BESIDES the kitchenaid... what is a cake-decorating must have... and/or never run out of?

Just thought that this would help the "just starting out" cake decorators like me - on what supplies they need. Plus, I thought that it would be a good thread.

Thanks - have a good Memorial Day weekend!!!

Michelle

My turntable. Have you ever tried to do a cake without one? It can make you insane!

Hey Michelle...my second must have (next to my KA) is a rubber spatula...I use it for scraping, mixing, pouring etc etc etc.

All my Fondant Molds and textured rolling pins...besides KA for mixing the batter..

Cake release!

I will never go back to the old crisco/flour method.

My "Food Saver" , basic model, I make up fondant and store it in my drawer, don't have to worry about it drying up. If I have some left over, I seal it and use it when I need it.

I would never ever be able to do without my 6" spackle knife. You find them in the hardware store in plastic & metal. I have a plastic one and love, love, love it! Check out my pics...gets the side of your cake super smooth.

Butter.

Just kidding...

Hmm...turntable and Cake Release for sure, large angled spatula (two of them), and my new favorite things are the Fondant Fun rolling mat and white fondant rolling pin from Wilton. Parchment paper...nonstick cooling racks...lots of cardboard rounds...disposable decorating bags, two sizes of cake levelers (LOVE those too).

Oh--That huge wide icing tip, can't remember the name, but I NEVER apply icing right to the cake with a spatula any more, I LOVE that thing! That might be my real #1 thing when decorating...

Oh, and a wrist brace for decorating--my hand shakes when I'm piping, and I find that simple brace really helps.

Oh, you just learn so much just reading this kind of thread!!!! A wrist brace to help shaking, Yes!!! finally an answer.. thanks

Oh my favorite thing???? uh, uh, my computer so I can get cake ideas and help with ISSUES!

My new favorite thing is my own refrigerator in the garage ONLY for my cakes!!!

All my luster and pixie dusts!!

Refrigerator in the garage. Gosh I thought I was doing good when I got the KA, now I have to get another fridge - great idea.

Seriously though, love my pasta machine and my sugarcraft black/red clay gun, oh and just learning to airbrush so that will be up there also! I can improvise with everything else.

I need to know where to pick up a good wrist brace. I bought some that wilton sells, not much support IMO. or at least for me.
And I thought i was the only one using cake release. I need to buy more. back when i was starting my teens we used to use oil & flour. But i notice too much flour left over on the cake.

my favorite thing... hmm i can't say i have one. I just have way too many supplies. But love the book & this site for ideas.

For me, it's really good real vanilla extract. Do not give me imitation or clear. To me, they have a metallic aftertaste, and I would rather have to add some white paste color to my icing to brighten it than to have that taste in my mouth for the rest of the day.

Popcorn salt would be #2. I never use regular granulated salt in my icing, and popcorn salt is difficult to find here, so I always keep a large quantity of it handy. I re-order when I get to my last half pound.

Theresa

I found my hand/wrist wrap/brace at Walmart when I started my Wilton course 3 years ago...and I LOVE it. It probably cost less than $10.

It's just a neoprene-type comfy stretchy wrap that fits on your hand like a snug glove with the fingers and thumb sticking out, and it has a velcro long "wrap" part that you wrap around your wrist and secure at whatever tension you like. I never really decorate without it.

Most definitely a turntable! Love the turntable... And my computer because I've gotta have my daily dose of Cake Central.. And let's not forget the most wonderful thing ever to happen to my kitchen... My kitchenaid mixer... It's a beautiful thing.

Turntable....couldn't ice a cake quickly and smoothly without it.

Necessities:
projector and airbrush
great icing and a decent spatula
basic tips and rose nail

Nonslip rug mat
I know that a lot of you use this for deliveries... but you can also put it on your turntable to keep the cake from moving while you ice!

Turntable.
Good vanilla.

LOTS of DAWN liquid. (with bleach alternative!)

I want an extra fridge and a KITCHENAID...WHahhhaa.

Well everyone said all the good things I was thinking of except for one thing,... and I know I am totally bias since I sell Pampered Chef, but if it wasn't for my measure all cup, getting Crisco out of a plain old measuring cup would have been terms to commit me from going crazy! I can't imagine doing frosting without it, and my KA.

I just started using foam core board for the cakes bases - mostly for tiered/stacked cakes. They work so much better for me than cardboard.

Oh, and have you ever heard of running out of powdered sugar???? Or marshmallows??? I actually believed I had an endless supply in my cabnet - untill yesterday. None was to be found! This was both pathetic and sad....all at the same time. So off to the store I go.

As for dawn, they have the new foaming kind out now (like the handsoap foam kind) It's awsome! I'm out of that too, by the way.

The organizer is great. I have one up on my wall for my tips and couplers. My cake decorating must have is disposable piping bags. I go through so many of them. I couldn't do without them. And doing parchment cones never seem to work for me!

Helendelk

The wrist support I use really makes me feel like my hand gets less fatigued and shaky. Try one--look in the pharmacy area at Walmart--or with the Ace wraps, bandages, ice packs, etc. There should be a whole assortment of leg/arm/ankle/wrist wraps and braces...

Everyone has mentioned all the good ones I would have said, but I will add that I love my non-standard measuring spoon set and cup set, like 2 Tablespoon spoon, 1 1/2 teaspoon spoon, 1/8 cup etc.

I know, I know, sounds like something you don't really need, at least that is what I thought, until I started to use them, lol. You really cut down on the steps in the measuring process.

I'm still new to cake decorating, but right now my favorite is my new turntable and the large flat icing tip. I can ice a cake flat in a quarter of the time it used to take me and get faster to the fun stuff.

Now I'm dreaming of a KA and a seperate fridge. My dh is not going to like my newest wish list.

Wal-mart - here I come for a wrist brace.

Thanks everyone for the great ideas.

Hey - Chefdot! I was going to mention the Pampered Chef spatula's! Of course I forget what it's called, a "mix-n-??" But it is a heavy duty spatula that can mix ANYTHING, doesn't melt, doesn't stain, is guaranteed for a year or something. The large one is $13, and the medium is $11, I have 2 of each. I started with 1 big one & have been washing it between every color & item I need to mix. I LOVE THEM!!

I also enjoy using everything that everyone else has listed, except I need to get into airbrushing, haven't tried yet.

And... my #1 decorating tip for those fine details....... does anyone know of a smaller tip?

.......I actually should have said "toothpick", because I do a lot of my small detail work with a toothpick, because a #1 sometimes isn't small enough!