pan, 8-inch pan and 6-inch pan. Parrish Magic Line makes a good pan. You are looking for a cake pan that is solidly built so they won’t warp or become dented easily.

Even bake Cake Strips – Even bake cake strips helps prevent your cake from doming. You dip the strips in water and then attach them around the edge of the pan. It keeps the edges of the pan cooler so that the cake bakes more evenly.

Parchment Paper – Read my post “Cake Making 101” to learn how I use parchment paper for every cake I make.

Cake Leveler – One of the keys to a stable cake is even layers. I love having a leveler that quickly and easily cuts through to help me create perfect layers.

Cake Turntable – A revolving cake stand is very helpful for frosting and decorating. Whether you are working with frosting or fondant, a turntable is a must have.

Icing Spatula – I love my angled icing spatula. It makes spreading frosting much easier than a typical spatula or knife. My tip for smooth frosting is to keep a large glass of warm water and a paper towel handy. Dip your spatula and clean it often as you are smoothing the frosting.

Cardboard Cake Circles – You will want cardboard cake circles for every tier of your cake. Read my Cake Making 101 post to see how I use the cake circles to freeze my cakes also.

Food Coloring – I like gel food coloring. You can find all kinds of colors. I’ve used a variety of kinds and they all work well. I do like the ones I linked to because of the ease of the bottle. The Wilton ones work great too, and they have quite a lot of color options. Vibrancy of color comes as you add more gel. You can add the food coloring gel to fondant, frosting or the actual cake. Just check out my rainbow cake to see how powerful color is to design.

Fondant Must Have Cake Decorating Tools and Supplies

Large Fondant Rolling Pin – Because you are often rolling out fondant in large formats, you will want a very large rolling pin. I like to use corn starch when rolling out fondant, but powdered sugar is another option.

Straight Edge Icing Polisher Smoother Cake Tool – When doing fondant cakes, you will definitely want a polisher/smoother. I like to use my hands as well as this cake tool for doing the covering. I have two of these tools and am sometimes working both at the same time.

 Small Fondant and Gum Paste Rolling Pin – For small fondant or gum paste details, there is nothing better than this small roller. It has guides on the end so that you can roll our fondant evenly to two different sizes. For decorating, especially with cookie cutters, this tool is a must. Here’s an example of a cake I did that relied on an even roll out.

Fondant Mat – Having a large fondant mat is super helpful when rolling out fondant. You will want to use a non-stick medium like corn starch or powdered sugar. The guidelines on the mat are helpful in determining the size to roll your fondant so that the cake can be covered completely.

Wooden Cake Dowels – It may feel like a mistake that I added wooden cake dowels to the fondant section. It is not. Yes, you can use these as dowels for stacking cakes. They are a good support, but I believe I have a better solution for stacking (see the straws below). The real reason I recommend long wooden dowels is that they are the exact width needed for rolling out fondant. Therefore, I put two of these on either side of my fondant as I am rolling it out. To make sure things are rolled out evenly and to the right depth, I put my roller on the dowels and roll away.

Honorable Mentions in my Must Have Cake Decorating Tools and Supplies List

The following items are not “must haves,” but they are tools I’ve loved for doing specific designs. I will link back to the design so you can see how these are used and helpful.

Large Milkshake Straws – An honorable mention in my must have list is milkshake or smoothie straws. What a weird thing to recommend. Want to know why? Check it out here.

Fondant Flower Cookie Cutters – I love having fondant flower cookie cutters for any design involving fondant or gum paste flowers. Just check out my spring flower cake for an example.

Strip Cutter for Fondant –  Having a strip cutter has been very helpful for designs like this. It is a way to cut perfect fondant stripes for a cake.

Decorating Tip Set for Frosting – I don’t do a whole lot of decorating with frosting, but I have found it helpful to have a tip set on hand for those moments where I am using frosting. My Strawberry Shortcake cake is an example where I used both fondant and frosting decorating techniques. When decorating cupcakes, a variety of tips is a must.

Disposable Piping Bags – Although I have pastry bags that are washable, I love having disposable piping bags on hand for easy clean-up. It is especially helpful when I am working with multiple colors at a time.

Here’s a helpful beginner’s guide to Cake Decorating that was given to me for use by Shari’s Berries. Click on the infographic for more great information about cake decorating.