Essential Tools For DIY Cakes

Before you commit to going for your DIY cake dream, let’s look at the essential tools you’ll need. Remember to budget for all of the tools & equipment you’ll need to buy. It adds up quickly!

1. A working oven. (D’uh!)
2. An oven thermometer. Why? Many, many ovens are not calibrated which means that temperature inside the oven is quite often different from what’s on the dial (or digital read out). Cakes require proper temp settings otherwise you’ll get a burnt outside and runny inside.
3. A mixer. I prefer stand mixers (KitchenAid rocks) because they can handle heavier and more abundant batters than hand held mixers.
4. A rubber or silicon scraper to get all of the batter out of the mixing bowl.
5. Mixing bowls.
6. Whisk.
7. Wire cooling racks. You’ll need to let your cakes cool before frosting and decorating. A wire rack allows full air circulation under and around the cake.
8. Measuring cups for wet and dry ingredients.
9. Measuring spoons for wet and dry ingredients.
10. A long, serrated knife or cake leveler tool to level the cake.
11. An offset spatula for frosting.
12. Cake pans.
13. Parchment paper to line cake pans.
14. Pastry bag and tips for decorating.
15. Rolling pin (for fondant, gumpaste, or marzipan).
16. Fondant smoothing tool and/or brayer (if working with fondant).
17. Non-stick mat (fondant).
18. Cutters, molds (for fondant).
19. Timer.
20. Bamboo skewers or toothpicks to poke cake to check for doneness.
21. Oven mitts.
22. Refrigerator space to store the cake(s).
23. Plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil.
24. Cardboard cake boards.
25. A box or way to transport the cake from kitchen to venue.