19 Cake Baking Tools and Equipment Every Baker Should Own

Whether you are completely new to the art of cake making or are just wanting to expand your collection of cake equipment, you can be certain that we have everything you need.

I have spent many years of my professional career as a cake baker and decorator, and as a result, I will make sure to point you in the proper way and show you the equipment that you absolutely, positively need (and maybe a few items that you simply may really desire…).

Therefore, without further ado, let’s delve into the realm of cake baking tools and equipment and assist you in making your cake making experience a little simpler, a little more professional, and a whole lot more enjoyable.

1 – Mixer

When it comes to some recipes, you may be able to combine the components of the dish by hand; nevertheless, there may come a time when this method is not enough. There are several cake recipes that demand you to “cream butter and sugar,” a process that unquestionably calls for more strength than what mixing by hand can supply. And more importantly, who wants to stand around stirring all day when there is cake to eat?

Purchasing a stand mixer is something that is strongly recommended by me. Mixers that sit on the counter and have a bowl attached to them are called stand mixers. The majority of them are packaged with a wide variety of accessories that may be used for cooking a variety of dishes.

The nicest feature of a stand mixer is that it allows you to add the ingredients, switch it on, and then walk away. The mixer will continue to mix while you are free to measure the next set of ingredients, wash some dishes, or review the recipe for the following stages.

The process of preparing a cake is significantly sped up by the fact that the mixer does all of the labor. Also, you shouldn’t let the idea that stand mixers are always pricey paralyze you. The price of a stand mixer is completely up to you; it may range anywhere from thirty dollars to one thousand dollars.

If you want to keep your costs on the lower end of the scale, we have compiled a list of some of our most beloved mixers that are reasonably priced.

Hand mixers are another fantastic alternative to consider if you do not want to give up any of the space on your counter. Hand mixers are more portable than stand mixers, however they do need the user to manually mix the cake batter while holding on to the mixer.

But, hey, they are still lot more powerful than using a plain spoon to mix, and the result of your batter will be much better if you use one of these tools rather than a spoon. Yes, a mixer of some type is absolutely necessary for the process of cake-making.

2 – Rubber Spatulas

You will not be able to fully appreciate the benefits of utilizing a rubber spatula unless you have first used one to scrape the inside of a bowl. While you are mixing, rubber spatulas may conform to the edges of the bowl to ensure that every last ounce of your ingredients is integrated into the batter. They are also quite simple to clean and may be used for a very long time.

You will discover that you need rubber spatulas for everything in the kitchen, not just for baking cakes, so it is a good idea to invest in a set that includes more than one size (maybe a small, a medium, and a big one?).

3 – Offset Spatulas

An offset spatula is essential to have on hand if you want to frost your cakes. Because offset spatulas have a fairly straight edge, it is simple to maintain the straightness of the icing along the edges of your cake while using one of these tools.

Although there is a wide range of sizes available for offset spatulas, the two sizes that are most useful to have are big and tiny. Both sizes have great advantages, and as you bake more cakes, you will discover an increasing number of tasks that can be accomplished with the assistance of this remarkable device.

For instance, offset spatulas are an excellent tool for leveling and spreading the batter in a cake pan so that it is uniformly distributed before baking. And while we’re on the subject of cake pans…

4 – Cake Pans

There are literally hundreds of different cake pans available, which means that you could certainly fill your kitchen with a vast selection of them. They are, without a doubt, highly vital components in the production of any cake.

You really don’t need to have the most fancy pans, and as far as cake making goes, nonstick metals actually aren’t very advantageous at all. You can get by just fine without them. The size of the pans as well as their form is a significant consideration.

It is highly recommended that you begin by acquiring a set of square pans in addition to a set of round pans. It is sufficient to have around three to four different sizes of round and square pans; with these fundamental forms, you will be able to produce practically any cake that you want.

It is best to choose a cake pan that has sides that are at least two inches high; anything narrower than that won’t be able to contain as much cake batter, and anything higher than that merely takes up too much room in the kitchen.

5 – Cake Decorating Tips

You can get a million various kinds of pastry tips, and each one creates a unique and interesting pattern in the baked good that it is used on. To your good fortune, there are handy sets of pastry tips that have already been selected for you.

While you could get by just fine with a basic star tip, round tip, and writing tip, investing in a set that includes fifty or more pieces and doesn’t cost that much more will provide you an almost infinite number of alternatives for decorating. Instead of plastic, I would recommend purchasing reusable stainless steel pipe tips since they decorate more smoothly and have a longer lifespan than plastic options.

6 – Pastry Bags

When you have decided upon your pastry tips, the next thing you will need is pastry bags to go along with them. Make sure you have enough of pastry bags in sizes 12 inches and 18 inches on hand. These two sizes should be plenty for most situations, including whether you are writing a simple “happy birthday” in icing or when you are decorating an entire cake.

Either reusable or disposable bags will suffice, but one thing to bear in mind is that even reusable bags may lose their usefulness after a few washes and may even develop mold. The purchase of pastry bags is a recurrent expense that is, without a doubt, essential to the art of cake decorating.

7 – Measuring Spoons and Measuring Cups

Cake making requires precision, therefore having a decent, high-quality set of measuring spoons and cups is essential. Accuracy is essential when combining the ingredients for the cake batter.

When shopping for a set of measuring spoons, make sure it includes at the very least a quarter teaspoon, a half teaspoon, a teaspoon, and a tablespoon. Armed with only these four sizes, you will be able to create almost any dish. The same principle applies to your set of measuring cups: you need a 1/4 cup, a 1/3 cup, and a 1 cup capacity, and anything above that is only a bonus.

