A friend of mine asked out curiosity if cake decorators have a cake emergency kit. My response absolutely. As cake decorators, we should always be prepared.  Why? Because things do not always go as planned.  Fondant toppers break, decorations fall or your finger might accidentally poke a hole in the cake you get the gist.  Everyone should have one even if the cake is for a family member.

When I delivered my first few cakes I had NO kit, as a matter of fact, I didn’t even know I needed one.  After my two tier cake fiasco where I transported it on the seat of the car (see my secrets for delivering cakes here where I tell the story). I thought WOW, I need to bring something with me.  But what do I bring?  At first, it was just a container with chocolate and my spatula.  The cake emergency kit checklist has evolved since then.  I update the list occasionally based on experience, for example, once I delivered a cake and the party area had no paper towel.  Now I travel with my own. 

What’s in a Cake Emergency Kit?

To have a cake emergency kit first you need a cake bag or caddy (Wilton has a both).  I have the Wilton caddy but it has many limitations, it can only store piping tips and other decorating tools.  I was looking for a bag that can fit all my things.  So when I found out my co-worker Kristen made custom bags, I was super excited.  She has an amazing selection of fabric in her Etsy store Bucki Boutique.  Everything in her stop can be customized by you, with over 50 different fabrics to choose from.  I could not believe she was hiding this wonderful talent.  She customized my bag with tons of pockets for spatulas and made it deep enough to fit fondant, buttercream, royal icing or whatever else I think I need.  I mean I have pockets galore.  Did I mention I love my custom made cake bag? You should get yours today… Check out her Etsy shop Buckisboutique for the different types of bags and accessories she makes.

Anyway, I digress…  The essentials for the cake emergency kit are:

Many of the items listed here can be changed based on the cake design, I like to carry items just in the event I need them.

• Buttercream Frosting

  • If you are delivering a buttercream cake you will need extra frosting.  It is probably a good idea to bring the same color that you used to make the cake because you probably won’t have time to match the buttercream color at the venue.  You can use it to patch any areas on the cake that was damaged during transport.

• Chocolate/candy melts

  • Candy melts are great to have to attach items to the cake or adding the cake to a board etc. I carry the candy melt in a ziplock bag but this is only useful if there is a microwave on site that is accessible to you.

• Royal Icing

  • Royal icing is a life saver, it is great to work with.  Once it dries it dries hard, which is great to add final details and attach decorations.  Remember when you are using royal icing to cover with a damp cloth or paper towel.

• Piping Bags

  • Piping bags are a must especially if you have buttercream cake.  You also never know if or when you would need to pipe a design on fondant to cover up a mistake.  I always carry this with me.  I prepare at least one piping bag with the coupler ahead of time to take with me.  My goal is always to get in, set up and get out quickly.

• Piping tips+Coupler

  • Along with the piping bags, you will need piping tips.  The smaller tips can be used with a coupler.  Larger tips such as the 1M or the 2D you cannot use them with a coupler.

• Fondant

  • I like to pack fondant with me even if I made a buttercream cake.  I usually have the basic white, but sometimes add other colors or the color I used on the cake.  Fondant can be used to make a quick design, add some tylose powder to fondant and it will dry quickly.  Once again the fix is based on the design of the cake.  It is always a good idea to bring the cutter along that you used for the decoration just in case.

• Small Rolling Pin

  • A rolling pin is a must especially if you need to roll out fondant, gum paste etc.  I take it with me because you never know when you might need it.

• Tylose Powder

  • Tylose powder is very versatile, it can be used to make gum glue to add decorations to the cake or to make fondant dry hard and fast similar to gum paste.

• Shortening

  • I prefer to use shortening over cornstarch, therefore I always take it with me.  Shortening keeps the fondant from sticking, and can be used to add decorations to the cake that especially if you want time to move decorations around.  This is one of the main reasons I take it with me.

• Flower cutter + extra flowers

  • Flowers are a great way to hide mistakes.  However, it has to blend in with the design.  I pack a flower cutter but so far I have never had to use it.

• Dowels

  • Wooden dowels, bubble tea straw, whatever you use for support bring some with you.  If for some reason the cake happens to be shifting or sliding (I’m not judging, things happen) you can use dowels to keep it from moving.  A great way to prevent this is to use ganache or candy melt.

• Spatula+offset

  • Carrying a spatula is a must.  I carry a rubber spatula, a few small offset spatulas, and two large offset spatulas.  It might sound like overkill, but, you never know when you are going to need them.  These are the most used items from my cake emergency kit.

• Cake Lifter

  • If you have a cake lifter it is a great tool to have especially if you are stacking cakes.  It gives you so much control over the cake and it helps if you don’t have steady hands to use the offset. I am always afraid of dropping cakes so I carry it with me.  Other times I have carried fondant crowns on them to make it easier to add them without touching the crown.

• Xacto Knife/Scapel

  • X-Acto knife or Scapel is great to have to cut fondant, gum paste etc.  These items are sharp so make sure you secure them with their covers so it does not cut you or your custom made bag.

• Tweezers

  • Tweezers are great especially for pearls, dragees.  If you have ever tried to add these things by hand you understand why it is necessary.  It is a great idea to bring it in the bag just in case you lose some pearls during delivery.

• Scissors

  • Scissors are a life saver, use them to clip the ends of the piping bags, ribbons or whatever you need to be trimmed down.

• Tape

  • Regular tape and/or floral tape are a must.  You need the floral tape for wires.  The regular tape can be used to tape something down or hold something in place.

• Glue

  • I always bring glue with me.  Once during delivery, the feet on my cake board fell off  thank goodness I had glue.  Glue can be used to add ribbon around the base of the cake.

• Cake boards

  • I carry a cake board with me but I mostly use it if I need to roll out fondant.  Other uses would be if you need to transfer a cake to a new board.  I really hope that never happens but, it better to be prepared.

• Level

  • Sometimes the display table is not leveled and can be problematic.  To fix it you might have to use something underneath the cake.  However, make sure the table and the cake are leveled before you leave.

• Wipes & Paper Towel

  • Baby wipes are great to clean up any mess on the table or your hands.  I mentioned earlier sometimes the venue might not have any paper towel.  I carry my own paper towel and wipes now because of my past experience.

• Gloves

  • Gloves to be used for delicate items that might get smudged and just for hygiene. Always bring an extra pair.

• Paintbrush

  • Paintbrush to add luster dust (dry or with a paint). I usually bring a variety of sizes.

• Fondant Modeling tools

  • I usually bring the whole bag with my tools inside so that I have a choice of which tools to use.

• Camera with batteries

  • Always remember to carry your camera and make sure the battery is charged.  A few times I forgot my camera and forgot to charge the batteries so I could not take any pictures at the venue.

Whew! I felt like that was a marathon.  Do you carry a cake emergency kit? What’s in your kit?