Essential Equipment for Foam Cakes

Weighing your ingredients is the most accurate form of measurement. Given the choice between electronic and mechanical kitchen scales, we’ll take electronic any day for their easy readability and incredible precision. We prefer scales with larger weight ranges—¼ ounce up to 10 pounds at least. Check out our favorite digital scales here.

Tube pans are necessary for many foam cakes, including chiffon and angel food cakes. We prefer tube pans with both feet and a removable bottom. But if your pan doesn't have feet, you can just cool the cakes on the neck of a bottle. Check out our favorite tube pans here.

These pans come in two sizes, 8 and 9 inches, and are the classic choice for baking round sponge cake layers. Look for pans with straight rather than flared sides and make sure those sides measure at least 2 inches tall. A nonstick surface is a must. Check out our favorite cake pans here.

Some foam cake recipes call for adding sugar in batches, and sifting it beforehand. This is because superfine and confectioners' sugar have a tendency to clump. We prefer fine-mesh strainers that will sit securely in mixing bowls of different sizes, and whose mesh doesn't warp in the dishwasher. Check out our favorite fine-mesh strainers here.

An offset icing spatula is ideal for spreading fillings and frostings on horizontal surfaces. If you make cakes, you should have two of these narrow, flexible metal spatulas. You will want a large offset spatula (with a blade about 8 inches long) for frosting a layer cake. A smaller model (with a 4-inch blade) is ideal for frosting cupcakes. Check out our favorite offset spatulas here.

A roll of parchment paper (or, better yet, flat sheets you order online) is absolutely essential for lining round cake pans that will be used to bake cakes that can stick easily—like sponge cake. The parchment allows you to remove them from the pans easily and mess-free. We prefer parchment instead of wax paper, whose wax coating will melt if exposed directly to heat. Check out our reviews of parchment paper here.