Gift Guide: Best Gifts for Cake Decorators

The holidays are just around the corner and you might be wondering what to get your favorite cake decorating enthusiast. Perhaps it’s their birthday or you just want to put a gigantic smile on their face. Keep reading, pin this post, and take note, because I’ve gathered the 10 Best Gifts for Cake Decorators.

When I started decorating cakes, it was 1) an accident and 2) it was totally a hobby. In fact, I would ask my friends if they would allow me to make cakes for their kids’ birthdays. Yep, I was the one asking to make their cake, not them.

Thankfully, that didn’t last long, because a few months into it, people started asking me and offering to pay for my cakes.

In the beginning, I was very creative with the materials I used to decorate cakes. And I mean creative! The cap of a cocktail shaker was the perfect circle cutter. Unused paint brushes were also fondant molding tools.

But little by little, I started reinvesting what I earned into actual cake decorating supplies. As I purchased certain tools, my creations improved in quality. Some tools just made it easier, but others really took my cake decorating skills to a whole other level! The airbrush machine is a perfect example of one of those life-changing tools.

If you’re looking for a gift that will really wow your cake decorating loved one, that is probably on their wish list already, you’ve come to the right place.

GIFT GUIDE: BEST GIFTS FOR CAKE DECORATORS

This gift guide has the best gifts for cake decorators, including budget-friendly options. If you are looking for cake decorating tools and materials that will take cake decorating skills to the next level, then keep reading.

#1 KITCHENAID MIXER

To some, this may seem like an obvious choice. But many people start baking with a handheld mixer. Then, they realize how much they love baking and cake decorating.

When somebody gets to that point, one of the best gifts is a kitchen stand mixer. It makes life so much easier! You can bake a cake without having to hold the mixer or constantly scrape the sides. You can also work on other ingredients while it’s mixing away. Best of all, it can withstand the crazy amount of baking that it’s being used for.

I have two Kitchen Aid stand mixers. One is a 5 qt mixer and the other is a 7 qt mixer. The first one was purchased by my father for my mom to make my sister’s wedding cake in 2008. I ran that machine non-stop for five years and continue to use it regularly. The mixer is still in perfect condition.

My mom’s white Kitchen Aid mixer was used for more than two decades before the motor gave out! She also had a cake business on the side, so the poor machine was a fighter!

I say this to let you know that the prices are definitely worth it when it comes to buying a good kitchen stand mixer. You can purchase a brand mixer, but you can also go for a refurbished one if you need a budget-friendly option. A kitchen stand mixer is especially important to have if hobby baking is quickly turning into something bigger for your loved one.

Another great thing to point out about the KitchenAid stand mixer is that it can be used for almost anything in the kitchen when you buy the additional attachments. It can also be a spiralizer, a pasta maker, a meat grinder, a juicer, and more….

But, while I’m biased toward KitchenAid because of their quality mixers and variety of colors to match any kitchen, there are other great kitchen stand mixers. Click here for Amazon’s highest rated kitchen stand mixers.

#2 CAKE DECORATING TOOLS

There’s such a huge variety of available tools for cake decorating that it can make it difficult to decide what to get. This is especially true if the person you’re gifting to is just getting started with paid cakes. It’s difficult to know what types of orders they’re going to get the most.

A basic cake decorating tool kit is essential for any cake decorator. Regardless of the types of cakes they’ll be creating, these basic toolkits have pieces that can be used for a variety of designs. This may apply with fondant as well as buttercream.

This cake decorating tool kit includes basic shapes, molding tools, piping tips galore, piping bags, and the most crucial tools to decorate with buttercream, fondant, and gumpaste.

I can tell you that I didn’t invest in a complete set because I kind of fell into the cake decorating thing by mistake, but I later regretted it. I ended up spending a fortune buying most of the things in this toolkit separately. Here, you have it all together at a fraction of the cost!

#3 EDIBLE PRINTER

Earlier, when I mentioned that I reinvested in my business with several items that took my cake designs to the next level, I mentioned the airbrush machine. However, the edible printer cannot be left out of that category.

It solves sooo many problems!

Prior to having an edible printer, I had two options. I hand painted the item, which was sometimes more difficult than others. Or, I paid somebody else with an edible printer about 10 times more than what it would cost me for the same item if I actually had a printer.

It’s a no-brainer. An edible printer has the best return on investment, in my opinion. It provides a great opportunity to open an Etsy shop selling cupcake toppers or items created with the edible printer. ?

