What Equipment To Buy, New To Cakes

Decorating By bnielsen Updated 1 May 2014 , 6:03pm by -K8memphis

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bnielsen Posted 1 May 2014 , 2:50pm
post #1 of 15

Hi,

 I am looking for recommendations on what I should buy, I am new to cake decorating and making (well for more of a professional look anyways) I have signed up to take the wilton classes, and have been doing some research online.

   I want to make my daughters birthday cake next weekend, nothing special, I want to do a sheet cake to use a Frozen edible picture (all the frozen stuff is so outrageously priced right now, this is just the cheapest way to do it) I do not have a sheet cake pan though, so I need to buy one, looking for recommendations on that, I think I should do a half sheet, or 1/3 sheet (one size up from 9X13 I'm thinking) I want to Torte the cake, I definitely don't think I should try by freestyle, but I'm getting overwhelmed by reading reviews on amazon for cake levelers, what is your favorite? I was watching a video on you tube on torting and the baker used a cooking sheet to lift the cut part of the sheet cake, one of the cookie sheets without a raised edge, right now I have a wilton cake lifter in my amazon cart, but think the cookie sheet would be the way to go(especially since the wilton lifter would be to small for sheet cake).

Also in my cart right now I have the Wilton ultimate cake decorating kit to get me started for my classes and practicing, a turntable for round cakes, and an icing smoother.

 Is there anything else you would recommend me by, probably the cardboard cake sheets. Anything else I should by for torting, in a you tube video I was watching the lady used this concentrated fruit flavors to make her filling? Any additional cake decorating tips I should buy in addition to the kit (I will link the kit)

When I was reading a review for a pan, someone mentioned they never cook a cake without a flower in the middle or something like that, anyone know what that reviewer meant?

 

Thank you again in Advance, I just want to have everything I will need or will be helpful to a amateur, who really wants to make this a hobby.

Ultimate cake kit link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008GXE7P2/?tag=cakecentral-20

 

 

Thank you,

Bonnie 

14 replies
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thecakewitch Posted 1 May 2014 , 3:27pm
post #2 of 15

AWhy not just bake 2 sheet cakes, no torting needed.

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bnielsen Posted 1 May 2014 , 3:47pm
post #3 of 15

Thats an excellent point, I originally wondered the same thing, but I just keep seeing torting, why torte instead of stack, whats usually the reason there?

 

Bonnie

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thecakewitch Posted 1 May 2014 , 4:00pm
post #4 of 15

why torte instead of stack, whats usually the reason there? My cake pans are 3" high so I tort 

-K8memphis Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
-K8memphis Posted 1 May 2014 , 4:07pm
post #5 of 15

there's 10,000 ways to do all this stuff and get the same result--

 

and to give a light hearted answer to your question,

 

"What equipment to buy, new to cakes?"

 

ALL OF IT

 

 :lol: 

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-K8memphis Posted 1 May 2014 , 4:10pm
post #6 of 15

but seriously -- find a cake you'd like to do and start getting what you need to produce it--that would be a reasonable way to do it -- you kind of need a jumping off spot--then come back & we can all discuss what might be some of the finer points --like the differences in torting--it's the cake pan like thecakewitch said as well as the type of oven--some cakers just bake/buy sheet cakes and cut out all their tiers--but typically a home oven won't accommodate the big full sheet pans--some cakers use cake rings placed onto sheet pans too--no bottoms

 

just thousands of variables--and we'll talk you through them--come on back

 

best caking to you

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bnielsen Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:00pm
post #7 of 15

Thank you for your responses I was originally thinking sheet, but now I changed my mind, I'm going to do a 2 tier circle cake, so what would be the best pans for that? I'm going to do a chocolate cake, with pb mousse filling and vanilla buttercream frosting.

 

Bonnie

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-K8memphis Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:10pm
post #8 of 15

that's your decision--what size cakes are you making? 

 

i have non name brand name aluminum cake pans made by some guys in washington--some peeps swear by fat daddios pan or some other brand name ones--i am not a fan of wilton brand pans 

 

tons of pans out there 

 

however wilton yearbooks and website have a lot of beginner information on how to do cakes from a to z

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bnielsen Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:16pm
post #9 of 15

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008DD18ZW/?tag=cakecentral-20+cake+pans

 

Maybe these, I guess I will think about doing the 10inch and the 8 inch, and then I will need to tort, do you tort by hand or have a leveler that you like the best? Or should I by pans separately. 

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bnielsen Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:19pm
post #10 of 15

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00133749S/?tag=cakecentral-20+inch+cake+pan

 

Okay I found the fat daddios, I will get those.

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bnielsen Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:23pm
post #11 of 15

I have been on wilton quite a bit, but they obviously are biased towards their own products. Thanks again for the help!

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-K8memphis Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:25pm
post #12 of 15

http://cooksdream.com/

 

 magic line is also popular--off brand work great--but do some research on how other peeps like fat daddios and magic line

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maisie73 Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:33pm
post #13 of 15

AHi Bonnie, I have a leveller and hate it, I've only used it once. I use a big bread knife. I'm just a hobby baker, only been decorating just over a year so I still NEED loads of equipment. I bought what I thought I absolutely needed for my first cake then improvised when I needed to, then bought a bit more for the next one ( things I realised I should've had on the last one) etc, etc. This way means I haven't had a huge expense all in one go and I haven't wasted too much money on things I don't use.

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MimiFix Posted 1 May 2014 , 5:50pm
post #14 of 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by maisie73 

... I have a leveller and hate it, I've only used it once. I use a big bread knife.

 

Same here, I use a serrated bread knife. I bought a cake leveler when I started baking thirty plus years ago. It' still sitting in my pantry with the original packaging.

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-K8memphis Posted 1 May 2014 , 6:03pm
post #15 of 15

Quote:

Originally Posted by MimiFix 
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by maisie73 

... I have a leveller and hate it, I've only used it once. I use a big bread knife.

 

Same here, I use a serrated bread knife. I bought a cake leveler when I started baking thirty plus years ago. It' still sitting in my pantry with the original packaging.

 

 

yard sale fodder-- i got one too -- but i use a lovely 18" cake knife -- *cue the triumphant music* -- shades of zorro-- zwip zwip zwap

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