• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
logo-sara-kidd-vegan-baking (2)
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Cake
      • Cake Recipes
      • Classic Flavours
        • Vanilla
        • Chocolate
        • Berries / Fruit
        • Lemon
      • Mini Cakes
      • Cupcakes
    • Frostings, Fillings, Buttercreams
    • Muffins
    • Cookies
    • Pastry / Desserts
    • Scones
    • Free From
      • Gluten Free
      • Nut Free
      • Soy Free
  • Cookbook
  • Classes
  • Blog
    • 8 Easy Egg Replacements For Baking
    • 12 Must Have Cake Decorating Tools
    • How To Fix The Most Common Vegan Baking Mistakes
    • Top 5 Tips for Choosing The Best Oil for Baking
    • Fixing The Top 5 Issues for Gluten-Free Vegan Baking
    • 5 Tips To Stop Your Oven Baking Unevenly
    • A Quick Guide To Mixing Methods
  • Resources
    • 8 Easy Egg Replacements For Baking
    • Vegan Food E-Numbers List
    • Vegan Baking Tips
    • Vegan Baking Videos
    • Vegan Cake & Baking Products List
    • Vegan Fondant List
    • Baking & Business Resources
    • Vegan Chef Interviews
icon instagramicon pinterest icon pinteresticon youtubeicon youtube
logo-sara-kidd-vegan-baking (2)

12 Must Have Cake Decorating Tools

By Sara Kidd October 18, 2021 Leave a Comment

12 Must Have Cake Decorating Tools

Vegan Cake by Sara Kidd this recipe

When I first started out as a cake decorator I brought everything. My cupboards were full of the latest must have gadgets to perfect my cake designs. However, after a year of practising my skills it became apparent that I only really needed these 12 tools for cake decorating, when using buttercream and ganache frostings. I’ve added amazon links to all the headings so you can see which ones I would recommend. These are affiliate links which means I get a few cents to buy more cake scrapers. Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone I have 15 types of cake scrapers.

1. Cake Turntable

If you are wanting to master your cake decorating, invest in a good quality stainless steel cake turntable. It is a critical cake decorating tool for professional cake decorating. You use the motion of the spin to create a perfectly smooth finish. You will use this every time you decorate a cake so it’s worth investing in a descent one that isn’t plastic. Stainless steel is also very easy to clean and keep food safe. 

Using a cake scraper by sara kidd

2. Cake Scrapers

You will need a cake scraper to move your frostings around the cake and create a smooth finish. I recommend using a high quality metal scraper that is no more than an inch higher than the cake you are decorating, so you will need a variety of sizes. If you’re purchasing ones with a handle make sure they are flush with the metal lip so it can sit level on the turntable. 

Decorating cakes with an off set spatula by sara kidd

3. Set of Offset Spatulas

This is the perfect tool for spreading frostings and fillings, and smoothing buttercream on cakes. I use a large offset spatula for levelling frostings between layers and on top of cakes; and I use a smaller one for cleaning up the top of the cakes and creating those smooth sharp edges.

cake decorating tools by sara kidd

4. Serrated Knife

I recommend investing in a high quality serrated knife as you will use it to trim the domes off the top of your cakes. Make sure it’s a large long one so it cuts through cakes in one go and it’s sharp.   

Levelling cakes by sara kidd

5. Cake Leveller

A cake leveller is very cheap but still an excellent tool. It helps you create perfect layers. It makes it easy to trim and level uniform cake layers that are consistent in height every time, giving you that even layered look when you cut a slice and reveal the inside. I have two of these on hand as I find that after a while the metal wire snaps from over usage. 

6. Spirit Level

This tool is very useful to make sure your cake layers are level once stacked, before you apply your crumb coat. Having a perfectly level cake stack will help give you that perfectly even decorated cake. See below how I use my spirit level to check my cake is perfect before I crumb coat. 

Sara Kidd decorating a vegan cake

7. Non-stick Mat

Using a non-stick mat will make sure your cake turn table doesn’t slide all over the place whilst you’re trying to achieve that perfectly smooth finish. 

8. Scalpel or Craft Knife

This comes in handy with ganache cakes. I find that I can do the final coat of ganache and chill the cake with the ganache rising up on the sides of the cake higher than the flat top, creating a lip, I can trim the set ganache with the scalpel flush to the top of the cake, to create perfectly even and smooth edge. 