Some printers come with wafer paper. With the current wafer paper flower trend, this is great. However, icing paper is a much better investment to go along with the edible printer. The reason is it absorbs the printer ink a lot better, so it looks vibrant and clear. Wafer paper, on the other hand, looks a little faded when printed.

One last thing to keep in mind is the exclusivity of the printer. You can ONLY use it for edible printing. If you ever add a different type of printer ink, it can no longer be used for edible printing because it may be toxic.

The printer itself is made to absorb thicker icing paper, but the ink used is what truly makes it edible…if you haven’t guessed already, it’s food coloring.

#4 AIRBRUSH MACHINE

Without a doubt, certain airbrushed cakes simply look like the cake decorator is at an advanced level. Of course, this assumes that the cake decorator has practiced and knows how to use it well.

But believe me when I say that having an airbrush machine takes cake decorating to a whole other level! This is especially true with fondant.

It also cuts down on the amount of time it takes to decorate a cake. For example, I once made a pug cake. I was lucky that this guy was mostly white. However, I had to fill in shadows around all its creases. I did this with a powder brush and edible powder.

It took me forever because I had to apply the powder in layers to avoid some of it looking too dark or caked on.

With an airbrush machine, I would’ve been able to spray the cake lightly and add a second spray layer within less than 5 minutes, including drying time. Timewise, there’s a huge difference between spraying and brushing back and forth!

#5 DSLR CAMERA

An iPhone takes pretty good pictures these days. But a good DSLR camera can take photography to a whole other level. It’s very important to keep a visual diary of all cake creations. Even if the cake decorator you’re buying a gift for doesn’t have a business, their work is a piece of art.

I purchased a Canon T3i Rebel DSLR Camera more than 5 years ago and I’m still using it. Today, that is the camera used for pictures on my blog. The purchase was definitely worth every penny I spent on it.

Today, you can purchase a DSLR with many more perks than when I purchased mine. For example, mine isn’t WiFi enabled. That feature allows you to download pictures from the camera without connecting a cable or removing the SD card.

Another great feature of newer cameras is the touchscreen. To take good pics, you have to change settings pretty often if lighting isn’t controlled, the touchscreen is helpful.

Like with the Kitchen Stand mixer, I may be biased based on the camera I use, but there are many other high-quality DLSR camera options.

#6 CAKE DECORATING CLASSES

I do not know one cake decorator who isn’t always looking for ways to learn new techniques and to improve their skills.

I used to go to a local supplies store to learn cake decorating techniques. That’s how I learned to price a cake, make figurines, and make flowers. Every class I took led to more customers due to my expanded ability to create sugar art.

Cake decorating classes are the perfect gift for your cake decorating enthusiast. Whether they’re just starting, or more advanced, Craftsy has excellent classes available for them.

You can purchase one or more classes as a gift that’ll take their cake decorating skills to another level.

HAVE A SMALLER BUDGET?

No problem! If you have a smaller budget, there are many items that can make your cake decorating enthusiast very happy. Item #2 on this list is one of them, but here are a few others:

• Bench Scraper – This tool has many uses for a baker and cake decorator, but I would say that the most important use for a cake decorator is smoothing buttercream to perfection. This article goes into detail on 9 other uses for a bench scraper.
• Cake Leveler – Making a cake look straight and level can be a challenge. This is especially true for a beginner. A cake leveler can cut the dome off the top of a cake and cut multiple cake layers to perfection.
• Decorative Molds – There are certain molds that can be used to create pearls or lace. These can make the simplest cake look beautiful and elegant. They’re always great to have handy.
• Rotating Cake Stand – When decorating a cake with buttercream or fondant, a rotating cake stand makes the process much easier to manage, which leads to better quality cakes. For example, when you’re smoothing buttercream with a bench scraper, you hold the tool in place while rotating the cake on the stand. Heavier rotating cake stands make the process even smoother.
• For more budget-friendly gift ideas for the beginner cake decorator, click through to this post. Many of the ideas in this post can also be used as stocking stuffers during the holidays.

WHICH CAKE DECORATING TOOL TAKES THE TOP SPOT ON THEIR WISH LIST?

If you’re reading this post, it’s because there’s a very special and talented person who you want to buy a gift for.

Do you know which cake decorating tool is at the top of their wish list? Whether your budget is big or small, you have plenty of options to make them feel special and to show them that you think they’re very talented.

Here are a couple more posts you might find helpful, or helpful to share:

• Need cake decorating tools for stocking stuffers? Click here.
• Cake hobby turning into a business? Click here for how to price a cake to make a profit.
• Want a Free Cake Decorating Planner? Sign up in the box below.

Comment below to let me know which gift made the top of the cake decorating wish list.

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