12 pages
Brand against brand and method against method: tilt head versus bowl lift, buttercream against ganache, fondant against buttercream, with the verdict first.
Every figure on these pages is labelled as a derived measurement, a published figure from a named source, or a trade convention, and every serving count states the portion size it assumes. Tables are plain HTML you can quote.
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The default decorating mixer: 10 speeds down to a stir that folds rather than throws, a 5 quart bowl rated for 9 cups of flour, and the tilt head that makes scraping a buttercream bowl quick.
Best for: the buy-once home mixer for cakes and buttercream
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
A flexible silicone edge that wipes the bowl wall as it turns, which is the single attachment that most improves buttercream, because unmixed butter clinging to the side is what makes a batch look curdled.
Best for: buttercream and creaming butter and sugar
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
A published 14 cup flour capacity, which is the point at which a 14 inch tier and its buttercream both fit in one bowl instead of two batches.
Best for: tiered cakes and anyone selling from home
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Two matched 8 by 2 inch pans, which is exactly one two layer cake, in the anodized aluminum that bakes flatter than a dark nonstick pan because it reflects rather than absorbs.
Best for: the standard two layer 8 inch cake
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.