Because there are so many different designs available, picking out measuring spoons and cups can also be a lot of fun. Choose a set that blends in with the aesthetic of your kitchen, stands out visually, or, most importantly, is comfortable to hold.

8 – Mixing Bowls

While we are discussing collections of kitchen utensils, we must not overlook the importance of mixing bowls. A small, medium, and large mixing bowl are essential to have on hand for the majority of cake recipes, and it is highly recommended that you acquire all three sizes.

There is a wide variety of bowls available for you to pick from, and you can have them in either glass, plastic, or stainless steel. The bowls that come with matching lids are my favorite since they make it so much simpler to cover and put away ingredients or batters.

9 – Pastry Brush

When it comes to cake making, a pastry brush is a handy small instrument that can be used for a variety of tasks, like applying butter to cake pans and soaking cakes in simple syrup. It is easy to forget about it while listing the necessary instruments a baker should have, despite the fact that it is essential.

You are going to like this uncomplicated tool, and you will come to enjoy it more with each cake that you bake.

10 – Serrated Knife

When cutting cakes of any sort, a long knife with a serrated edge will come in handy. This is true regardless of whether you are removing the top of a cake or dividing it into layers. Find one that is at least 8 inches long so that it can stretch over the whole cake and cut the cake layers equally. You will need this so that you can use it.

11 – Paring Knife

A sharp paring knife is an essential tool for any person who makes cakes since it may be used for slicing the initial slice of cake as well as for cutting fruit that will be added to the cake. Because there are so many to pick from, my advice is to choose one that is comfortable to hold while you are cutting.

It would also be wonderful to have a paring knife that is bright orange in color and that adds some vibrancy to the kitchen.

12 – Cooling Racks

When you take your cakes out of the oven, you should allow them to cool in the pan for a little while, but not for an excessively lengthy period of time (determining the precise length of time is a science!). Remove your heated cakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to prevent them from becoming permanently stuck in the pan or from continuing to bake as a result of carryover heat.

After it has been removed from the oven but before it is placed in the refrigerator, a cake should be placed on a cooling rack. Because cakes are often rather enormous, you will need at least two cooling racks (or one extremely huge one!) to accommodate them.

13 – Cake Turn Table

A turn table is going to be an absolute need once you get to the point in the cake-making process when you decorate the cake. When you’re decorating your cake, it’s a big help to have it lifted off the table.

When you start to frost the cake, having the flexibility to rotate it while you are working on it will guarantee that the frosting is applied evenly and in a straight line. When you pipe border designs on cakes, you’ll want those cakes to be able to rotate freely, too.

It is possible to get by with a low-cost plastic cake turn table, but if you want to take your cake decorating seriously, you should invest in a turntable that has a sturdy cast iron base. This type of turntable will not move at all while you are decorating the cake (believe me, once you have a turntable move from under a cake, you will want something heavy that stays in place!).

14 – Convection Oven

Convection ovens are the best choice for cake baking, even while I realize it’s unlikely that you would purchase a new oven only for the purpose of baking cakes. Convection ovens bake food more quickly and evenly by circulating hot air throughout the oven at the same time as the food is being cooked.

If you have never baked using a convection oven before, you may find that it has a few peculiarities that take some getting used to (aka bake at a lower temperature, rotate the cakes halfway through baking). Also, make sure the fan is set to a low setting since you don’t want the batter to evaporate and result in an uneven cake.

In spite of the cautions, purchasing a convection oven is well worth the additional cost.

15 – Gel Food Coloring

Even though it is more of a component than a piece of equipment, food coloring is a crucial component in the process of decorating and coloring cake batters. Gel food coloring is what you want to use when you are working with cakes rather than the liquid food colorings that you can get at the grocery store. Gel food coloring is much more stable.

Your cake may have a vivid color with only one drop of gel, and it won’t affect the consistency of the batter or the icing as all. If you buy a set of gels like Americolor, they will last you a very long time, and after using them, you will never go back to using traditional food coloring!

16 – Scale

It’s fantastic to be able to measure ingredients using measuring cups and spoons, but measuring with a scale can make your recipes much more exact and will ensure that they turn out perfectly every time. The majority of professionally prepared recipes call for the use of weights as the unit of measurement because of the greater precision it provides compared to volumetric measurements.

Any person who bakes cakes absolutely needs to have a quality kitchen scale.

17 – Parchment paper

Parchment is a multi-use, non-stick tool that every baker should have in their arsenal. It is especially useful for lining the bottom of cake pans and cookie sheet trays. However, purchasing a large pack of pre-cut parchment sheets or making a simple roll of parchment paper will be of great assistance to your cake baking abilities.

18 – Whisks

Even if you are in possession of a stand mixer that comes equipped with a whisk attachment, you should still go out and get at least one high-quality whisk to have as part of your assortment of cake-making tools in the kitchen. A whisk is a versatile instrument that may be used for a variety of tasks, from beating eggs to giving pancakes their signature fluffy texture.

19 – Cake Stand

After you have taken use of all of your incredible equipment for baking cakes, you will want to show off the lovely cake that you have created.

When selecting a cake stand, choose for one that is uncomplicated and will look well with a variety of different cake designs, but don’t forget to take into account your own sense of style as well. After all, cakes have the potential to become the most beautiful focal point for any table.

If you have ticked all of these equipment off your list and have them stocked in your kitchen, then you are more than ready to create some incredible cakes. Get out all of your cake equipment, and put them to good use, since baking cakes has never been simpler or more enjoyable than it is right now.