The best cake decorating tools you can buy

The Russian Piping Tips Kit makes piping icing flowers both easy and fast, ideal for decorating floral-themed cakes.

No cake is complete without some icing flowers, but these flowers are also one of the most difficult (and time-consuming) cake decorating techniques to master. Piping flowers is often done one petal at a time, but the Russian Piping Tips Kit simplifies and speeds up the process. Rather than piping petal by petal, this kit includes an assortment of 12 tips that create different flower designs in a single motion for instant results.

The kit has everything that you need to get started. A tri-color coupler allows you to create multi-colored flowers, while the single color coupler makes it easy to quickly change bags (and colors), which is particularly helpful when you're working on an intricate cake. The 10 disposable bags offer no-mess convenience, but for an eco-friendly option, this kit also includes a dishwasher-safe reusable silicone bag. Additionally, with the purchase of this kit, you'll receive an e-book of decorating ideas for inspiration. You can also access online videos to help you master piping techniques.

The Russian Piping Tips Kit has a 4.7 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on more than 2,600 customer reviews. One customer wrote: "I got these for my sister and she absolutely loves them, she made a cake on Sunday and decorated it using these nozzles and you could not tell that it was baked at home, it looked like it was baked by a professional baker."

Another Amazon customer also likes this kit and has some tips for success: "Just be sure to follow the instructions. Clean and dry your tips well, use a stiffer buttercream, and regularly wipe excess frosting off the nozzle so the formations keep their shape."

Pros: Tips are made of stainless steel for durability, gift box keeps kit neatly contained, excellent assortment of tips for various decorating options

Cons: E-book would be more helpful if sent as a hard copy book

Buy the Russian Piping Tips Kit on Amazon for $15.99

The Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit features a great assortment of tools to help you get the most out of your fondant work.

When working with fondant, you need the right instruments to truly master the medium. The Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit offers an impressive assortment of tools that will give you plenty of options for your fondant work. Ball tools of various sizes are perfect for shaping fondant and creating flower petals, while double-ended tools offer precision perfect for texture and detail work.

These tools are made of stainless steel, plastic, and wood for maximum durability. The tools that feature metal and wooden handles have a much nicer, higher-quality feel to them than the all-plastic tools that you'll find in some other kits. The fully plastic tools in this kit are lightweight and ideal for detail work without causing your hand to fatigue. For its price, this kit is an excellent value.

The Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit has a 4.6 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on 18 reviews. One customer appreciates the versatility this kit offers: "This set of tools will come in handy not only for fondant-work but will also be perfect for sculpting with polymer clay. I enjoy making miniature foodstuffs for tiny dollhouse. These cost much less than the same thing listed as clay-sculpting tools, so are a bargain!"

Pros: Excellent assortment of tools, stainless steel and wood adds durability, great overall value for the kit

Cons: No grips or ergonomic contouring makes the tools a little uncomfortable for long periods of use

Buy the Fondant Cake Decorating 27 Piece Kit on Amazon for $13.66

If you'd like to airbrush cakes, the PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit is easy to use and offers excellent control.

Airbrushed cakes can be stunning, and the PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit includes absolutely everything you need to start airbrushing your cakes. The kit includes three different airbrushes, so you have precise control over fine detail, spray-to-spray patterns designed for wider coverage. The compressor provides 1/5 horsepower, which is plenty of power for your needs; the motor is quiet.

The airbrushes feature both external mix and internal mix designs. The external mix is less likely to clog, but the internal mix gives you more control for detail work. You can choose the option that's right for your needs, giving you control over your decorating.

While the quality of the airbrushes makes this kit a practical choice for both the beginning decorator and for the professional, the kit includes plenty of resources to help beginners learn this skill. A DVD and manual help you learn to use the equipment, and you can access seven additional airbrushing guides (in e-book format) to help you learn different techniques. The kit also includes 12 bottles of Chefmaster paints so you can start airbrushing right away.

The PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit has a 4.4 out of 5-star Amazon rating, based on 120 reviews. One customer said: "Wow, it's a beast. I'm new to airbrush and apparently picked a stellar set-up. I've tried one of the three spray guns for my cookie decorating and am having a blast. It hooks up quick and is ready to go. Cleans easily." Another said: "It would take some adjusting to also use it for finer, more delicate cake artwork, but we just use it for the thicker stuff and it's been great. We also only use one of the three airbrushes that came with it, and it has handled very well."

Pros: Includes three airbrushes for different streams, suitable for hobbyists and professionals, includes 12 Chefmaster paints, seven e-books for additional learning

Cons: High price point for just occasional use

Buy the PointZero Cake Airbrush Decorating Kit on Amazon for 112.99

Reusable, durable, and beautiful, the HULISEN 7 Piece Cake Decorating Stencil Kit is a must-have for any cake where you need a little bit of elegance.

To give your cake a touch of detail that will truly make it stand out, consider using the HULISEN 7 Piece Cake Decorating Stencil kit. This kit includes a variety of stencils that are fully reusable, making them environmentally friendly and saving you the time of having to make a stencil by hand.

All of the designs complement each other, so you can use them on different tiers of the same cake, or just choose one to add some eye-catching detail to your work.

These stencils are designed for repeated use. You can use them with many different materials, including fondant, royal icing, butter cream, lustre dust, and more. Plus, since the stencils can be used on cookies, cupcakes, cakes, etc., they offer plenty of versatility.

While made to be strong, some Amazon customers reported the product arrived torn or looked like they were factory defects.

Pros: Variety of designs, all designs complement each other, reusable and durable, can be paired with a variety of materials

Cons: Stencils often require a bit of practice to learn to use them well

Buy the HULISEN 7 Piece Cake Decorating Stencil on Amazon for $12.97