Frosting a cake doesn’t come easy — it is something that takes time to learn. These handy tips will help you learn to frost a cake like a pro, from start to finish!
Start with everything at room temperature. This will prevent even the slightest condensation from forming, making your frosting much easier to spread, and eliminating damp spots that could spell disaster for the taste of your cake. For easy cleanup, place the cake on top of pieces of waxed paper. Any frosting that doesn’t make it on the cake can easily cleared away by simply throwing away the wax paper.
Before you place the cake on a cake plate, dust it generously with powdered sugar. This will keep the cake from sticking. You can do the same with sweetened cocoa for a chocolate cake, to avoid the unsightly “flour dusted” look.
If your cake seems lopsided when you put it on the plate, don’t start taking off parts to make it level — instead, use marshmallows! You can squeeze them down to any size you need, place them underneath the cake to make it level. Whoever slices that piece will be in for a neat surprise treat on the bottom.
Need a nice citrus frosting but don’t know how to make it? Simple! Mix two tablespoons or pineapple juice with two tablespoons of orange juice, then add powdered sugar until it is the consistency you want. If you don’t have powdered sugar in your cabinets, make your own by mixing 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon or cornstarch. Spin it in the blender for a few minutes until it turns into superfine sugar.
Finally, remember the rules to making a cake that turns out nice and even. Spread the batter in the pan, pushing it up further on the corners and side, and leave a slight hollow in the middle. When the cake begins to pull away from the edges of the pan, it’s close to being done — use a toothpick inserted in the center to be absolutely sure. Always cool it on a wire rack, to allow air to circulate freely around your kitchen masterpiece.
