How to Frost a Sheet Cake

Sheet cakes are a popular way to brighten up special occasions. Besides being large enough to serve several people, there's plenty of room on top for fancy frosting and decorations. If you frost a sheet cake correctly, you'll end up with a well-dressed cake, ready for anything, from a child's birthday party to the social event of the year.

Instructions

1. Set up your workspace. To leave the base around the sheet cake clean after you frost it, transfer the cake from the baking pan to a serving platter, placing several strips of waxed paper underneath the cake.

2. Position your cooled sheet cake on a counter or table with plenty of room to slide the frosting around the sides of the cake in one continuous motion. Begin by placing some frosting on one corner of the cake and smoothing a thin layer on all sides to seal in any stray crumbs.

3. Cover the thin layer with a thicker layer of frosting, using an upward motion and overlapping each swipe with more frosting. Continue around the cake, leaving an edge of frosting on top to help you level the cake once you've completed the sides.

4. Spread frosting around the top of the cake in a back and forth motion, pushing some into the corners and to the sides to meet the edge of frosting you left before.

5. Smooth the edge of frosting on the sides of the cake up and over the top, leveling out the area you'll later decorate. Keep turning the cake and smoothing the frosting until you've finished.

6. Check the sides one last time and don't worry about a bit of frosting left on the bottom. After frosting the sheet cake satisfactorily, just pull out the wax paper strips you placed underneath earlier to remove any extra frosting.

Tips & Warnings

• Pass the knife under running water periodically to help the frosting go on smoothly.