How to Round Corners in Frosting

Icing a round cake can be difficult and involves time and patience.

Frosting adds the finishing touch to a perfect dessert. Whether piped on, dolloped or spread, the sweet substance can add flavor and texture to a cake. However, spreading the frosting on can be difficult, as it tends to pick up crumbs and is difficult to make perfectly rounded. Thickness of the icing itself can cause problems, and must be slightly thinned in order to smoothly be spread around edges. With a few tricks, creating the perfectly iced dessert with rounded edges can be quick, easy, and delight those it is served to.

Things You'll Need

• 1 round cake
• 2-inch wax paper strips
• Serving plate
• 1 cup buttermilk frosting, divided into two parts
• Small bowl
• 1 tsp. buttermilk
• Large spoon
• Narrow metal spatula
• Bowl of hot water

Instructions

1. Brush any excess crumbs from the top and side of the cake.

2. Lay the strips of wax paper around the edges of the serving plate and place the cake on top of it.

3. Place the first half of the frosting in a small bowl and add the teaspoon of buttermilk. Mix thoroughly.

4. Spoon the first half of the frosting on to the top of the cake.

5. Spread the frosting evenly all over, using the spatula, carefully smoothing the edges, but leaving enough on so that no cake is showing through.

6. Dry the iced cake for 15 minutes.

7. Clean the spatula thoroughly in the bowl of hot water so that no crumbs remain on it. Throw out the used water and add more hot water.

8. Spoon the last half of the icing on to the cake. Spread it evenly all over the cake.

9. Dip the spatula in the hot water and gently go over the corners of the cake, slowly and evenly.

10. Pull out the wax strips carefully and discard them.

Tips & Warnings

• Always allow a cake or dessert to cool completely before icing it. Placing it in the freezer for 20 minutes before icing also aids in less crumbs mixing in to the icing.

References

• Serious Eats: How to Ice a Cake
• Cake Decorating Ideas: Cake Decorating 101
• Epicurious: How to Frost a Cake
• Penn State University: Cake Decorating
• 4H: Baking Cakes
• Baking 911: Cake Decorating