How to Ice a Cake

Sometimes it's hard not to get crumbs from your cake in your icing. When this happens, it can ruin the look of a cake. A cake that would have looked very professional screams homemade when the icing is littered with crumbs. Here is a way to make sure your cake turns out with smooth, crumb-free icing every time.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• cake that needs to be iced, one layer or multiple layers
• icing
• rubber spatula
• large metal icing spreader

How to Ice a Cake

1. Make sure your cake is completely cool. Place it on your serving platter. Using the spatula, spread a thin layer of icing on the cake top and side. Don't worry if the icing gets crumbs in it. If you are icing a layer cake, spread a thick layer of icing on the top of the cake and add the next layer. Then thinly ice the top and sides of the whole cake.

2. Leave the cake sitting out uncovered for about 30 minutes. The icing should by then have formed a thin crusty layer on the outside, locking the crumbs in to the icing.

3. Using the rubber spatula again, carefully spread another layer of icing on top of the first one. As long as you try to use light strokes and don't press into the cake too much, the crumbs should stay locked into the first layer of icing and will not be visible on the final outer layer.

4. Use the icing spreader to make long finishing stokes over the top and sides of the cake to smooth the icing to a virtually streak-free finish.