The Utensils That Make Cake-Making Easier: Must-Haves & Nice-to-Haves
- Shlomit Avni
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 21
Baking a cake should be joyful, not stressful. The right utensils can make the difference between feeling clumsy and feeling in control. At Cake It Yourself, we believe that good tools are like good friends - they support you, cheer you on, and help you shine in the kitchen.
Below we’ve broken down the most useful utensils into two categories: must-haves (the essentials you’ll reach for every single time) and nice-to-haves (extras that make the process smoother, prettier, or more fun).
Must-Haves
These are the basics every cake maker needs in their kitchen drawer or cupboard.
Mixing Bowls
You’ll need at least two: one for dry ingredients and one for wet. Glass or stainless steel bowls are sturdy and easy to clean.
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
Saves time and arm strength when beating eggs or whipping cream. A stand mixer can feel like magic when tackling buttercream.
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Baking is precision work. Guesswork leads to flat cakes or too-sweet frosting. A reliable set of cups and spoons makes all the difference.
Whisk
Perfect for blending dry ingredients evenly and whipping up batters. It’s also your best friend for lump-free creams.
Rubber/Silicone Spatula
No butter left behind! A flexible spatula makes it easy to scrape bowls clean and fold ingredients gently without knocking out air.
Cake Tin
It might sound obvious, but the right tin size matters. A 20–24 cm round tin is the most versatile and works for most recipes.
Baking Paper (Parchment)
Saves you from stuck cakes and stressful tin-scrubbing. A simple lining step makes all the difference when unmoulding.
Nice-to-Haves
These aren’t strictly essential, but they’ll make your cake-making smoother, neater, and more fun.
Offset Spatula
Spreads frosting evenly and gives you more control over smooth finishes compared to a regular knife.
Cake edge smoother
Shaped a bit like the letter “r”, this handy tool glides along the sides of your cake to give you clean, smooth, and even edges. It takes your frosting from homemade to professional in just a few sweeps.
A selection of scrapers
Scrapers come in different shapes and sizes, and each one gives your cake a unique finish. Straight-edged scrapers help you smooth frosting into clean, sharp sides, while rounded scrapers are great for soft curves. Some even have patterned edges that add texture and decoration in just a single swipe. With a small set to choose from, you can experiment and find the style that feels most you.
Cake Leveler or Serrated Knife
For those layered celebration cakes, trimming the top flat makes stacking easier and prettier.
Turntable (Cake Stand with Spin)
If you’ve ever tried to frost a cake while walking around it, you’ll know why this is on the list. A turntable gives you a smooth, professional touch.
Piping Bags and Tips
From simple swirls to intricate borders, piping tools let you add creativity and personality to your cakes.
Digital Kitchen Scale
Especially useful for international recipes where grams are used instead of cups. Accuracy means reliability. Personally, we like the hand-held scale best.
Cooling Rack
Letting your cake cool properly keeps the texture light and prevents sogginess from trapped steam.
How Cake It Yourself Makes It Easier
We know how overwhelming it can feel to start baking from scratch. That’s why we’ve designed our kits to take away the stress of wondering, “Do I even have the right tools?”
Every Cake It Yourself box includes the essentials you’ll need to decorate your cake with confidence - no rummaging through drawers or buying a dozen utensils you’ll only use once.
Our kits come with:
Spatula - for smooth spreading and scraping.
Scrapers - to shape and neaten your frosting.
Disposable piping bags & nozzles - so you can create swirls, borders, and details without needing special equipment.
Cake box - properly sized for your latest creation.
Cake tray - sturdy and ready to showcase your cake beautifully, whether on the table or inside the box.
Themed Decorations - carefully curated to match the design, so you can focus on the fun part: making and sharing your cake.
That means you can open the box and get straight to baking, without a long shopping list. And as you grow your confidence, you’ll know exactly which extra tools are worth adding to your own collection.
✨ At CIY, our goal is simple: to make cake-making joyful, accessible, and stress-free. With the right tools in your hands, you can bake something beautiful - and have fun doing it.
💌 And because cake always tastes sweeter when shared, we’d love to invite you into our community. Join our Facebook group, engage with us, and be part of the decision-making process that shapes Cake It Yourself. Together, we can create cakes - and memories - worth celebrating.
P.S. Want to make sure you’re truly ready to bake like a pro? Download our free Baking Prep Checklist - it’s the ultimate guide to making sure you’ve got everything in place before you crack that first egg.
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