More of a spreader than a knife, a palette knife has a long flexible blade that bends as easily as a builder's plastering tool.

Use your palette knife to spread cream, icing and cake fillings, and to smooth toppings for baked dishes (such as polenta or mashed potato).

A palette knife is thin enough to slide under cooked cakes, biscuits or pastry cases when you want to turn or lift them. It is also useful for loosening food stuck to tins.

Some blades are straight and some are angled near the handle. Choose the one that feels most comfortable.

Blades come in various lengths from 10-35cm. Buy one that's slightly bigger than the size of cake you usually make.

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