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Tools & equipment

Before you start, it’s a good idea to check you have everything to hand that you might need. Included in this section is a list of essential equipment for making and baking your cupcake sponge bases and to whip up your frostings; a basic decorating toolbox; and key specialist tools. Don’t feel you need to have all the latter kit to create fun cupcakes, but if you are making a large quantity or get really hooked, these are the items I find really useful. Specific tools required beyond the basics are listed under ‘you will need’ at the start of each project.

Baking essentials

 Kitchen scales/measuring cups and measuring spoons – for accurately weighing ingredients

 Electric stand mixer with paddle attachment (flat beater) – to make the sponge cake bases and toppings

 Muffin and mini muffin trays (pans)

 Wire rack – to cool cupcakes

 Flexible plastic spatulas – for scraping out bowls

 Muffin baking cases (liners) – keep a variety of the many fantastic designs available, both paper and foil, on hand for spontaneous events

 Large disposable plastic piping (pastry) bags – for piping your mixture into cases (liners)

 Oven thermometer – a must if unsure of your internal oven temperature

 Microwave or double boiler – for melting chocolate

 Plastic or glass microwave-safe bowls – for melting chocolate and butter

 Sieve (strainer)

We usually use muffin or mini muffin-size baking cases (liners) because they are just the right size to be flat-frosted to present your cupcakes beautifully and still give a perfect amount of sponge. Smaller cupcake or fairy cake cases are not suitable for these projects.

Basic decorating toolbox

 Non-stick work board with non-stick mat beneath to prevent slipping – to roll out icing and cut out and model paste shapes

 Non-stick rolling pin – for rolling out sugarpaste (rolled fondant) and flower (petal/gum) paste

 Icing spacers – to achieve an even 3mm (1⁄8in) thickness

 Large disposable plastic piping (pastry) bags, 46cm (18in) or 53cm (21in) – for piping frostings

 Paper piping (pastry) bags – made from baking (parchment) paper for small quantities of royal icing/applying details

 Piping tubes (tips) – fine for piping royal icing details; large for piping frosting (see applying frostings)

 Scissors – to snip the ends of piping (pastry) bags for tubes (tips) to fit snugly

 Large and mini palette knives – large for buttercream; mini for cutting, turning paste and lifting paste shapes/features

 Paintbrushes – a selection of sable (no. 3 for glue) and pony (no. 8 for glitter) are handy

 Set of 11 circle cutters (Ateco) – nos. specified count outwards from the smallest, no. 1

 Icing smoother – for smoothing and polishing sugarpaste (rolled fondant)

 Sugar glue – for attaching decorative elements

 Cocktail sticks (toothpicks) – for applying colour to icing and creating tiny indentations

Specialist decorating items

 Shaped cutters – ovals, hearts, square, star, triangle

 Kemper mini plunger cutters – 4mm (1⁄8in) circle and heart are used in many projects; PME blossom set comes with a foam pad to push the plunger against to cup the paste

 Ball tool and smile tool (PME) – for adding detail to paste characters

 Dresden tool – for scoring lines into paste and adding texture

 Paint palette – for mixing colours and blending gold/silver lustre dust with alcohol

 Dusting brush – for brushing lustre dust onto paste

 Foiled cake board – for storing made-ahead paste discs