Top 15 Must-Have Cake Decorating Tools: My Favourites for 2023!

Like many cake decorators across the world, I have lots and lots of cake equipment and decorating tools. Some are tucked away in a cupboard and only come out now and again, where as others are always at arms reach. In my cake hints and tips. I will show you my 15 cake decorating tools that I cannot do without and why.

Wether you are a hobby baker or run a cake business, there are many cake decorating tools on the market it can be hard deciding which ones to buy. Being a cake decorator can be an expensive hobby and if you decide to go that step further and run a cake business you will need some basic tools to get you started.

If I was to give one bit of advice, it would be ‘always buy branded’. If you buy unbranded counterfeit tools you will often find they break easily and may not even be food safe.

Take Your Cakes to the Next Level with These Top Cake Decorating Tools

When I first had the idea about writing this post, I imagined that I’d have around 5 of my favourite tools to talk about.  When I eventually put pen to paper, the list kept growing as I kept thinking ‘I can’t do without that either.’ So let’s get started.

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1.  Pasta Roller to Get Your Sugarpaste Super Thin

Ok, I know it’s not a cake decorating tool but it is an important piece of my cake equipment. I have had this pasta roller for around 10 years and I wish I had it longer!  This small gadget is brilliant for getting flower paste super thin as well as sugarpaste especially for ruffles.

I would definitely recommend getting one of these, it will save you so much time rolling paste! They cost around £50 for an electric one (I’ll add links at the end of the post)

🔗 Here’s where you can buy it Electric Pasta Roller

2.  Brushes

How can a pot full of brushes be a cake decorating tool I cannot do without?  The longer you make cakes, you will realise that a small selection of brushes won’t do all the jobs.  You’ll need a couple sized brushes for gluing, as a normal sized one won’t be able to get to those tricky places.  I have a good selection for painting, gluing and dusting.

There’s no need to buy expensive ones as you can often find a good bargain set in your craft store or even the pound shop.

3.  Rolling pin

I remember when I first started out making cakes and my very first rolling pin was a marble one.  It wasn’t very big and I can’t even remember what happened to it. Anyway as you can see I now use a large PME one which is 20″ and a good weight too. The advantage of having a heavier rolling pin to a light one, is that you’ll roll the paste out quicker.

It’s a good idea to also have a smaller one for the smaller jobs that you’ll get to work on.[/vc_column_text]

4.  Stainless steel Ball tools

If some of you make lots of sugar flowers you will no doubt have a ball tool or two.  When I first started out I had (and still do) the plastic one from FMM.   As you go along your cake journey you will find out which cake decorating tools work best. The metal ball tools are heavier than the plastic ones therefor making it easier and quicker when flower making.

The set I have are from Purple Cupcakes and have been on the market for some years.  I couldn’t be without these for sure.

5.  Flower foam pad

Something else that I use a lot especially when it comes to making flowers.  I use them for all sorts, shaping petals, ruffles and rolling bits n bobs. You can get different makes as well as sizes and don’t cost much. Again these are from Purple Cupcakes.

6.  Stone/Textile texture mat 

[This texture mat is one of many that I have got from Rachel of  The Old Piping Bag  I simply love it. It is one of the most used and I’ve created so many looks with it, it’s also saves me time. To me it looks like soft, fluffy wool which is perfect for clouds as you can see in the picture above.

7.  Pliers and wire cutters

Ok I’ve slipped two items into one, I couldn’t help it. Lots of my tools aren’t labelled under ‘cake decorating tools’ however I use these a lot when making sugar flowers. The wire cutters are great for cutting florist wire and the pliers are great at holding the flowers when positioning onto cakes.

8. Scrubbing Brush

Now you’re probably thinking, why is a scrubbing brush in my ’15 cake decorating tools that I cannot do without’? This household object is brilliant for creating textures.  The brush is a hard bristled plastic one that I got from a local store and didn’t cost much.  I use it mainly for creating effects on cake boards which you can see in the pictures below. It’s also great for sand, mud and even the texture on Teddies.

9.  Little white knife tool

This little white knife is most probably one of my most used cake decorating tools when I’m making models.  I can honestly say, it’s brilliant and I have been known to have a paddy if I can’t find it!  (Hubby will verify this!) I use it for modelling, smoothing out creases as well as creating textures.

It is part of a set that I have had for years that I saw advertised in one of Jan Clement-May modelling books.  You can get the set now from Squires Kitchen and it costs around £16 (some other fab tools in it too!

The cream coloured one is a FMM knife & scriber tool – the closet thing to the white one.

10. Sharp Edge Smoother

Most of you reading this will know that I developed the Sharp Edge Smoother and there is no way that I could do without this, EVER!  We all have favourite cake decorating tools and this is mine.  It helps me achieve those super sharp edges and smooth vertical sides in minutes, saving me so much time.

A before and after pictures after using the Sharp Edge Smoother

You can see a short video on how the smoother works HERE

11.  Cake scrapers

As you can see below I have a couple cake scrapers.  The metal one is from Fabricake Sugarcraft Ltd that was in our goodie bag at the Cake Masters Awards night.  I love it, its taller than most metal ones and not too heavy either.

The clear one came in a set of two, a short and tall one which is perfect for those extra deep cakes.

12.  Paint Palettes

These paint palettes are in my 15 cake decorating tools that I cannot do without as they are a godsend.  Like most of my cake decorating tools I’ve had them for years, in fact I have around 6 of them.  Obviously they are great for when it comes to painting, (luckily not much of that happens here as I’m rubbish).  I use them loads when I’m making sugar flowers.  They are great for shaping the smaller flowers and for when it comes to making petals for the larger flowers.

I would highly recommend getting some of these and you can pick them up for around £1 – £2.I would highly recommend getting some of these and you can pick them up for around £1 – £2.

13.  Palette knives

Having different sized palette knives is a must for any cake decorator and I certainly wouldn’t be without these for sure.  The tiny I mainly use when making flowers as it’s perfect for flipping the petals over without damaging them.  The other two I use with buttercream and ganache, you can never have enough of these.

14. Multi circle cutter – Ezi ruffle cutter

I wish I had one of these years ago as when it comes to making ruffles this is the tool you need. Gone are the days that I’ll spend hours (and I mean hours!) making ruffles.  I can now whip up hundreds of ruffles using this multi cutter, I think I’d cry if I lost it. If you would like more information on the Ezi Ruffle Multi cutter please click HERE

15.  Arkon Mount 

Yes I know it’s not exactly a cake decorating tool or a piece of cake equipment but I love it. to be honest, if this went missing I would honestly miss it.  It’s a great piece of equipment to have especially if you do any filming.  I teach online and use it every time as it will hold both my ipad and mobile phone.  When I’m not filming this is where I put them, it means I can talk hands free and they don’t get covered in icing sugar. I do hope you have enjoyed reading about the 15 cake decorating tools I cannot do without. The list could of been longer as I have so many great cake decorating tools. Maybe I’ll do a post another time on them.

You can find most of the products on the Cake Stuff website.

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Til next time

Carol