Equipment

Before you get yourself all excited about baking, there's some things I think should treat yourself too. Some of them are essentials/things I wish I'd known about when I first started baking, some of them are just things that'll make your life a damn sight easier guys and gals...

ESSENTIALS


1.  Mixing bowl. Pretty self explanatory I'd have thought. Though buy yourself a deep one if you can, because I make a total mess every time I whisk something!

2. Scales. Again, self explanatory

3. Sieve. Do you see a pattern here...

4. Measuring jug. Not as essential, but still handy.

1. Cupcake tray. I got myself a silicone one, just because i wanted to use it for sponge shapes without having to line it with cupcake cases. However, a tin one will do you to get started.

2. Basic round tin. Some supply stores will charge a fortune for these (usually because they have pop out bottoms and non stick features), but you can pick up a good cheap one for a few pounds to begin with.

3. Basic square tin. (As above)

1. Pipping bag. You can buy loads of different shapes and sizes from supermarkets/ cake supply stores. This one only cost me 50p. Once you've bought the bag you cut it to the size you need to fit your nozzle. These are essential for pipping butter cream onto cupcakes.

2. Star shaped Icing Nozzle. The star is the nicest and easiest nozzle to use (In my opinion). Its a good starting nozzle. Don't go for a small one to start with, it'll make it harder.





1. Rolling pins. I didn't get my big one for about a year (they can get pretty expensive for a roll of plastic!). And it came with a lot of rude jokes from my pals!!!

NOTE: Buy a plastic one. Wooden ones stick to your fondant and leave a grain print.

Food colourings... so you think you can colour fondant with normal super market colouring (image 2)....WRONG!!!!

It very rarely works..there's too much liquid and it just makes your fondant go all soggy, and the colours are usually all natural meaning that you get a wishy washy crap colour.

Stick to Gel/Powder colourings (image 1)

NON ESSENTIALS (BUT JEEZO DO THEY HELP!)

1. Plastic mat. So I got this free when I bought a pre-rolled sheet of fondant icing in Tesco, but apparently you can buy proper rubber/plastic sheets now. I swear by this. Your fondant peels right off it after rolling, no scraping fondant off the bunker and cursing yourself!

2. Fondant smoother. Why did nobody tell me about this when I started!? Its a must for smoothing out dents in fondant and generally giving your cakes a nice flat finish.
I almost put this one in essentials!!! LOVE


1. Big sharp knife. You need something that's big enough to cut the whole way through a cake.

2. Bread knife. Sometimes this one works better!

3. Fish Slice. Might seem weird, but are you gonna transfer your freshly butter creamed cake onto the board with your mitts?

4. Spatula. For applying butter cream to cakes. You can use a normal knife, but this is easier.

1. Round and pointed sticks. Great for shaping fiddly fondant shapes and lifting them onto your cake without leaving huge fingerprints.

2. Wooden skewers. I use them for all sorts and re-use and re-use them. For adding edible glue, adding colour to fondant etc.

3. Round cutters. Because cutting out a circle with a knife is a total ma