Cake Boards With Center Holes? Quick Answer

Do you cover your cake board? When you look at someone else’s cake and marvel at how professional and perfect it looks, how often do you see it sitting on a silver, uncovered board? Not often I bet!

Setting a cake stand is quick, easy, and an essential finishing touch to keep your cake looking professional. Whether you want your cake bare, topped with buttercream, ganache or fondant, a covered cake stand not only gives your cake the finishing touch, it can also enhance the design and overall look of your creation.

But why?

Basically, it’s about completing your design. A good design should draw your attention to the highlights and parts of the cake that you’ve been working on the longest and want to show off, while fading everything else out of focus. So if you’ve put the time and effort into designing a beautiful cake, why ruin it by letting the silver plank it’s sitting on be the first thing anyone sees?

You can even include your board in your design…make it a part of the cake. It’s an opportunity to expand and complement your design. And while we’re at it, it’s great to complete everything with a coordinating ribbon for the finishing touch.

So, here are a few basic things you need to know:

Thickness:

Cake boards come in 3 thicknesses, the thinnest being a “cut card”. These are either covered with silver foil or covered with a non-stick but food safe coating. These are used by professionals between tiers when the tiers aren’t too difficult, or under a cake that will eventually be transferred to a cake drum. It’s the cheapest but weakest board and allows a cake to be handled and moved around with little mess.

Next is the 3mm card. These are usually thick cardboards coated with a food grade silver foil. When you buy your boards from a supermarket, this is what you usually get. Most professionals use this thickness between layers of larger cakes.

Finally, there is the cake drum. These consist of layers of cardboard or cellulose and are in turn covered with food-safe film. They are thicker, between 10 and 12mm, and are what a pro would always end their cakes with. While the other thicknesses are used the same size as the cake so they won’t be visible, the drum is always larger than the cake and is the one I’m talking about.

What does “cover” mean?

Professionals will always place a cake on a cake drum. It is always larger than the cake so the cake can be picked up and moved around without fear of damaging the actual cake. It is the drum that we want to “cover”.

When I say cover I mean put a layer of fondant on top. Sometimes with a buttercream cake you want to spread a layer of buttercream on top, and the same goes for ganache. However, I prefer fondant as it is smoother and neater.

How to cover your board

There are several ways to cover a cake board, but this is one method that will suit everyone. You can use it as a base for any design on both the cake and the board.

First clean your board with rubbing alcohol, I usually use vodka on some paper towels. Although the boards are covered in food grade foil, you don’t know where they were stored until you buy them. They may have been dropped on the floor, stored on the lower shelves where dust gets kicked up, or even stored on dirty shelves. Just give them a quick wipe with rubbing alcohol to get rid of any germs.

Most people never eat the fondant on the board because most people don’t like fondant. But don’t count on it. There is often one person who loves fondant and will take each piece off, so make sure your board is clean!

Then add a very fine layer of water to the board with either chilled boiled water or more vodka – again I do this with paper towels. The fondant sticks to it.

Roll out the fondant to about 2-3mm thick.

Lay the fondant over the board and use a smoothing tool to go over the fondant to ensure there are no air pockets underneath.

Using a sharp knife held flat against the edge of the board, trim off any excess fondant.

Then cut a hole at the top where the cake will sit. Make sure the hole is at least 1 inch smaller than the cake. I do this for 2 reasons, firstly it would be a waste of fondant and secondly it allows you to glue the cake directly onto the board.

Finally, finish the edge of your board with color-matched tape that you’ll attach with a glue stick.

Tips and Tricks

If you have time, cover your board at least a day in advance. This allows it to dry hard, making it easier to work with without damage. If you don’t remember and need to do it with the cake at the same time before attaching the ribbon, simply pop the board in the oven on the lowest setting for 10 minutes. When you first take it out of the oven, the fondant will be super soft, so be careful. It will harden as it cools.

To give the edge of your board an extra smooth finish, use the smoothing tool at a 45 degree angle to bevel the edge.

Put sticky rubber feet on the bottom. Boards can be difficult to pick up when there is a heavy cake on top. 3 or 4 well-placed feet make it easier to get your fingers under.

design ideas

With birthday and celebration cakes, incorporating your board into the design of your cake can add a whole new dimension. Why should your design be ready as soon as the cake lands on the board?

