Top 10 Baking Essentials for Beginners

Sometimes when you're new to baking and you look at a recipe it can be a bit overwhelming with what looks like a whole kitchen worth of ingredients, decorating tools, finishing touches and equipment. But it really doesn't need to be scary, all you really need are some key must haves to get you started and you can then build your baking arsenal bit by bit, recipe by recipe. 

We've made a list of what we think are the top 10 must haves for a beginner baker to have in their kitchen to get them started on the exciting past time that is baking. 

1. Measuring Spoons

Baking is an exact science and so you need to make sure you have the exact quantities as called for in the recipe. 

2. Measuring Cups

Some recipes come from across the pond and ingredients are measured in cups instead of ounces and grams. Take the guess work out with some beautiful measuring cups. 

3. Rolling Pin

Whether you're rolling out cookie and biscuit dough or sugar paste and marzipan to cover a cake, you won't get far without a decent rolling pin. To make sure you get an even result, try using the rolling pin ring guides. 

4. Parchment Paper

Baking Parchment Paper is a must for lining your cake tins to stop them from sticking and ending up with a mound of cake crumbs. Did you know you can even buy Greaseproof Circles and Side Liners that are ready to just pop in to the bottom and the sides of your cake tin without the need to measure and cut? It couldn't get simpler than that.

5. 8" Cake Tin

The majority of beginner cake recipes will call for a 20cm/8" cake tin. Particularly useful for Victoria Sponges, you can also use a round cake tin to make a heart shaped cake! 

6. Loaf Tin

Not everyone wants to bake a cake, sometimes you fancy a loaf cake or a loaf of bread. Enter the loaf tin. 

7. Cookie Cutters

Everyone should make cookies at some point and cookie cutters are just what you need. 

8. Cooling Rack

You've baked your cookies or cakes and now what? You need to let them cool and the most effective way of doing this is using a cooling rack.

As you start to bake more often, you'll soon come to realise that a single layered cooling rack may not be sufficient (especially when it comes to multiple cookies and biscuits) and we think this 3 tiered cooling rack is an absolute must have for beginners and master bakers alike. 

9. Silicone Spatula

The humble spatula. It doesn't look like much but it really is an invaluable tool. Fantastic for folding ingredients together, scraping batter out of a bowl and smoothing. It really is a bakers best friend. 

10. Protective Transportation

Last but no means least is an effective and efficient way of transporting your beautiful homemade bakes to their final destination. Whether you're taking them to work or for a family get together, you don't want to damage them in transit. Handy bake and carry trays are a fantastic space saving solution. Simply bake your traybake or cupcakes in the tin and then pop on the carry handle and you're good to go!