Let’s talk about the essentials you need for cake making this week!
For any beginners, looking to fill your kitchen with the necessary baking equipment to start your journey down the wonderful road of cakes, this is a perfect place to start. From a simple one tier to an intricate 3 tier, these are the tools you will need, so let us hop right into it!
Cake Pans
Cake pans are number one when it comes to cake making. I recommend a 3-set size. Both square sets and circle sets are useful but choose whichever or both based on your personal preference. Avoid using glass baking pans because they conduct heat very differently than metal ones. As for the question of normal pans to non-stick, you should plan on lining then with parchment paper anyways, so it doesn’t make much of a difference. These will be helpful to make one size layered cakes, multiple tier sized cakes, or whatever your heart desires!
Mixing Bowls
This is the basic of the basics. How could one make a batter without a vessel to hold the ingredients or a metric to measure them? You couldn’t! A basic set of mixing bowls, either plastic, glass, or metal, doesn’t make a difference. A slight tip though, if you choose metal, do not use metal utensils as it will scratch the hell out of your bowls! Having more than one is also smart because most recipes require separating the dry ingredients from the wet initially, AND you won’t have to wash those 2 bowls immediately as you have a third to make your frosting.
Measuring Cups
As for your measuring cup set, both wet and dry sets are a smart investment. I’ve noticed a slight difference in the amount between wet and dry ingredients, and as specific of an art baking is, it sometimes can make a difference. Make sure the dry set also includes teaspoons, or that can be bought separately, but if you’re trying to save money the combined one, I have often found to be cheaper!
Serrated Knife
A serrated knife will be an integral tool in shaping your cake to its desired look. It evenly cuts slabs of cake in half and can create flatter layers, as cake usually rises to have a slight curve on the top when done. It also helps when you might slightly have a burnt top, but the rest of the cake is perfect, you can save the creation by just chopping that part right off.
Spatulas – Regular & Offset
Next are the spatulas. A simple rubber scraper spatula, silicone is the best – is needed to make sure you get all that batter goodness from the sides of your bowls when pouring it into the cake pan. You will also need an offset spatula. Any cake maker will need this to decorate their cake with icing or to even out batter in cake pans. For a beautiful finish, this spatula allows for smoothing out your icing, and let me tell you, your cake will not come out as pretty without one.
Piping Pastry Bags
Next is piping bags. These are essential for the decorating your cakes past the initial layers. If you want to make rose designs, flower designs, intricate borders, and other patterns. you will need these. The 24-inch size is good for lots of frosting, helpful for a large cake, maybe 3 tier or layered. For smaller frosting design purposes, I recommend the 12-to-16-inch bags. I favor the durable, reusable plastic bags over paper. I, for one am definitely heavy handed so it’s good to know they won’t break on you!
Piping Tips
Forewarning, piping tips are probably not going to be as cheap as you expected in the decorating world, especially if you want a variety of tips and sizes, but it is what it is. If you want your grass tips, your leaf tips, different types of flowers, border tips and more I try out Wilton’s sets of tips. If you are easing your way into the decorate with tips, you can buy them one by one at around a dollar each. If nothing, for cake making the larger tips most likely a better investment initially, then more towards the smaller ones as you learn to make more intricate designs.
Food Dye
If you DON’T have food dye as a cake maker/decorator, it’s a crime. You want to be able to make colorful cakes, ombre cakes, or even white cakes with just red rose designs, so it is a necessity! We’ve got your basic primary colors, plus back, which is a good starter set of 5 colors to have. But getting specific in the blue-greens, violets to lavenders and skin tone colors without having to deal with all the mixing together of colors will call for a larger pack
Parchment Paper/Circles
Parchment paper is used to prevent sticking in your cakes and provides simpler clean up. For cake pans, especially the circular, it might even be easier to buy pre-cut parchment rounds to simply place in your pan before you add the batter. The pre-rolled parchment can also be used in substitute, or as a way to practice your icing skills. Trying out the designs on the parchment paper will help you master them on the actual cake. And afterwards you cake scoop that right back into your pastry bag, creating a no waste way to become a pro.
Rotating Turntable Stand
I have added a rotating turntable near the end of the list because it is not necessary if you are a beginner and just trying to learn the ropes but can be used to make the whole decorating process easier. It simply allows you to spin the cake around on an even platform, which can create a smoother finish when icing your layers and outside of the cake.
I have added a rotating turntable near the end of the list because it is not necessary if you are a beginner and just trying to learn the ropes but can be used to make the whole decorating process easier. It simply allows you to spin the cake around on an even platform, which can create a smoother finish when icing your layers and outside of the cake.
Conclusion
And that’s all folks! After you buy all the cake making and decorating essentials you will be more than prepared to make any type of cake you want.
I don’t specialize in cakes, but if there are any pro cake bakers out there, what are your cake essentials?