Shall I put my cake in the fridge before icing it?

Never frost a warm cake is our first and most crucial cake decorating advice for novices. Let any newly cooked cake cool completely before icing, frosting, or adding buttercream; otherwise, the cake may crumble or break. It might be beneficial to remove your cake from the cake tin to hasten the cooling process, but you must do it carefully to avoid breaking the cake. For optimal results, oil the cake pan well before baking and line it with greaseproof paper. Cake should cool completely on a wire rack before being placed in the refrigerator to hasten the process. Use buttercream or frosting that has reached room temperature once your cake has completely cooled since it will be creamier and easier to spread.

How easy is it to decorate a cake at home?

It’s really easy to decorate a cake at home if you have the correct tools in your kitchen to perform the task. As these are easy cake ideas, let’s assume that you’ve baked a round cake and that you’re using buttercream or frosting for the decoration.
Here are our favourite tools to guarantee easy cake decorating;
- A rotating cake turntable makes it easier to spread the icing on the cake and to smoothen out the edges with a leveller. Although it’s not essential, it will make any cake decorating task much easier.
- A serrated cake or bread knife is a great addition for splitting cake layers with ease, particularly if you want to fill the middle of your cake with a delicious filling.
- A palette knife makes it easier to spread the icing across your cake without dragging
- A cake smoother or scraper can be used to smooth out your buttercream or make decorative patterns and designs in the buttercream or frosting. Ganache plates are also a handy tool at this stage.

BAKE AND FREEZE AHEAD

Baking and decorating all in one go can be quite an arduous task. Bake your cakes ahead of time and freeze them, removing them from the freezer on the day you’re ready to do the icing. Cakes will stay fresh in the freezer for up to a week and will also be much easier to manage, as they are more resistant to crumbling.

USE YOUR CAKE TURNTABLE

A cake turntable is a really handy tool when used for levelling out or decorating your cake. By turning the turntable, you can spread the icing with ease, for a much smoother finish. If you’re splitting your cake into layers, you can also use your turntable when spreading the filling between each of the layers.

LEVEL YOUR CAKES FOR A TIDIER AND MORE STURDY FINISH

The flatter your cake layers, the more sturdy your cake. Prevent any leaning, wobbling or collapse by using your serrated knife to saw off any dome-like bumps from the top of your cake layers. For best results, use a serrated knife with a blade that is longer than the diameter of your cake. Start with the blade at the edge of your cake trying your best to keep it level, then rotate the cake on the turntable and use a sawing motion to remove any lumps and bumps.

APPLY A CRUMB COAT BEFORE ADDING THE FINAL LAYER

Think of a crumb coat as underlay or sealant. Used to seal in any loose crumbs, it’s a light layer of frosting or buttercream that prevents any stray crumbs from ending up in the final coat for a much smoother finish. Apply the crumb boat to the whole cake, spreading a fine layer of frosting throughout and levelling with your palette knife whilst turning the cake turntable. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 mins to set the crumb boat before you move on to the final layer.

ADD THE FINAL LAYER!

Take your chilled cake and put it on the cake turntable. Apply a mound of frosting to the top layer of your cake whilst spreading it around with your palette knife as you rotate the turntable. Then, move on to the sides, working quickly whilst everything is still cool. Use a cake smoother on its own or with a ganache plate to complete the frosting, and create a really beautiful and smooth finish! Pipe some details in frosting, experiment with marzipan or fondant in cake moulds or use some sprinkles or a cake topper to finish off your cake, for a final, professional touch.