8 Essential Baking Supplies Every Beginner Needs

Lately I’ve been getting into baking – I find it so fun and rewarding to bake yummy things from scratch. I’ve also learned a few things along the way, including several essential baking supplies that I’ve found are a must. So if you’re a beginner baker but aren’t sure what supplies you might need, look no further! These are the 8 essential baking supplies every beginner needs.

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1. High-Quality Mixer

Your mixer will be your new BFF when it comes to baking, so having a high-quality one is a non-negotiable. I was blessed to receive my blue KitchenAid standing mixer as a wedding shower gift and I absolutely love it.

I know stand mixers are expensive, but it’s 100% worth the investment to get one. You’ll produce higher quality baked goods and it’ll likely last you a lifetime.

I swear by my KitchenAid mixer and I know many other bakers do as well (plus they come in a wide range of fun color options). My mom has this red Smeg mixer, which she absolutely loves. Cuisinart has some slightly more affordable options like this one.

2. Oven Thermometer

My mom gave me an oven thermometer and it changed my baking game! Marcus and I live in an old apartment with an old oven, and I didn’t realize how off my oven temperature was at times and how much it was affecting my baking.

But problem solved, thanks to this dinky oven thermometer! Simply hang it from the top of your oven and it will give you an accurate reading of your oven’s true temperature, and you can adjust accordingly as needed.

3. Cake Pans

When I started baking cakes, I quickly learned that 8-9 inch round cake pans are good, standard pans to have on hand. They’re commonly used in cake recipes and they make for an average cake width and shape. I also recommend having at least two, so that you can make layered cakes.

It’s not necessary to have springform pans – I actually found them more stressful, as a beginner. As long as you grease your pans thoroughly and/or line the bottoms with parchment paper, you’ll be absolutely fine.

4. Cake Stand

When you make a pretty cake, you gotta have a pretty cake stand to present it on! Amazon has so many cute options (*adds several to cart*).

For practical reasons, I also recommend having a revolving cake stand. It makes frosting your cakes so much easier and more efficient!

5. Cake Carrier

Another thing you gotta have when you make a pretty cake: something to transport it in safely. I frequently bring cakes over to my parents’ house for birthdays and holidays, and those cakes straight-up would not make it over there without my cake carrier. Conveniently, it can also double as a container to store your cake in.

6. Icing Spatula

When it comes to icing cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or really anything you bake, a butterknife or a regular spatula won’t cut it. You need an actual icing spatula with flat, smooth edges and a rounded end. Believe me, spreading frosting is way easier and more effective with this utensil.

Thankfully, you can get a single one for pretty cheap, or this revolving cake stand comes with a set of two (also linked above).

7. Piping Bag Set

There are a lot of fancy-shmancy cake decorating tools out there, and if you watch “The Great British Baking Show” as obsessively as I do, you might be tempted to go all out right away. But as a beginner, don’t worry about getting too fancy. All you need to start is a basic set of a piping bag and a few tips.

You can get reusable or disposable piping bags, depending on your preference, but either way I’d recommend getting a 12 or 16 inch size. (For me, as a beginner, anything smaller than that feels too small.)

Get yourself a simple set of piping supplies, watch some tutorials online (or just continue obsessively watching GBBS), and have fun practicing your cake decorating skills!

8. Cooling Racks

Thankfully, I think most of us have one or two cooling racks in the kitchen already. Make sure you have at least two for your baking needs. Nine times out of ten, it’s going to be important to let your baked goods cool on a cooling rack – not in the pan you baked them in.

So be sure you have a set of two wire cooling racks. Or you can even get a collapsible tower of cooling racks, which would work particularly well for cookies.

Bonus Essential Baking Supplies

From one beginner baker to another, those are my top 8 essential baking supplies. I’m enjoying learning how to use them better as well as honing my baking skills in general!

Aside from these essentials, I’m hoping everyone has the following baking supplies handy already, but I’ll state the obvious just in case. For baking, you’ll absolutely need the following items also:

• Measuring cups & spoons
• Liquid measuring cups
• A good set of spatulas
• Mixing bowls
• A whisk
• Cookie sheets
• Loaf pan

And there you have it! Happy baking, friends!

Do you enjoy baking? What are your essential baking supplies? Let me know below in the comments!

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