Things I use and recommend

I LOVE these aluminum cake pans. They're deep enough that your cake has room to grow while baking, and they're small enough that you can make smaller layer cakes that don't feel overwhelmingly large, portion-wise. They're also super easy to clean, which is another huge plus!

I mostly use my Instant Pot for pressure cooking, but I love that it can slow cook as well as many other functions. Not gonna lie, stovetop pressure cookers scare me. But this classic is fabulous for a reason. I've cooked whole chickens, hard boiled eggs, pressure cooked pork shoulder and beans, made mashed potatoes with it... the sky's the limit!

I absolutely love cast iron, and I especially adore my enameled cast iron dutch oven with a lid. It's such a versatile piece of kitchen equipment — great for searing, braising, slow cooking in the oven, frying... even baking bread! This is one of my most used items in my kitchen. And, it comes in gorgeous colors. It's an investment, but treated well, I know it'll last me a lifetime (and probably beyond!).

This is large piping tip is one of my favorites, and is perfect for making beautiful buttercream rosettes.

I try to use as little plastic and create as little waste as I can, so reusable silicone lids for bowls, cups, etc., have been a go-to of mine for many years.

So... I may be silly, but I got this knife specifically to use when torting (cutting) cake layers. I don't actually use it for bread, and use it only for cakes. But it's fabulous, wonderfully sharp, and long, so torting those cake layers is done in a flash. Treated well, I'm sure it'll outlast me.

If I'm not making my own chicken stock, this is my go-to to replace it. It's so much better than buying cans or containers of stock because I can just keep this jar in my fridge and easily create the exact amount of stock I need in just a few seconds.

You know those little liquid dye drops you get from the grocery store? Yeah, gel coloring is a GIANT step up from those guys. Gel color is so much more concentrated so you don't have to use as much dye to get saturated color in buttercream or cake layers. And, using less dye means it won't impart a bitter taste in your baked goods. They have a fantastic color selection, too.

I first discovered the Sweetapolita blog years ago, and quickly became impressed by the beautiful cakes she made — and her excellent instructions to go along with them. She's since moved on to other things and doesn't share recipes much on her blog anymore, but her bake book is still a great one that I use regularly!