My Top 5 Cake Decorating Tools For Home Bakers

July 8, 2024

This guide will hook you up with the basic cake tools you need to create amazing cakes!

Hello fellow bakers! Ready to take your cake-decorating skills to the next level? Ready to “nail it” with your bakes? Mastering this beautiful art can feel like a huge challenge, especially for newcomers, but it doesn’t have to!

Hold on to your apron strings, as I’m sharing my top 5 cake decorating essentials that I couldn’t live without! Come on Wendy… spill the beans!

Foundations: The Holy Trinity of Cake Tools!

Now, listen up, my aspiring Mary Berry's – if you think you can whip up a masterpiece with just a spoon and a prayer, you're in for a rude awakening! First up we have the holy trinity of tools, your spatula, scrapers and the trusty turntable!

Number 1: SPATULAS

Like the Swiss Army knives of cake decorating, perfect for spreading, smoothing, making patterns in your icing - the true unsung heroes in the cake world!

cake decorating with offset spatula crank handle

Personally, I love the offset spatulas for my decorating. Each to their own, but for me, the crank handle makes it SO much easier to decorate as you don’t end up with your knuckles in the icing as you’re slathering it on!

I use mine to layer icing between my cakes and give a basic smooth edge on the side of my cake.

It’s also perfect for making a rustic swirl on top of cakes and cupcakes and for the current modern trend of rustic finished cakes.

TOP TIP 1 - If you want a beautiful pattern on the side of your cake, you must first crumb coat your cake (with ganache or buttercream) to trap the pesky crumbs that will ruin your final finish.

cake decorating crumb coat using offset spatula

Pop the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to let the icing set, then add your top layer of butter icing.

To get a beautiful pattern on your cake, slowly drag your spatula around the cake(starting at the base by the cake board), moving up as you go around the cake in circles.

This is where a turntable is the business - helping you get that perfect rustic swirl around your cake!!!). Here's one I made earlier!

TOP TIP 2 - Use for your spatula to create a cupcake swirl! Do this by spooning butter icing onto your cupcake and smooth it on like you’re making a mini buttercream mountain. Then with a little flourish of the wrist… whip out the centre of the mountain to leave you with a stunning buttercream spatula swirl - not a piping bag or nozzle in sight!

rustic buttercream icing using a spatula

So there you have it - not only for smoothing icing between the layers and the outside of the cake - this little magic cake tool is something you shouldn’t be without.

Number 2: SIDE SCRAPERS

The trusty sidekick to the offset spatula is the side scraper (for me it’s always got to be an extra tall metal one!). It may not wear a cape, but it sure has some superhero vibes when it comes to cake decorating!

Start with your trusty crumb coat, to give you a nice smooth base. Pile on lashings of buttercream and use your offset spatula to roughly smooth it into place.

Using a metal side scraper to crumb coat your cake

Hold your side scraper at a slight angle against the side of your cake, making sure it's in full contact with the buttercream, gently moving the scraper around the cake, smoothing as you go. You may need to fill in some gaps in the icing and repeat this process a few times.

TOP TIP 1 - Size matters here – if you make taller cakes, invest in a tall metal scraper - if you prefer to make cakes with less depth, then the plastic smaller side scrapers will be perfect for the job!

TOP TIP 2 - Metal side scrapers can be warmed with hot water, and run around the cake in a final smoothing run to give the most beautiful smooth cake sides. The warm spatula will heat the outside layer of your icing, giving you the most flawless finish - remember you heard it here!

TOP TIP 3 - Get adventurous with a patterned edge side scraper - you can use these to make stripes on your cakes and combed effects - here’s where the real fun can begin once you’ve mastered the basics - go on, have some fun!

Striped cakes are much easier with a patterned side scraper like this! First you scrape the excess icing off - leaving an indent.

using a pattered buttercream scraper and smoother to make cake stripes

You then pipe your other icing colour inside the gaps, then scrape around the edge of the cake again several times with a smooth side scraper, until you have the perfectly striped cake!

A striped cake made using a patterned side scraper

With one of these in your back pocket, say goodbye to frosting fiascos and hello to cake decorating nirvana!

