Tools for Baking Cupcakes - Getting Started

You don't need any speciality equipment to bake cupcakes.  They really are the most simplest of cakes to bake.
If you're here to to grab a recipe and knock up some good cupcakes with a pretty topping you'll need just a bowl, a hand whisk, sieve and a bun tray!

But, as for anything, if you wish to achieve the best results possible, it will help to have specific tools to hand so that what you end up with are some impressive looking cupcakes. Cupcakes which you hope will win you some "oohs" and "aahs" when you're handing them out to all those eager faces.

I've been baking cupcakes for a few weeks now and have already accumulated lots of tools (and "oohs" and "aahs" thankfully!). So, I thought I would  share what's in my baking cupboard :)

1.  Non-stick deep bun tray - I use a deep bun tray so that it's good for both muffin and cupcake cases. You can buy shallow bun trays which are generally used for smaller cupcakes, what you might know as fairy cakes.

2.  At the moment I use a hand whisk but really do want one of these -

I'm convinced I'll achieve much better consistency with my frosting!  I'm just trying to convince my brain that it's okay to part with £400 to mix batter!

3. Metal sieve - sift, sift, sift, sift. It really does make a difference to sift anything that is powder. I'm quite fanatical about it now.

4.  Measuring spoons - these are really good, purchased from Lakelands, as they clip together and you can use each end.  I also have a matching set of "cup sizes" which come in handy when using US recipes.  Although why Americans don't simply use scales is beyond me!  For accuracy sake surely it's better to simply weigh everything, but apparently bakers in the US don't use scales?

5.  A cupcake plunger/corer - this one was purchased from Amazon, used to hollow out the centre of a cupcake so that you can include fruit, sweets etc and scrummy little delicious surprises for your eager tasters.

6.  Mixing bowls - these are great, purchased from Lakelands.  You can't have too many bowls when it comes to baking! Or maybe it's just me because I'm hopelessly messy in the kitchen!

7.  Piping set - this is the Ateco 55 piece nozzle set purchased from www.cake-stuff.com.  If you've not heard of them, Cake Stuff are a great online cupcake resource and one of the cheapest online stores I've found. This nozzle set was just £34.95 (RRP £49.99).

8.  Wooden cocktail sticks - handy for cake testing. I usually insert one into my cupakes to test if they're ready.

9.  Set of good digital weighing scales.

10.  Glass bowls - I have plenty of small glass bowls which are great for preparing all the different ingredients before mixing.  The best place to purchase them is Ikea as they do all different shapes and sizes, from tiny to huge and every size inbetween at great prices.

11.  Spatula - good for scraping the sides of mixing bowls.  I love spatulas!  So many lovely different colours available... who would have ever thought I would love spatulas!

12.  Disposable frosting bags - I have a set of fabric bags but for me the worst thing in the world is to have to wash them out after use!

13.  Good quality ice-cream scoop - perfect for filling your cupcake cases and ensuring each one has the same amount of mixture in each case.  Also great for filling your frosting bag with the minimum of mess.

14.  Measuring jug.

15.  Double boiler - good for heating fruit and melting chocolate. Although I must confess, for speed, I do end up melting chocolate in the microwave.

So, that's everything I use for baking.  Aside from the above I'm always on the look out for pretty cupcake paraphernalia especially to use as props for photos.  If you have any tools you use which save you time etc please share in the comments box below :)

Related Items