Have you thought about getting into cupcake decorating but don’t know where to start? Below you will find my Beginner Cupcake Equipment Guide with 8 essential items!  I know it is a lot of work to search for baking equipment, so I made it easy for you! Cupcakes can be a great alternative to a cake for birthday parties or other events. I think they can be easier to decorate in some cases, so a great place to start if you are new to baking!

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1) Piping Bags: The first thing you want to do is to get some piping bags. There are many different kinds, and you want to make sure you get a good quality piping bag so it doesn’t split open while you are using it. My favorite these 12-inch bags that you can find here. There are larger or smaller bags that you could get, but this is what I prefer to use.

2) Large Piping Tips: The next thing I would get is large piping tips. If you want to get the very minimum, just get a 1M piping tip. I use this for a lot of my cupcake decorating, and you can find it here. If you wanted to get a few more large piping tips a good set is here.

3) Piping Tips: For smaller tips that you can use for more intricate decorating such as flowers, a good starter set can be found here. There are many different sets that you can buy, although if you are just starting out, I would recommend getting one from a name brand because they usually have videos or instructions that you can look up on how to use each piping tip. This is a good set here, or for a more budget friendly option you could get this one here.


4) Couplers: Some piping tip kits will already come with some couplers. There are technically optional, but I usually use them for my small tips. It makes it easier to switch the tips if you decide you don’t like the one you chose initially.  If your kit didn’t have couplers or you need extra, you can find them here. I have a lot of them for when I decorate with a lot of different colors. If you would like a coupler for your large piping tips, you can find one here. That one I would consider optional, I typically don’t use them too much, but they can be helpful.

5) Piping Bag Clips or Ties: These items are optional. I personally do not use them and just twist the top of the piping bag. However, some people prefer to use these. The clips or ties prevent the frosting from coming out of the top of the bag while piping. There are two options, ties which you can find here, or clips that you can find here.
6) Cupcake/Muffin Pan: The standard cupcake pan has 12 cupcakes per pan, and most recipes make 24 cupcakes so I would recommend getting two pans. A non-stick set that could be washed in the dishwasher can be found here. For an option that is natural aluminum and is hand wash only, you can find it here.


7) Cupcake Liners/Baking Cups: There are a lot of options for cupcake liners or baking cups. It is fun to switch them up for different occasions or holidays. However, the ones that I use the most can be found here. I like these baking cups because they don’t contain bleach and are eco-friendly.

8) Cooling Racks: I always cool my cupcakes to room temperature on cooling racks, otherwise the moisture can make the cupcake liners separate from the cupcakes. The best ones can stack, which is great if you have limited space! My favorite ones can be found here.
And there you have it, the 8 essential items in my Beginner Cupcake Equipment Guide! I hope this is helpful and you start baking and decorating cupcakes! Be sure to leave a comment if you try any of them out or have any questions!

If you need a good recipe for sea level or high altitude, check out my cake recipes! I used them for cakes or cupcakes. I have frosting recipes as well! My classic Vanilla Cake Recipe and Vanilla Buttercream Recipe is a good place to start, along with my Chocolate Cake Recipe and Chocolate Frosting Recipe. I have many other options, so look and see what sounds good to you!