Zoe Bakes: Decorating Cakes Episode
The recipes and equipment you need to recreate the recipes from my Magnolia Network show!
In the Decorating Cakes episode of my Magnolia Network show, I make a cake for my best friend’s wedding anniversary: a devil’s food cake with champagne buttercream. Here are some must-have tools for creating amazing cakes every time. Asterisk (*) denotes affiliate link.
A stand mixer. My stand mixers (I have three!) are the workhorses of my kitchen. Learn more about what I love about each in this post, but some of my favorite things are the glass bowl on my Breville mixer, so I can see everything that’s going on in the bowl, and a beater with rubber edge*.
A revolving cake stand*. This makes it so much easier to crumb coat and decorate a cake.
An oven thermometer*. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing exactly what temperature your oven is at. It can mean the difference between over baked, under baked or perfectly baked desserts every time. Having a second thermometer in your oven can allow you to adjust your oven temperature if needed.
A kitchen scale*. If you want to up your baking game, get yourself a kitchen scale. It ensures exact measurements and makes cleanup a breeze.
Zoë Bakes Cakes. This list wouldn’t be complete without my latest book, which just so happens to be all about cake! In the book we explore the techniques and tricks of cake baking, with step-by-step photos to break down baking fundamentals like creaming butter and sugar and whipping egg whites. In the following chapters I offer simple, straightforward recipes for loaf cakes, layers, fillings, frostings, and more.
I have so many product recommendations that I’ve compiled a list of all my favorite cake making and decorating equipment in an Amazon list. Check it out to see everything I use to make and decorate cakes.
In my Zoë Bakes Extras newsletter we dive deep into the Cake Decorating episode of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network! We talk with pastry chef Minda Ringdahl who teaches me all about modern cake decorating in the episode. Minda also shares an exclusive recipe with us and some of her pro tips for baking. Out of all of her answers in the Q&A, my favorite response was about onions of all things!
If you’d like access to all the Extras (exclusive recipes, bakery recommendations from my travels, Q&As with the guests on my show, and more) be sure to upgrade your Substack subscription.