Sometimes there just isn’t enough room for the words needed on a cake – put them on the board.

Maybe you have a beautiful cascade of flowers, let them flow across the board for a more spectacular look.

Maybe your cake is one color, make the board the same color to lengthen the look. Add additional details, e.g. a road going around an automotive themed cake, flowers and grass on a garden themed cake, etc.

Do you have multiple toppers and elements that need to fit on your cake? Instead of cramming everything on top and making it look cluttered and losing detail, place a few of these on the board so everything has the space to get the attention it deserves.

Make the board textured or printed to complement your design – wood effects, brickwork, knitwear and fabrics are all things I have used in the past to complete a design.

Once you start incorporating your board into your design, there really is no stopping you.

You can also find the video here on YouTube.

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Looking for a cake board with a little extra strength and durability? Masonite’s are made from steam-cooked and pressure-formed wood fibers, making them a type of engineered hardboard that’s the perfect pie stand for those heavier cakes.

As well as looking superb, Masonite Cake Boards are 4mm thick and are extra strong and sturdy with the ability to support the considerable weight of a larger, heavier cake.

Available in a variety of different designs, colors and sizes including 10″, 12″ or 14″, our masonite cake boards can be wiped clean and reused whenever you need them, making them an incredibly economical and practical choice. No matter what size or height of cake you are baking or how you decorate it, we have a perfect masonite board for you.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out our range of cake displays.

Wedding cakes and large celebration cakes typically have multiple tiers. This is often the last thing on customers’ minds when it comes to realizing their vision, but stacking cake tiers is a very important part of the process. If a cake is not properly secured, it will not hold up well during transport or when displayed at the event.

Before you can stack a cake, all of the layers must be leveled, even, and finished with buttercream or fondant. Each tier should be on a cake board (round cardboard or other shape), and the bottom tier should be on a thicker cake board to support all the weight. You should not be able to see any cardboard except for the bottom cake board that the cake sits on. All piping should be done once the cake is already stacked to avoid thumb marks or tears.

You’ll need chopsticks, straws, or plastic dowels to start stacking. For the bottom tier, insert the dowels of your choice in a small circle toward the center of the cake, leaving 1 to 2 inches around the outside perimeter of the cake without dowels. You want to use about 6 to 8 dowels per level. Tap or push the dowels in to make sure they hit the cake board on the underside, then use scissors to cut the dowel to make sure it isn’t sticking out or showing; They should be level with the top of the cake.

When all the dowels are in place, place the next level on top. All levels must still be on their cardboard supports. Insert the dowels in the same way for this next level, and so on.

After you get to the top you can use a long wooden dowel hammered through the entire cake to finish it off. Start at the top center, push it through the top layer and it hits cardboard. Smash it through and keep going through all the cakes and cardboard supports until you get through the bottom level. This will prevent the cakes from moving or shifting. Once the cake is fully stacked, any decorations and/or piping can be placed on top of the cake.

If you accidentally crack or dent your cake while stacking it, don’t worry! There are always ways to cover this up with your decorations or extra buttercream. You saved something, didn’t you? Always have some extra frosting of the same color and flavor on hand for this very purpose. Alternatively you can glue a flower to the damaged area or use this area to pipe a decoration. When a cake is securely stacked, it’s much easier to transport and deliver to your customers – and most importantly, it looks perfect for your newlyweds when it’s time to display your creation!

This article is part of a week-long series by Culinary Institute of America student Stephanie Zauderer on wedding cakes, from inception to delivery to the event. Check back tomorrow to find out more.

Image: Stephanie Zauderer

After my four tier wedding cake fiasco, I vowed never to bake a tiered cake again until I figured out exactly what I did wrong.

Stack like a pro

When I first started cake art I was absolutely terrified of selling anything about a one tier cake. All I knew was that anything I tried to stack would collapse and ruin the cake, the customer would be angry, and I would have a terrible reputation as a terrible cake artist. And it happened. This has happened to me twice – once with a wedding cake and once with a birthday cake. A client was angry; The other client was my niece and loved me, so all I got away with was humiliation. After the four-tiered wedding cake fiasco (my niece’s cake), I vowed never to bake a stacked cake again until I figured out exactly what I did wrong. So my journey of trial and error began, and I’ll pass what I’ve learned on to you so you can avoid the humiliation I carry to this day.

