How to Frost a Cake
Let your cake cool., Make the cake flat., Set up the cake., Add the crumb coat.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Let your cake cool.
The biggest mistake you can make when frosting your cake is using a hot cake and cold frosting.
If your cake is even slightly warm, it will melt the icing which will then run over the edges and soak into the top layer, making it soggy.
Further, if you use cold frosting it won’t be smooth enough to spread and will bring up a lot of crumbs.
Always wait for both your cake and your frosting to reach room temperature.
This may take several hours of waiting, but is necessary for a completely smooth cover of frosting.
If you are leaving your cake to cool on the counter, place a slice of regular sandwich bread on the top of the cake.
This will keep it moist and protect it from going stale. -
Step 2: Make the cake flat.
When you baked your cake, likely the center rose into a small dome.
While this is perfectly normal, it prevents your cake from having a completely smooth layer of frosting as the dome will eventually lead the frosting to slide towards the sides.
To keep this from happening, use a serrated edge knife (cake knife preferably) to slice a thin layer horizontally off the top of the cake, so that the top and bottom of the cake run parallel to each other.
When possible, cut the top layer of the cake off while the cake is still in the pan.
This will help you to get a more level surface.
If you are making a layered cake, cut the top layer off of all the layers of cake you will be using. , When your cake is cooled and cut to size, prepare it for frosting by placing it on a round piece of cardboard or cake bottom.
Add strips of wax paper about 2” thick to the edges of the cake along the bottom.
When you finish frosting the cake, the wax paper will be removed and reveal a smooth bottom.
It is easiest to frost your cake on a spinning cake stand, which are available at most kitchen, craft, and cooking stores.
Get your cake frosting tools, including an offset spatula and bench scraper to smooth the icing.
Don’t use a knife or rubber spatula, as these may be easy to use but will not give the desired smooth frosting you’re looking for.
If you want, you can use a piping bag with a smooth frosting attachment to add the first layer of frosting.
You can also add different tips to the piping bag afterwards to add decoration to your cake as well. , The crumb coat is a rough layer of frosting that is used to seal in the crumbs so that your frosting can be smoothed easily.
To add the crumb coat, use an offset spatula and spread a thick layer of your room temperature frosting to the top and sides of your cake.
As you spread the frosting over the cake, move the spatula in the same direction (rather than back and forth) so that any loose crumbs are tucked under the frosting rather than brought to the surface.
Keep your spatula from ever touching the cake to minimize the chance of crumbs getting stuck to it and appearing at the surface of your frosting.
Place the crumb-coated cake in the fridge for at least thirty minutes before adding additional layers of frosting. -
Step 3: Set up the cake.
-
Step 4: Add the crumb coat.
Detailed Guide
The biggest mistake you can make when frosting your cake is using a hot cake and cold frosting.
If your cake is even slightly warm, it will melt the icing which will then run over the edges and soak into the top layer, making it soggy.
Further, if you use cold frosting it won’t be smooth enough to spread and will bring up a lot of crumbs.
Always wait for both your cake and your frosting to reach room temperature.
This may take several hours of waiting, but is necessary for a completely smooth cover of frosting.
If you are leaving your cake to cool on the counter, place a slice of regular sandwich bread on the top of the cake.
This will keep it moist and protect it from going stale.
When you baked your cake, likely the center rose into a small dome.
While this is perfectly normal, it prevents your cake from having a completely smooth layer of frosting as the dome will eventually lead the frosting to slide towards the sides.
To keep this from happening, use a serrated edge knife (cake knife preferably) to slice a thin layer horizontally off the top of the cake, so that the top and bottom of the cake run parallel to each other.
When possible, cut the top layer of the cake off while the cake is still in the pan.
This will help you to get a more level surface.
If you are making a layered cake, cut the top layer off of all the layers of cake you will be using. , When your cake is cooled and cut to size, prepare it for frosting by placing it on a round piece of cardboard or cake bottom.
Add strips of wax paper about 2” thick to the edges of the cake along the bottom.
When you finish frosting the cake, the wax paper will be removed and reveal a smooth bottom.
It is easiest to frost your cake on a spinning cake stand, which are available at most kitchen, craft, and cooking stores.
Get your cake frosting tools, including an offset spatula and bench scraper to smooth the icing.
Don’t use a knife or rubber spatula, as these may be easy to use but will not give the desired smooth frosting you’re looking for.
If you want, you can use a piping bag with a smooth frosting attachment to add the first layer of frosting.
You can also add different tips to the piping bag afterwards to add decoration to your cake as well. , The crumb coat is a rough layer of frosting that is used to seal in the crumbs so that your frosting can be smoothed easily.
To add the crumb coat, use an offset spatula and spread a thick layer of your room temperature frosting to the top and sides of your cake.
As you spread the frosting over the cake, move the spatula in the same direction (rather than back and forth) so that any loose crumbs are tucked under the frosting rather than brought to the surface.
Keep your spatula from ever touching the cake to minimize the chance of crumbs getting stuck to it and appearing at the surface of your frosting.
Place the crumb-coated cake in the fridge for at least thirty minutes before adding additional layers of frosting.
About the Author
Abigail Anderson
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: