My Favorite Cake Tools for Everything from Decorating to Delivery!

I’ve been decorating cakes for over 15 years now, running a busy bakery with a talented team by my side.

I’ve learned that having the right tools can make all the difference when it comes to executing a flawless design, meeting deadlines, and ensuring a smooth delivery. While there are no "miracle" tools that will do the job for you, there are tools that simply work better than others— upgrades that make your workflow more efficient and enjoyable.

In this post, I’m sharing some of my absolute favorite tools, ones I’ve come to rely on for everything from building cakes to delivering them. Most of these are tools you might already use, but I’ve found these options are a cut above the rest. Whether you’re a seasoned cake artist or just starting to build your collection, I think you’ll find something here that will make your work a little easier, more precise, and even a bit more fun. Plus, I’ll include links to where you can find each one, in case you’re ready to add a new favorite to your own toolkit. 💛

1. Sprinks Cake Scraper

I’ve tried a lot of different scrapers over the years and this one is my absolute favorite. It’s thin enough to smooth buttercream even after it has become slightly airy but thick enough not to bend easily like some of my other favorite super thin scrapers. It’s seriously a game-changer if you ever struggle to have a perfect smooth coat. It’s available from Blooms by June and honestly, that entire online shop is worth a look. It’s a beautiful curated list of amazing cake tools and products.

2. GG Korean Piping Tips + Y Nail

I’m not sure about you but I used to look at some of the buttercream flowers that other people were making and not understand how they were possible. Then I went to a Buttercream Flower Workshop with Lila Cake Shop and realized that I needed the right tools to achieve some of the looks I was going for. The Korean piping tips have a sharper point at the base that makes it easier to create delicate petals. The Y nail allows you to build a more dimensional flower for a more realistic look. The trick is building your flower on aluminum foil that you dome just above the base of the Y Nail. 

If you want excellent instruction on using these tools, Lila Cake Shop also has an online course, so you can learn from anywhere. Use the code HEATHER10 for 10% both online and in person.

3. Super Smooth Turntable

We’ve had lots of different team members over the years, and teaching new hires to execute a perfect smooth coat is one of the trickiest parts of training. A few years ago, we found these turn tables that spin very smoothly. As soon as we got them, I noticed a huge difference in how everyone was able to execute their smooth coats. I do recommend keeping a different turntable for static decorating tasks, though. This one was born top spin!

4. Large Paint Brush instead of a Pastry Brush

I was never thrilled by any of the pastry brushes we tried. They would either lose their bristles easily or not hold enough liquid. Last year, we made the switch to large paint brushes for applying simple syrup to our cakes and I’ve been so pleased with the results. I’m never buying another expensive pastry brush again!

5. Our Favorite Delivery Cart

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I love to sing the praises of this cart. It is sturdy enough to transport a large cake smoothly, has multiple shelves for easy storage of kitchen cakes and tools, and folds up small enough to put in the front seat of your vehicle. I even love using the cart as a staging area for tools and flowers while I’m putting the finishing touches on a cake at a venue. At this point, I feel lost on a delivery without this cart.

6. Acrylic Rounds

We build all of our cakes on cardboard rounds and then tape those rounds to acrylic rounds for smoothing and transporting the cakes before stacking. Since we switched to using acrylic rounds, we’ve found that it’s easier to get a nice smooth coat and we see less cracking while transporting tiers. There are many companies that sell acrylic rounds specifically for cakes but we’ve found the prices at TAP Plastics to be much more affordable.

Photos by: Cat Carty Buswell, Emmy and Ollie Photography, and Ally Frances Photo.
Cakes and content by: Sweet Heather Anne.

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Learn more tools and tricks that my team and I use every day in my Online Tutorials. For more tips like this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to The Cake Break, our once-per-month newsletter for cake decorators and artists.

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6 Kitchen Organization Tips We Love in Our Cake Studio

The treat of an organized kitchen

One of the best parts about building out a new Cake Studio after 12 years in business was the opportunity to organize everything exactly as we wanted it. After about a month of working in the new space, I realized that the organized workspace was having a huge impact on my daily satisfaction at work. It’s honestly a treat to work in this kitchen!

Here’s a list of some of our favorite ways to stay organized:

• Make sure that frequently used items are easily accessible in each station. Instead of having one location for pens, scissors, gloves, etc, store one of each close at hand so you don’t have to disrupt your workflow bringing items back and forth. Utilize hooks and hanging containers to make these items easy to access.

• For other items, think about where in the kitchen you are most likely to use the item when choosing a storage space. For example, all of our ingredients are stored right next to the table that we use for scaling.