Stacking cakes is actually pretty simple, but there are a lot of little things that can cause a stacked cake to become a bottom cake. Luckily, I’ve identified most of these issues and I’m here to teach you how to properly stack a cake. Once you learn how to stack a two tier cake, the sky’s the limit. You can go as high as you want with as many cakes as you want without fear of collapsing.

Here’s a four tier wedding cake I didn’t screw up

Step one

You’d think the obvious first step would be to have your cakes ready to be stacked, but there are a few things you can do about your individual tiers that will make stacking easier and foolproof.

First things first: when you take your freshly baked cake out of the oven, allow it to cool completely. There must not be any residual heat in the cake. If you try to stack a cake that is still slightly warm in the middle, you will encounter disaster. If you are in a hurry, you can also chill the cakes in the freezer.

Here’s an excellent tip I was taught by one of my baker friends who has been in the business for several years; Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap each layer in cling film and leave at room temperature overnight. Not only does this help the cake rest so it condenses together to avoid a crumbly mess, but it also locks in the moisture inside so you don’t have to use simple syrup to boost the moisture levels. Trust me, this step is the difference between a mediocre tasting cake and an insanely moist and delicious cake.

To finish off the perfect preparation of your cakes, read my article on frosting and crumb coating and the article on leveling. Leveling your cake is paramount to avoiding a disaster while stacking your cake. I will link these articles below (at the bottom of this article). Check it out and follow the instructions to the letter.

Get as close to that as you can

step two

Now that you have your cakes as perfect as can be, you need to decide what you are going to use for stability. Some bakers use bubble tea straws, others use wooden dowels. I use both alternately depending on what I have on hand. Both work as well as each other.

You also need to decide whether or not to use a cake board between each layer. Sometimes yes, sometimes not. It all depends on what recipe I’m using, how high the cake is and how dense it will be. There are times when I can stack a two tier cake without using straws OR a board to separate the tiers. However, I don’t recommend doing this because it’s a risky thing to do. If you’re just starting out and don’t know how your cakes will behave, it’s always better to use more support than you need rather than needing it and suffering a breakdown.

Before dowelling the bottom tier, move it onto the cake board that you have already prepared and ready to display. This will save you a lot of heartache in the end. It’s almost impossible to move the bottom layer of a stacked cake to a new board.

So let’s say you’re just getting started. You will have an 8 inch cake as the base cake and a 6 inch cake as the top tier. First move your 8 inch cake onto the presentation board. Now leave the 6-inch cake on another cardboard round, but trim the round so it’s exactly the same size as the cake that’s sitting on top. This will help you hide the board when you stack it while still providing the stability you need. This works the same for all cake sizes. It’s important to use cardboard rounds for this and not cake drums, as cake drums are very thick and typically serve more as display platters than stability.

For any size cake, whether you’re making a two-tier cake or a six-tier cake, you want each individual cake to sit on a single circular piece of cardboard that’s exactly the same size as the cake. The easiest way is to cut the cardboard rounds with a craft knife.

Round cake on cardboard

This is a cake on a cardboard round. If you were going to use this cake for stacking, you would need to trim the board after freezing so it was exactly the same size as the cake.

step three

Now that your cakes are on their perfectly fitting cardboard rounds, you’ll need to measure the top of the cakes to see where they will sit. An easy way to do this and get it perfect is to take a piece of parchment paper, place the next larger size cake pan on the paper and trace around the pan. Cut out the remaining circle and you have a just-sized template.

Position the circle on the larger cake, making sure you center it exactly. Look at it from different angles and make any necessary adjustments.

Once you have the parchment as centered as possible, use a toothpick to toothpick the outside of the parchment into the icing.

Create a circle of parchment for each part

Template for placing dowels

step five

Once you’ve placed your dowels, it’s time to start stacking. We left the center without dowels for a reason. You don’t have to place a center dowel for two tier cakes unless you want to. They are not as likely to fall off as large cakes.

If you’re making a buttercream cake, you’ll need to be careful when stacking the cake to avoid denting your icing. Using spatulas is one of the best ways to ensure you don’t ruin your frosting. Place the back of the cake down first, making sure you’re inside your circle line, and pull the spatula out towards you while gently letting the cake fall into place. If you see yourself not following your policies, you should make a decision.

If the cake is grossly out of line, you’ll have to move it. If your buttercream is crusted, the easiest way is to use a paper towel over the palm of your hand to gently shake the cake in place. If the buttercream isn’t already crusted, wait until it needs to move the cake.

If you’re using a non-crusting buttercream and need to adjust the cake position, place the entire cake in the freezer for fifteen minutes. You can then adjust the top layer’s position without ruining your frosting.

Turn the cake over, look at it from all angles and make sure it’s completely centered before moving on to the next layer.

The key to a securely stacked cake is making sure the layers are all completely even and each layer is absolutely centered.

step six

If you want extra security consider placing a dowel all the way through the center of the cake through all the tiers. The best type of dowels I’ve found for tiers three and under are barbecue skewers. They’re pre-sharpened, long enough to get through all layers and thick enough to be sturdy.

Find the center of the top tier, insert the sharpened dowel and, hands down, poke it through the top tier. When you reach the cardboard round below the top level, you’ll feel it. Use a rubber mallet or a hammer wrapped in tape to gently drive the dowel through the board. You can keep hammering it through the entire cake until it goes through the bottom panel (your presentation panel) and you’re done. Your cake is now done and set!

An excellent tutorial from Krazy Kool Cakes

How to line up your cakes

Cake Decorating Basics: How to line your cakes

You would think that leveling cakes is a piece of cake. However, many home bakers don’t realize the importance of creating a level base!

How to coat your cakes in crumbs

Cake Decorating Basics: How to Crumble a Cake

The crumb coat is also known as dirty ice. This step traps crumbs in the frosting and prevents the last layer of frosting from being littered with dirty-looking crumbs.

How to achieve the perfect buttercream finish

Cake Decorating Basics: How to Achieve the Perfect Buttercream Finish

Buttercream surfaces can be just as smooth as fondant with practice and patience.

© 2018 Becca Hubbard-Woods

Using straws instead of dowel rods to support your cake is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to make your cake strong.

This Rose Levy Beranbaum is a smart woman. This is another tip I learned from her book The Cake Bible that has saved my butt a million times over. Use straws instead of dowel rods to support your larger cakes. Their theory is that the straws displace less cake and therefore can support as much weight as a dowel stick.

It works great for me because straws are cheap, easy to find, and disposable. I pretty much always have them with me when I have a cake that needs a little extra support. I use them whenever I’m making a tiered cake or when using a slippery filling like lemon curd.

How to use straws for cake supports:

Insert straws into cake before frosting but after filling. Where you place the straws depends on what you need to support. For tiered cakes, I pin the straws in a circular pattern around the perimeter of the next tier with some in the center for extra support. When using them for slippery filling, I place the straws around the cake. I like to use multiple straws.

After inserting the straws, pull them up a bit and cut them off where the cake mark is on the straw.

Push the cut straw back into the cake. Cut the remaining straws to length. Frost as usual.

How to avoid using plastic straws:

Since plastic straws are basically ruining the earth, I’ve tried to avoid them whenever possible. I was very pleased to find out that paper straws work just as well as plastic for supporting a tiered cake and holding a tiered cake together. They’re a bit more expensive, but they don’t kill all turtles. Seems like a worthwhile compromise to me.

For more fun cake decorating tips, check out how to fill a piping bag with a water glass or how to bake a tiered cake while working full time!

If you liked this post, share it on Facebook or Pinterest!

Happy baking!

If you’d like a copy of my FREE Bakery Bakery Checklist, sign up below and I’ll send it to you. I like to print off a copy and keep it in my pantry so I know what I have and what I need from the store.

Happy baking!

The cake board is an essential piece of equipment in any cake lover’s baking arsenal, but with so many shapes, sizes and materials available today, it is extremely important to choose the right board for the right cake.

