Ahhh, time.

A cake maker’s ultimate nemesis, am I right? Even though most of us are a part of the 3 AM Cakers Club, wouldn’t it be awesome if we could save some time (especially from doing those tedious tasks) in our daily cake grind? That's time that could be used spent with your family, friend, or maybe even binge-watching your favorite show (with your full attention).

Well, the cake goddesses are on your side, because today, I’m sharing some of my faaaa-vo-rite cake tools that will turn your cake-makin’ days into...well, cake. I know, I’m so witty, thank you 🙂

While most tools are meant to help save time, not all tools are created equally, so let me show you some of my favs!

1. MULTI-CUTTERS

If I’m being totally honest, seeing these made my heart pitter-patter & my mind kick into somersault mode! Being able to cut out all the circles at once for those polka dot cakes (baby showers, weddings, birthday, oh my!)? Or make 100s perfect squares for those Minecraft cakes in just a few presses of the hand? Can I puh-lease get an AMEN?

If you’re looking for different sizes & patterns, fret not, friend. JB Cutters has plenty of different choices to help fit your needs! 

Another company to keep your eyes on for multi-cutters...FMM! Seriously, just check out how awesome these mutli-shape cutters are? Think of all the patterns!

And if you've ever found yourself facing the infamous "1000+ blossoms cake", you definitely need to check out these plunger blossom cutters! Did I just SEE stress float outta your body?!

For other variations, take a peek at these and these too. Need lots of daisy's? Try this one.

2. EASY ROSE CUTTER

Speaking of flowers, how many of you guys know the pain of losing time to creating a rose? No one? Really? Only me? LIES, I say!

Honestly though, making roses is the biggggeeessstt time suck ever. Sure, the first few are fun, but 20 roses in.... I don't know what's screaming louder, my hands or my back.

And while this cutter won’t replace your beautiful and botanically correct rose, let’s think about this a second. Remember those 200 cupcakes you had to make last year that all required a single rose on it? Yes, yes, I feel the pain radiating off of you all the way through the computer screen. Well, friends, this baby could’ve definitely been your saving grace and helped you out!

3. STENCILS

You know when you’ve got a serious deadline and you really need to pump out an amazing cake in a fraction of the time you wish you had? That’s when stencils come into play! Intricate patterns that include lace, cityscapes, floral patterns, geometric patterns, or even words can quickly be accomplished with a few quick swipes of your spatula!

I’m a huge fan of Evil Cake Genius (I mean, I maybe, kinda, sometimes semi-stalk Robin & Brian at cake shows, shhhh) and their stencils are my absolute favorites! Their stencils are created with a “mesh” fabric that allows you to basically screen print the design onto your cake.

These stencils always stay flat which means, much less of a chance that you’ll get icing where ya don’t want it. And not only is the quality of the stencil incredible, it allows for more intricate designs to be put on your cakes! Win freakin’ win, right?

Andddddd, side note. I just so happen to have my very own line of stencils with these guys (all that stalkin’ paid off, huh?)

Check out what I'm talking about with those awesome mesh stencils, here is a demo from Robin herself *swoon*:

4. STRIPE CUTTERS

Since the dawn of cake makin' time, these little tools have been saving cakers’ lives! Don’t mind me, I’m not dramatic or anything! These guys come in all different sizes and features, so you’re bound to find exactly what you’re looking for. Since I never know when I’ll be asked to make something random -- like shoelaces for my Threadless Cake entry -- I like to keep a few of these (in different widths) around at all times!

If you're in need of a lot of long strips, I also really love this one! You can put this on to help you quickly create “stitch” marks (especially for those purse straps)! 

And this bad boy, the pastry wheel, oh man, he is the bomb-diggity...because, he’s ADJUSTABLE and cuts out multiple strips at once! Adjust the width size to what you need and boom, everything is cut the way you need it to be. Magical, huh?! 

Ok, ok before I hop off the stripe cutter train, let me also just tell you about a special cake tool that you won’t find in the cake aisle. Ready? HERB CUTTERS. These guys cut strips as long as you need them with a simple swipe! Definitely worth purchasing and having on hand for when you need it.

5. MOLDS

Did you just say "duh"? You just said "duh", didn't you? 😉 Yes, MOLDS, obviously are massive time savers! You cut your time into fractions when you use a mold vs. making something by hand. However, a lot of us (including myself) take a lot of pride in making stuff by hand and don't have the $$ to purchase "all the molds". So, when I say molds, I think we should be *smart* about the molds we choose. Choosing ones that we can use over and over.

One of my favorite molds that I think is super smart to have around is the McGreevy Cakes Face Mold. It's SO HELPFUL to have on hand when you're strapped for time or maybe for those who just aren't huge fans of making faces.

So helpful in fact that we have TWO tutorials in our membership from the lovely Nayda Herndaz of W.E. Sugar Art using the mold to make two different adorable characters, Diasy Girl and Lucy!

6. A PERFECT SET

You wanna talk time-consuming? Re-doing a cake OVER and OVER trying to get it to look right. Having the right tools can make all the difference. Mine?

An amazing scraper, a sewing gauge with a needle, and a turntable extender.

"Did she say sewing gauge?" (check out how I make and use it here) Do I sound loony yet? I promise I’m not. In my books, these are the exact tools I use every time to create perfectly smooth cakes with crisp corners! I’ve been using these tools for foreeevverrrr and, In fact, I use them anytime I make tiered cakes too.

Now, I know that there are plenty of ways to ice a cake: the upside-down method, acrylics, or your good ole’ fashioned hands! And I have to say, I like all of them. I even have my own version of these techniques that you can learn from, but, my favorite method of icing comes from using these tools! I concocted this idea back when I was trying to grasp the concept of icing a cake with sharp, straight sides, and a leveled top. The problem I kept having? The leveled top and the sharp corners consistently eluded me! It became such a problem that I was even having trouble sleeping because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And then one night, during this marathon how-to session, it came to me. The sewing gauge tool was, well, born! By using that and then pairing it up with the other essential items I mentioned, I found my personal favorite method for icing!