10 Must-Have Baking Essentials for Beginners
Whether you’re attempting to bake a cake for a special occasion or simply want to knock-up some sweet treats for your family, it’s important to have the right equipment. Basic cake baking equipment is all you need to start with, and as your confidence grows you can look into more complex gadgets such as air brush machines which are ideal for adding colour to bakes.
With this in mind, here’s a rundown of 10 must-have cake tools and equipment for beginners.
Cookie cutters
If you’re looking to try something relatively easy but undeniably delicious, cookies are ideal. With cookie cutters available in a great selection of designs including bats, bikes and unicorns, you can create something really special and visually impressive with little effort.
2. Silicone baking moulds for decorations
Mould the perfect decoration for your cake or cupcakes with our extensive range of silicone icing moulds. From small embellishments to large cake border designs, from impression and embossing mats to cupcake topper moulds, there is a great range of different styles to suit different needs.
3. Cake pan set
Cake sets often include three pans of varying sizes - 6"x3", 8"x3" & 10"x3". This makes it easy to create a multi-tier cake for any occasion.
4. Cake dowels
Cake dowels are a must-have item for supporting tiered cakes. As a food safe item, dowels are typically made from plastic or wood and help to keep the weight of the cake balanced while preventing any of the tiers from shifting around.
5. Icing bag
The simplest of cakes can be turned into stunning pieces of art with the right piping. Have a go at simple cupcake swirls using a rose swirl piping tip or take things up a notch with buttercream flowers. Add a few drops of food colouring to achieve the colour you want.
6. Number cake stencils
If you want to make a cake into the shape of a specific number to celebrate a birthday or occasion, then cake stencils are ideal. Simply place the stencil on the cake and cut around it with a knife.
7. Sugar paste icing
Also known as fondant icing, sugar paste is a soft, malleable icing that gives cakes and bakes a smooth, colourful finish. If you’re baking dinosaur biscuits, for instance, you can play around with green icing and add some facial expressions using black fondant.
8. Fondant tools
Craft all kinds of fondant icing designs with the help of special fondant tools. These make it easy to sculpt and cut your fondant into the required shape and are available to buy in sets.
9. Sugar paste decorations
Another great way to decorate a cake is to get hold of some pre-made sugar paste decorations. These come in many different shapes, sizes and designs and can give your bake a professional finish that might otherwise have been hard to achieve.
10. Cake toppers
As well as decorating cakes with fondant, you can also get hold of cake baking accessories such as self-inflating mini foil balloons or gold sparkling candles. These give cakes the ‘wow’ factor.
Start your baking journey as you mean to go on with all the right equipment.