The right cake stand not only supports the stability of your cake, but also gives it additional stability during transport and a professional appearance in the presentation.

When choosing the right cake board, the main difference lies in the thickness of the board as well as the materials from which it is made. Drum boards are your thickest option for the most structural support, while standard cake boards are an inexpensive option when a drum may not be necessary.

What is the difference?

What are standard cake boards for?

Their standard cardboard cake boards or STD cake boards are usually 3mm thick, covered with silver foil and are generally used for lighter, smaller cakes – or as extra support between cake tiers. They’re a great base for inserting dowels between cake tiers as they’re super thin and almost imperceptible in your assembled masterpiece.

What are drum boards for?

Much thicker than your standard cake boards, drum boards are made from heavy gauge cardboard typically around 12mm thick. Drum boards are ideal for heavier cakes, such as large sponge cakes, fruit cakes and tiered wedding cakes.

What are masonite slabs for?

Masonite cake boards are a popular casual option and are made from compressed wood fiber (MDF) and are typically between 4mm and 6mm thick. Although some go up to 8mm. Their added strength means you can opt for a thinner slab that is, however, much stronger than your standard cardboard option.

Cake design by @4CAKE_SAKE

Are cakeboards reusable?

In the age of reduce, reuse and recycle, you can save time and money when it comes to cake boards. Most foil-covered cake stands can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth after use. Just be sure to wipe gently and not scrub too hard, and you’ll be able to use the same boards for a few upcoming cake projects!

How to decorate a cake board

Sometimes your cake-like masterpiece deserves so much more than your standard silver foil finish. So why not try one of these options to finish your cake at a professional level?

Cover with sugar paste

Start by brushing a small amount of water or edible glue over the entire surface of your cake board. Knead and roll out your sugarpaste as usual, then drape over your cake board so it covers all edges. Cut off excess sugar paste and gently rub over it with a hair straightener.

We recommend covering the cake stand a few days in advance so that the sugarpaste has had enough time to harden when decorating.

Cover with contact paper

Choose the perfect pattern for your finished cake, then place it face down on a flat surface. Place your cake board upside down on the paper with the silver foil side facing down to ensure it is completely covered. Peel the sticky backing off your contact paper, then press your cake board down like you practiced earlier. Cut around the paper until you have an edge just enough to cover the sides of your board. Using the excess, cut them into strips and carefully glue each one in place. Here’s a video to help you on your way.

Wrap with ribbons

For a simple yet stylish finish, why not opt ​​for a ribbon finish around your cake drum? A ribbon that perfectly matches the depth of your cake stand looks super effective when wrapped around and tied in the front with a cute bow. Look how @sallymariecakes does it! Or get inspired by @chikzpatisserie

Cake design by @sallymariecakes

Cake design by @chikzpatisserie

Go for preconfigured

Although many cake stands are readily presented with a silver foil coating, some cake stands (often masonite boards) are available in a unique pattern or design to add a unique touch to your cake when it comes to displaying your centerpieces. Some popular designs include marble effect, wood effect, water effect and even grass effect coatings.

Learn how to glaze a cake with these 10 easy steps! Yes, even if you are a beginner, you can learn how to decorate a cake like a pro from start to finish!

We’ve all seen these gorgeous cakes.

You know the ones I’m talking about. Those that are even and smooth and beautifully decorated. The ones with the straight edges and the sprinkles in just the right place, wondering how they do it!?

WAS THERE. Actually I was there for a while but I made it out alive and I’m here to give you my top 10 tips to make your cakes look more professional!

How to decorate a cake to look more professional

When I first started my cake decorating days, I was fascinated by how cakes could be decorated in so many different ways. I was wondering how to stack my layers and how the frosting always looked so even. But mostly I found myself wondering why the heck my damn cakes couldn’t look the same!

Now, after pastry school and 10 years of cake decorating experience, I’m here to share my tips and tricks on how to start making your cakes look better.

Maybe you want to start your own cake business and you don’t know anything. Or you like to decorate cakes as a hobby. Maybe you want to impress your in-laws. Whatever the reason, here are your basic starting points for making your cakes look more professional.

Disclaimer: There are definitely ways (see below) to decorate beautiful cakes without special cake tools, but your cake life will be a lot easier if you have the following:

An offset spatula like this A bench scraper like this A cake turntable like this

Let’s get started and learn how to decorate a cake!

First bake your cake in 3 layers

Usually when people make layer cakes, they always make them in 2 cake pans, which equals 2 cake layers, duh.

When I started I couldn’t understand why my cakes didn’t look like the ones in the magazines and it was because my cakes weren’t big enough!

Depending on the cake recipe you use, this may mean doubling the recipe. A more professional looking cake = a big cake, so double up!

I use a standard of 3 cake layers in my tiers. When combined with the buttercream, they will grow 5″-5.5″. So this one cake has 3 layers and is one tier high for a total height of 5″.

To be clear, a pie layer is made up of pie layers. No, layers and planes are not the same.

A cake layer is composed of cake layers.

Next tier from the cake tops

A flat cake is much easier to stack than a dome cake, so you’ll need to level it.

You can take a sharp, long, serrated knife and start evenly flat bladed at the lowest part of the dome. In a push-and-pull motion, cut through (like slicing a bagel flat).

Make sure to keep the blade at the same level throughout the cut or it will become crooked.

A great trick is to leave the cake in the pan and once it has cooled, place the flat side of the blade on top of the pan and use it as a guide to chop off the top.

This method works well if the entire surface of your cake is being baked higher than the pan.

Optional: Stuff your face with the pie tops or pawn them to someone else.

cake boards

Cake boards make cake decorating easier for you, especially when you are transporting the cake.

You can certainly decorate a cake on the stand you’re serving it on, but if you plan to move the cake around a bit, you’ll need cake boards.

For a normal cake I use two cake boards.

One that’s the same size as the cake and goes straight to the bottom of the cake. And a second one at least 2 inches taller so I can decorate and move the cake around if I have to without spoiling the bottom.

Dab the frosting

You should now have 3 flat cake layers.

First take a small amount, e.g. B. a teaspoon, frosting and spread it in the center of the larger cake board.

Place the smaller cake board in the middle of the larger one.

Add another small amount of frosting to the smaller cake board, but spread it out more evenly – the offset spatula works wonders here.

Now place your thickest cake layer (to be honest the cakes may not be the same size even if we try our best) on the cake board.

Tada! You’ve Just Made Your Cake – Now the cake won’t slide around while you stack and glaze it.

Fill and stack

Ok, maybe that’s two things, but they belong together, so I’ll keep it that way.

Once you’ve secured your first cake layer onto your cake board, it’s time for the frosting or buttercream.

Some people use a piping bag so they know they’re getting 100% even amounts of frosting between coats. However I don’t have the patience to use another tool and clean and am lazy so I just use my offset putty knife.

Scoop up some of the icing, starting with about 1/3 cup – eyeball – and drop it into the center of the cake.

Using the spatula or a knife if you don’t have one, work outwards from the center of the cake, spreading evenly all the way around, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edges.

This will be filled in later when you make the crumb coat.

Take your next cake layer — and this is crucial — turn it over so the bottom of the cake is now the top and place it on top of the frosting.

This will give the cake a more even shape overall. Repeat these last two steps with the next layer.

PS: If you use a cake turntable I do it all there and rotate as I frost, but if you don’t have one just do it on any cake stand that fits.

Now look at the stacked cake from eye level and see if there are any bumps. If this is the case, you can press on the opposite side of the cake to even it out, or gently lift the edge of the cake where it’s uneven and add more buttercream to even it out.

Freeze

Now that you have a nicely stacked cake, stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

This will help minimize the amount of crumbs that come loose when you start icing it.

If you use cake boards they help here, otherwise move some things around so you can build a massive cake construction in your freezer.

crumb coat

A crumb coat is essentially a light layer of frosting over the cake, applied before the actual real buttercream coating to catch any crumbs. This will ensure the top layer of buttercream is crumb free and nice.

This part gets tricky if you don’t have a turntable, which is why I recommend it, but you can still make it work.

Use the back of your spatula to pick up some icing and smear it onto the side of your cake while twisting with your other hand (lo, tricky). Spread and spread evenly over the cake from bottom to top.

