How to Crumb Ice a Sheet Cake
Whether you're making a cake for someone's birthday or a bake sale, you want the cake to look as smooth as possible. If your sheet cakes end up looking lumpy when you frost them, applying a thin layer of icing before you decorate can help prevent this problem. Crumb icing, which is a thinner version of regular frosting, seals and hides those troublesome crumbs so they won't show up when you finish frosting. The crumb icing also gives you an even surface to work with. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Small knife
- Cooling rack
- Cake tray, stand or other flat surface
- 1/2 cup frosting
- 1 to 3 tsp. thinner (milk, corn syrup or water)
- Small bowl
- Fork
- Offset or icing spatula
- Damp cloth or paper towel
Instructions
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Take the sheet cake out of the oven and leave it in the pan to cool for the amount of time specified on the recipe. When the cake has cooled, insert a small knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Move the knife around the entire outer edge of the cake and flip the pan upside down over a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool completely, then move it to the surface you'll be using for decorating, such as a cake tray or stand.
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2
Make the crumb icing. Put ½ cup of frosting in a small bowl. Add one tsp. of thinner, such as milk, corn syrup or water. Mix well with a fork. The crumb icing should be thinner than pudding but thicker than syrup. Add another teaspoon of thinner if the icing is still too thick and mix well. Continue to do this until the crumb icing is thin enough.
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3
Use an offset or icing spatula to apply a thin layer of crumb icing to the top and sides of the cake. Wipe the spatula with a damp cloth to remove crumbs.
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Place the cake in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes to give the crumb icing time to set. Take the cake out and spread the rest of the frosting on the top and sides.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't worry about how the cake looks after you apply the crumb icing. It won't look pretty or perfect, but this won't affect the final frosting layer.