9. Reusable Piping Bags

Reusable canvas piping bags are an absolute must. I have two professional canvas bags that I have on rotation as you will be using them regularly. When they start to become discoloured I soak them in baking soda and hot water.  

Decorating cake tools by Sara Kidd

10. Set of Standard Piping Nozzles

There are many different types of nozzles currently available. Your piping possibilities are endless! If you’re not sure where to start, this set is a great starter set that every caker needs. I honestly don’t really use any other types of fancy nozzles. My all time fav is a Star 1M nozzle. 

11. Cake Boards

You will need a variety of cake boards. There are a few different types of cake boards cakers use. A drum cake board is a very thick and sturdy cake board and it’s generally used for stacked cakes like wedding cakes. There are the standard cake boards decorators use for single tiered cakes. I recommend purchasing thick sturdy boards and not cheap flimsy ones as they make it hard to keep the cake perfectly level as they tend to bow. And then there are card cake boards that cakers can use for tiered cakes that can be easily hidden when stacked and still offer support. If I’m using a cake board as the base, I will choose a size that is 2 inches larger then my cake circumference. 

Cake decorating tools by chef sara kidd

12. Kitchen Blow Torch

This is my most joyous tool. The kitchen blow torch is just fun to use and it makes me feel like a rock star. I use this to add shine to ganache cakes right before serving and sometimes I will use it to heat my metal scrapers when I’m smoothing my buttercream to give a very smooth finish. It’s my secret trick. 

Top cake decorating tools by sara kidd

Enjoyed this blog? Check out these…

  • How To Fix The Most Common Vegan Baking Mistakes
  • Hot To Fix The Most Common Vegan Gluten-Free Baking Mistakes
  • How To Choose The Right Oil Of Baking

Discover recipe ideas, get advice and join in on vegan baking conversations with 24,000 keen bakers on Facebook.

Facebook Group Cover 1
Join Facebook Group

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 12 Must Have Cake Decorating Tools, cake, cake decorating, cake decorating tools, cake scrapers, cake tools, cake turn table

About Sara Kidd

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About sarakidd.com

Welcome bakers! Here you will find loads of vegan baking recipes, how to videos & resources. More.

icon instagramicon pinterest icon pinteresticon youtubeicon youtube

Monthly Live Baking Workshops

Bake Vegan Stuff, Easy recipes for kids (and adults too!) Book

Subscribe for recipes straight to your inbox!

Get my free Vegan Baking eBook.. Click here…

FEATURED IN

More Vegan Recipes

How To Take Better Photos Of Cakes & Baking + Vegan Cookie Decorating Class

Vegan Red Wine, Berry and Dark Chocolate Cake with Vegan Pastry Chef Naimita Jagasia

Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

Vegan Salted Caramel Swirl Bundt Cake

Vegan Apple Pie

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Pear Cake

See More Recipes

CONNECT WITH US   icon instagramicon pinterest icon pinteresticon youtube

Sara Kidd footer logo

CONNECT WITH US

icon instagramicon pinterest icon pinteresticon youtube
Copyright © 2022 Sara Kidd
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Cake
      • Cake Recipes
      • Classic Flavours
        • Vanilla
        • Chocolate
        • Berries / Fruit
        • Lemon
        • Back
      • Mini Cakes
      • Cupcakes
      • Back
    • Frostings, Fillings, Buttercreams
    • Muffins
    • Cookies
    • Pastry / Desserts
    • Scones
    • Free From
      • Gluten Free
      • Nut Free
      • Soy Free
      • Back
    • Back
  • Cookbook
  • Classes
  • Blog
    • 8 Easy Egg Replacements For Baking
    • 12 Must Have Cake Decorating Tools
    • How To Fix The Most Common Vegan Baking Mistakes
    • Top 5 Tips for Choosing The Best Oil for Baking
    • Fixing The Top 5 Issues for Gluten-Free Vegan Baking
    • 5 Tips To Stop Your Oven Baking Unevenly
    • A Quick Guide To Mixing Methods
    • Back
  • Resources
    • 8 Easy Egg Replacements For Baking
    • Vegan Food E-Numbers List
    • Vegan Baking Tips
    • Vegan Baking Videos
    • Vegan Cake & Baking Products List
    • Vegan Fondant List
    • Baking & Business Resources
    • Vegan Chef Interviews
    • Back
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • icon youtube