Number 3 - TURNTABLES

Ah, behold the majestic Cake Turntable! It's like the lazy Susan of the baking world. Let's unravel the mysteries of this spinning wonder and discover how to use it like a boss!

using a turntable to get a smooth finish on your cake

Positioning - Place your cake on the turntable, dollop some buttercream on top and give that turntable a gentle spin to get things rolling. No need to go full-on roller coaster mode—just a smooth, steady rotation to kick things off.

Spin it!- As your cake spins, use your offset spatula to apply the buttercream evenly across the surface. Keep your movements smooth and steady, but it doesn’t need to be perfect at this point - we’re just getting our basic semi smooth layer on here.

Spread the Love - Once you’ve your base layer of buttercream on the cake, whip out your trusty side scraper and while gently pressing the scraper onto the edge of your cake, rotate the cake 360 degrees to get a full smooth circle of buttercream. Always leave the ‘join’ at the back of the cake where you started and finished your rotation.

TOP TIP 1 - Centre your cake! Always ensure your cake is perfectly centred on the turntable before you start decorating. A wonky cake will only lead to frosting fiascos and lopsided designs - you can also place an even pressure on the cake when centred.

using a turntable to crumb coat your cake

TOP TIP 2 - Master the art of spin control! Start off with a gentle rotation and adjust the speed as needed (generally I rotate the turntable faster at the start when I’m doing a rough smoothing. I then rotate slower at the end when I want more control on the final sweep of the cake).

Too fast, and you'll be flinging frosting everywhere. Too slow, and you'll end up with uneven frosting and a case of baking boredom (nobody needs that!)

turntables are very useful when decorating your cake

Don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques – swirls, swoops, and rosettes. The cake is your canvas, and the buttercream frosting is your paint. Let your creativity run wild and watch as your cake transforms into a work of edible art.

Now I’ve covered my holy trinity of cake-decorating tools, let’s get on to some equally special (and I think essential) tools to take your bakes to the next level!

Number 4 - PIPING BAGS

Next up, you'll need a trusty piping bag or two, available in different sizes. These nifty little numbers will turn you into a frosting Picasso, allowing you to create intricate designs or refine even the most basic icing.

TOP TIP 1 - I use 21” large piping bags for piping cupcakes - trust me it’s way easier to load the bag once than return multiple times (risking an air bubble explosion mid-cupcake swirl - yes… I think we’ve ALL been there!)

TOP TIP 2 - When decorating a rainbow cake, or cupcakes with multiple colours, I prefer a daintier 12” piping bag - these are also perfect for royal icing - so versatile!

Whatever size you prefer, piping bags also give you amazing control when making macarons and choux buns, or piping fancy mashed potato - they’re not just for cake decorating you know!

Number 5 - NOZZLES

But wait, there's more! No self-respecting cake decorator should be caught without a trusty set of nozzles. These little beauties come in all shapes and sizes - armed with the right nozzle you can transform a basic cake into a work of edible art.

TOP TIP 1 - For a cupcake swirl, I love the 2M or the 1E piping nozzle to give a lovely rose type swirl or the perfect ‘Mr Whippy’ style top. In fact there are so many nozzles to chose from you can just have some fun and decide for yourself which you prefer!

TOP TIP 2 - For a nice star (think iced gems!) or a perfect rope swirl, I love the 4B, 6B or 8B nozzles - these would be in my armoury for everyday use - you can’t go wrong with one of these!

4B 6B OR 8B piping nozzle creating a buttercream rope

So, there you have it, my fellow cake crusaders! Arm yourselves with these essential tools, and you'll be well on your way to creating cakes that'll make Paul Hollywood blush! Just remember, if all else fails, you can always resort to slathering it in sprinkles and calling it "rustic chic".

a beautiful slice of home made cake using my cake decorating tips

So remember that investing in the right cake decorating tools will make a HUGE difference to your creations.

Invest in durable, reliable tools that will stand the test of time! If you like the look of anything you saw, then you can get your equipment at www.devlindesignstudio.ie

1. Spatulas/Palette Knives -