Cake Decorating Essentials Every Beginner Baker Needs

What does a beginner cake decorator need? I remember asking myself this question in August of 2020, at that time I decided to attempt to decorate my first cake. I jumped in and started endless hours of cake decorating research. Since then I have learned so much! After a few years of experience under my belt, I’m sharing what I believe to be the best cake decorating essentials for beginners. Believe it or not, you can find everything you need to decorate a simple cake for less than $50.00!

This post will teach you all about the basic cake decorating essentials every beginner needs!

The Best Cake Decorating Tools for Beginners

There are so many decorating tools in baking! This can be a little overwhelming when first starting out! In this section, I’ll be breaking down what I believe to be the absolute must-haves when starting your cake decorating journey. These inexpensive tools are a great way to start basic cake decorating and the perfect combination to practicing general decorating techniques. With practice, determination, and a willingness to learn, you’ll be a pro in no time!

Let’s jump in!

1. Cake Turntable

In the beginning, you absolutely do not need a super fancy cake turntable. The first one I bought was the Wilton plastic turntable and it was perfect for the time being! I ordered a heavier duty turntable from Ateco after I knew I loved the art of cake decorating and wanted to keep going. A cake turntable is what you’ll need to get those perfectly smooth sides and makes things a whole lot easier overall.

Here are a few different options from Amazon:

(Prices Range from $13.99-$60.00)

2. Bench Scraper

A bench scraper is a must! This is the secret to those beautifully smooth sides you’ve probably seen while doing cake research. I could not understand how people were able to get the sides of their cakes so smooth, until I used a bench scraper for the first time! The #1 question I ask when looking for a good bench scraper: is it metal? A metal bench scraper has the ability to be heated up if needed. This is a common hack used in cake decorating to achieving those super smooth sides!

A few Amazon Options for Bench Scrapers:

(Prices Range from $6.97-$16.99)

3. Piping Bags

Piping bags are commonly used to decorate a cake with icing by adding a border to the bottom, or swirls to the top. But they can also be used to add a drip to a drip cake which is pretty cool too! I love a good multi-use product. I’ve learned that using 16-inch piping bags is so much easier than using a 12-inch. The added length is able to fit enough icing to get the job done, without the buttercream spilling out of the top.

Here are a few different Amazon options for Piping Bags:

(Prices Range from $6:14-$9.99)

4. Cake Boards

Your cake needs something to sit on while you decorate right?! For basic cake decorating I usually use Wilton’s cake boards, or the Walmart Brand. This was all I used when I first got started. Cake boards are perfect for the beginning stages of cake decorating! As you learn more about stacking and supporting a multi-tier cake, I recommend switching to cake drums.

A few Cake Board options to consider from Amazon:

(Prices Range from $4.19-$17.99)

5. Off-Set Spatula

An off-set spatula is a popular item in the cake decorating world! It nicely distributes icing onto the cake before the bench scraper is used to smooth it out. I love using an off-set spatula because the handle never accidentally touches the cake. This can happen when spreading the icing using a regular spatula, but with an off-set spatula there is space created between the handle and the cake you are working with. You really only need one size when starting out! I started with one smaller and one larger size since they are extremely affordable! I have also recently seen off-set spatulas at The Dollar Tree!

Here are a few affordable options from Amazon:

(Prices Range from $4.29-$9.69)

6. Piping Tips

It’s amazing what you can do with piping tips! There are so many different styles and shapes to choose from, which can also be a little overwhelming in the beginning! Decorating tips are used inside piping bags to create varying borders and designs. As you begin using different piping tips, you’ll notice which designs you prefer and like the most. In the beginning stages of cake decorating, you really only need one style of piping tip. I highly recommend starting with the 1M decorating tip. My favorite place to buy piping tips is Hobby Lobby when the baking section is 40% off. You can snag a piping tip for less than $1 during this sale, so keep a lookout if you have a Hobby Lobby in your area! I’m also going to share a few more popular tips below!

An Affordable Piping Tip Set and Wilton 1M from Amazon:

(Prices Range from $5.42-$8.98)

After reading this post, you now know all about the cake decorating essentials every beginner baker needs. I hope this post helped you feel a little more prepared and ready to dive into the fun and creative world of cake decorating! You got this!

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