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.
