Decorating cakes is a wonderful pastime, and is a great way to express your creativity! If you're captivated by the idea of decorating your own cakes but don't know what supplies to start with, just read on!:
1. Offset Spatula:
This is very handy for spreading and smoothing icing, while avoiding dragging your knuckles through your beautiful, smooth surface!
2. 12" Serrated Knife:
Also referred to as a bread knife, this is ideal for leveling cake layers. When the cake has completely cooled, you just cut the dome of the cake off with this knife so you have a very level working surface.
3. Decorating Tips:
If you are just starting out, buy a beginner set. This will include all the basic shapes, such as star tips, round tips (larger for figure piping and smaller for writing and delicate decor), petal tips and leaf tips. The avid beginner may also be interested in purchasing a basketweave tip, as well as a "Quick Icer," which allows quick coverage of icing, evenly over the cake. The "Quick Icer" was designed to eliminate the necessity of the crumb coat.
4. Icing Bags:
These are essential for anyone who decorates cakes. They come in many sizes and styles--both disposable and reusable--and can be found online or at your local decorating or hobby store.
5. Decorating Turntable:
Looking like a tall Lazy Susan, this is a rotating table that your cake sits on, and that allows cake borders and decorations to be applied efficiently and easily. It may take a little bit of getting used to, but before long, you won't want to decorate a cake without one!
6. Gel Food Colors:
Typical food coloring, such as what is sold in grocery stores, contains a high proportion of water to colorant, and is therefore very thin. It requires a lot of colorant be used to achieve a rich color. Gel colors are thicker, and require less colorant to achieve deeper colors. If you wish, begin with the primary colors--red, blue and yellow--and mix your own secondary and tertiary colors to save on cost. You may find that a color wheel, from an art or craft supply store, can be invaluable in this situation!
These are just a few of the time- and sanity-saving tools that can help you get your cake decorating underway! As you grow and learn as a decorator, you may come to desire more and more in the way of supply--trust me!--but these few items will stay with you throughout your whole journey.
