Cake decorating supplies in Australia

Cake decorating supplies cover everything from the tin a cake is baked in to the board and box it leaves in. This page explains the main categories, what beginners usually start with, how to tell edible decorations from decorative-only ones, and how to store supplies, with a directory of Australian supply stores grouped by state.

This is a free, non-commercial reference page. It is not affiliated with any business or government body listed, and listing is not an endorsement or recommendation. It sells nothing. Check current details with the official websites linked below before making decisions.

The guide

The main categories of cake decorating supplies, what a beginner typically needs first, food-safety notes on decorations, and storage.

Tins, pans and turntables

Cake tins (pans) come in round, square, rectangular, loaf, bundt and novelty shapes, and in sets of graduated sizes for tiered cakes. Deeper tins suit layer and celebration cakes. A turntable lets the cake be rotated while icing so sides and edges can be smoothed evenly, and is one of the most useful single tools for buttercream work. Australian supply stores generally stock tins and turntables alongside other bakeware, and several also hire out novelty tins and cake stands.

Spatulas, scrapers and other tools

Offset and straight spatulas spread and smooth icing; scrapers and decorating combs give sides a clean or patterned finish; fondant smoothers press out air and marks. Other common tools include cake levellers, dowels and dowel cutters for supporting tiers, rolling pins, cutters, plungers, embossers and silicone moulds. Supply stores and kitchenware retailers group these under decorating tools or equipment.

Piping bags and nozzles

Piping bags are sold as disposable plastic or reusable fabric or silicone bags. Nozzles (also called tips) are numbered by shape: round, star, petal, leaf, basketweave and others. A coupler lets you change nozzles without emptying the bag. A small set of round and star nozzles covers most beginner work, from writing and dots to rosettes and borders.

Fondant, sugarpaste and modelling paste

Fondant (often called sugarpaste or rolled fondant in Australia) is a pliable sugar dough rolled out to cover cakes and boards. Modelling paste, gum paste and flower paste are firmer and dry harder, so they hold shape for figures, bows and sugar flowers; some decorators knead a hardening agent such as tylose or CMC into fondant for the same effect. Ready-to-roll fondant is sold in white and pre-coloured packs. Buttercream and ganache are the other common coverings.

Gel and powder colours

Gel and paste colours are concentrated and add strong colour to icing and fondant without making it runny; liquid colours are weaker and can thin icing. Powder colours (petal dusts) are brushed onto dried sugar work or mixed with a liquid to paint. Lustre and shimmer dusts add a metallic finish. FSANZ explains that food colours are regulated as food additives in Australia and New Zealand and must be safety-assessed before they can be used in food, so check that any colour or dust you put on a cake is labelled as a food product with an ingredient list.

Edible and non-edible decorations

Edible decorations include sprinkles, sugar pearls, edible glitter, wafer and sugar flowers, edible images printed on icing sheets, and chocolate decorations. Toppers, candles, ribbon, wires, picks, figurines and many glitters and metallic dusts are decorative only. The US Food and Drug Administration advises that a label reading "non-toxic" or "for decorative purposes only" does not make a product safe to eat: a product meant to be eaten is labelled edible and carries an ingredient list. Its advice is to check the label before using any glitter or dust on food, and to remove non-edible decorations before the cake is served. Keep wires and stems out of direct contact with cake, for example by using a food-safe posy pick, and keep loose decorating dusts away from small children.

Cake boards, boxes, stencils and airbrushing

Cake boards and drums support a cake and are sold in many shapes and thicknesses, with thinner boards used between tiers and thicker drums under the base. Cake boxes, some with windows or extra height for tiered cakes, protect a cake in transport. Stencils are laid against icing and dusted, sprayed or spread with royal icing to transfer a pattern. Airbrushing uses a small compressor and airbrush gun with liquid airbrush colours for gradients and fine detail; several Australian stores sell airbrush kits and stencils.

What beginners usually start with

A typical starter kit is a pair of round tins, a turntable, an offset spatula, a scraper, a few piping bags with a coupler and some round and star nozzles, a set of gel colours, and cake boards and boxes to match the tin size. Fondant, moulds and modelling paste can come later. Many Australian supply stores also run beginner decorating classes.

Storing supplies

Keep fondant and modelling paste tightly wrapped and airtight, away from heat and humidity, so it does not dry out or sweat; follow the storage directions on the pack. Keep gel colours, dusts and sprinkles sealed in a cool, dry place and check best-before dates. Store non-edible decorations, dusts and craft products separately from edible ones so they cannot be confused. Wash and dry nozzles and tools thoroughly before putting them away. Decorated cakes with fresh cream or similar perishable fillings need refrigeration, and the Food Safety Information Council advises covering cakes to protect them.

Directory

Australian cake decorating supply stores, online and bricks-and-mortar, grouped by state. Each entry was checked against its own website, which showed cake decorating supplies for sale.

What is listed. Only stores whose own website could be fetched and showed cake decorating supplies for sale are included. Locations are as shown on each site. The list is not complete and is in no particular order within each state.

Not an endorsement. Listing is not a recommendation. This page does not list cake makers, and it is not affiliated with any store below.

Inclusion in this directory is not an endorsement. Links are to official websites as published at the time of checking.

Questions to ask before buying

Plain questions worth asking a store, or checking on the label, before you buy decorating supplies.

Is this product edible, or decorative only?

"Non-toxic" is not the same as edible. Look for the word edible and a full ingredient list on anything that will be eaten.

Does it list ingredients and allergens?

Sprinkles, fondant and chocolate decorations can contain milk, soy, nuts, gluten or other allergens. Check if you are baking for someone with an allergy.

What size tin, board and box go together?

Boards are usually chosen slightly larger than the cake, and the box needs to fit the board and the cake's height. Check sizes before buying a set.

Gel, liquid or powder colour: which suits the job?

Gels give strong colour without thinning icing; dusts are for dry sugar work and finishes. Ask which suits buttercream, fondant or chocolate.

How should it be stored, and what is the best-before date?

Fondant and pastes dry out if not sealed, and colours and sprinkles have use-by or best-before dates.

Can I collect in store, and does the store run beginner classes?

Many Australian supply stores offer click and collect and classes, which can help before buying specialist tools.

About this page

cakedecoratingsupplies.com.au is a free, non-commercial reference page published by Radiant Life Distributors Pty Ltd, Adelaide. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any store, business or authority listed, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Information was checked against official websites in October 2026; ranges, store locations and food rules change, so confirm current details with the organisations linked above.