Be sure to scrape the back of the spatula on another bowl or on top of the buttercream dish so you don’t dip a crumb-filled spatula into a crumb-free bowl of buttercream when you need another spoonful.

Then put some icing on top and use the spatula to even it out. Use your bench scraper to clean the sides. Holding it vertically, stand on the cake board against the cake and turn the turntable to level it.

It’s okay if you can still see the cake layers, you really just want to seal the crumbs.

Place the cake in the freezer for another 5 minutes.

How to glaze a cake

You’ll do the same thing as the crumb coat above, only with more frosting, and this time you want to completely cover the cake layers. This is called a top coat.

Start on the sides from the bottom and work your way up with the spatula, going around and around, twisting and spreading as you frost. When the rest of the cake is covered and you’ve reached the top, stop and switch from the spatula to the bench scraper to smooth out the sides even more (don’t work on the top yet). Making sure your wrist is straight, the scraper is straight on the cake board and the long side is leaning against the cake, rotate the turntable. If you notice that some spots need more frosting, that’s ok, just add a little bit in those spots. Keep turning the bench scraper against the cake and it will level it. Pour icing on top and spread evenly with spatula, leaving a small gap between the edges.

straight edges

Now those edges might give you a problem because if you flatten the sides, they will stick out at the top. Then when you flatten the top, they do this weird thing about the sides.

Here’s what you do – PLANE.

Shall I explain? Yes of course.

Start where the sides stick out over the edge of the cake. Hold your spatula with one hand on each end, then (and that’s how they explained it in cooking school – real -) go from the top over the edge from the outside of the cake to the center. Glide your spatula over the edges like an airplane is about to land.

I know it sounds weird. But this swooping action works. You keep the spatula flat and straight the whole time. They come straight down onto the frosting at an angle and then land and go straight onto the cake.

Stop when you get to the middle and repeat on all edges. There. Airplane.

smoothing of the cracks

After you’ve smoothed out the edges, you might just need a little extra help to get those tricky cracks and kinks.

Insert spray bottle.

Fill a spray bottle (the one you use only for food) with clean water and spray. your. Cake. You understood me.

Sprinkle water on that beautiful cake you just became obsessed with. I’m not talking about it. I mean spray lightly with water. Then immediately take your spatula and smooth it over those tough spots.

Immediate solution.

Just a word of warning about this – you must use this trick in the final step before proceeding with decorating. You can’t use it and then decide your cake needs more icing and pour icing on top. It won’t end well.

This trick should only be used at the very end to smooth the cake.

When I’m working on the end, I lightly spray my cake all over and then take my bench scraper and give it a good swirl to smooth everything out.

Also, spray very lightly on cakes that have food coloring in the buttercream. You don’t want the paint to drip and bleed down the cake.

Cake decorating ideas

Finally time to decorate! Here are some of my cake decorating ideas:

Throw some sprinkles on top and sides. Yeah literally throw ’em they’re sprinkles who cares where they end up it’ll be pretty because hellloooo its sprinkles! Side note – this needs to be done right after the frosting while the buttercream is still gooey – if you wait for the buttercream to form a crust the sprinkles won’t stick.

Get a cake topper like this one

Top the bottom and/or sides of the cake with nuts, pretzels, candies,

Decorate your cake with fresh flowers. Read my tutorial on how to do this safely here!

Sprinkle with fancy salt if it’s a chocolate or caramel cake.

Cover your cake with cookies in a fun pattern.

Drizzle store-bought or homemade sauces over the cake.

Decorate without tools:

If you’re reading this and you’re like, “But what if I don’t have any of the tools you mentioned?”

You can:

Add frosting onto a cake using a flat, regular spatula, a knife, or even the back of the spoon.

Frost as best as possible, then scrape over with a fork or the back of a spoon for a rustic finish

Cover it with decorations.

Well there you have it!

There is definitely no right or wrong way to bake and decorate cakes, this is just how I do it.

Also, remember not to be too hard on yourself, usually the things we notice that no one else would, so take it easy.

Happy baking everyone!!

You might also like these decorating tutorials:

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