• Labeled storage bins are your friends. We store everything from finished sugar flower stems to cookie cutters in inexpensive labeled bins from Ikea. It makes it easy for everyone to find everything and gives the kitchen a sense of order.

• Wall space is great for storage. We have an entire wall of metro shelving right by our work tables. We store a ladder by the shelves for easy access to hard to reach items.

• Set up a spot to display your weekly orders prominently. We use magnetic knife strips from Ikea with strong magnets to hold up the orders. This allows the entire team to visualize the needs of the week.

• Have a white board or something similar to write out the needs of the day. This helps everyone stay on task and be aware of what others are working on. It also feels satisfying to check off your tasks as you go.

Check out this reel to see a virtual tour of our kitchen and our favorite storage solutions in action.

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The Key To Smooth Cake Deliveries: Details!

Deliveries can be stressful, but having a system in place helps so much! In hopes of providing some inspiration for your own system, I’ve compiled my top delivery tips - and a ready-to-use tool for you!

First off, long before the delivery date I ask a series of questions to set the cake up for success. In my experience, the event planner or venue coordinator often has the best answers.

Questions to ask before delivery:

• What is the earliest and latest the cake can arrive?

• When will the guests arrive in the space where the cake is set up?

• Where will the cake and desserts be placed ?

• Will the area be air conditioned (if outdoors, will the area be shaded)?

• Who should we contact for any questions on the day of delivery and what is their phone number?

• Any special instructions for parking/arrival or unloading?

If they tell you that the cake will be outdoors in an unshaded area - advocate for the cake! People generally don’t want melted cakes and are happy to make changes to the floorplan or delivery timeline to avoid that.

It’s also really helpful to give yourself enough time for each delivery. We like to budget a solid hour for every delivery, and more if we know it’s a complicated set-up.

To ensure my team and I are all working with the relevant information, we fill out this delivery details form. It has saved the day more than once!

You can download a printer-friendly-version OF THE DELIVERY DETAILS form FOR YOUR OWN STUDIO HERE:

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But wait, there’s more!

The to-go kit packing list I shared last week can also be customized to your needs to reduce the chances of forget any important items. I recommend using our easy two-part system: Replace anything you used on your previous delivery early in the week, then use the bottom part of the checklist for day-of packing.

Also, if you don’t already have one, get yourself a delivery cart! THIS CART is a life saver for us! It easily folds up to fit in the front seat of any vehicle and can be used for both loading and unloading. I also like to use it as a staging table during set-up. It’s great for laying out fresh flowers so they’re easy to see and even easier to clean up when you’re done. We use non-slip mats on both levels so that things don’t move around.

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Learn more studio tricks that my team and I use every day in my Online Tutorials. For more tips like this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to The Cake Break, our once-per-month newsletter for cake decorators and artists.

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A Cake Decorator's Complete To-Go Kit Packing List

Over the years, we’ve perfected our to-go kit to have everything we need to keep calm and cool when taking an elaborate cake to an event site. We recently wrote down the list so we can be confident that we’re ready for (just about) anything.

The thirty or so items we always bring along range from cardboard cutouts for leveling tables in a pinch to the exact spatulas we default to.

And now you can download our entire list for your own studio!

The list is divided into two parts. I like to restock everything on the first portion of the list early in the week when I have time to think about it. The second part is a short list for day-of packing on the run.

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To-Go Kit Packing List

Always Stock

• Paper towel

• Food safe gloves

• Toothpicks

• Floral wire: 18 and 20 gauge

• Floral sheers

• Floral tape: brown and a variety of greens

• Business cards

• Straight Pins

• Hammer

• Two 6-inch + two 8-inch cardboard rounds (for leveling cake or table)

• Needle nose pliers

• Scissors

• Masking tape

• Piping bags

• Pencil

• Bulb air duster

• Non slip rounds

• Level

• Floral wire: 18 and 20 gauge

• Floral sheers

• Floral tape: brown and a variety of greens

• Two 6-inch + two 8-inch cardboard rounds (for leveling cake or table)

• Paintbrushes (fine tip + large brush for dusting)

• Large bun pan covers for rain

Pack Day-Of

• Royal Icing(fondant cakes)

• Buttercream(buttercream cakes)

• Small Offset Spatula

• Large Straight Spatula

• Anything needed to repair decorations

What about the perfect bag to keep all of the items organized?

We’ve found that gardening bags are a great option with plenty of pockets. 

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Ready to go further?

Learn more studio tricks that my team and I use every day in my Online Tutorials. For more tips like this delivered to your inbox, subscribe to The Cake Break, our once-per-month newsletter for cake decorators and artists.

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