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Anniversaries, bake sales, birthdays, graduations, baby and bridal showers—life’s special moments call for a beautifully frosted and filled cake. Learn how to frost a layer cake with these pro tips from our team.
Prepping the Pans
Well-prepared cake pans will ensure the layers of your cake bake evenly and won’t stick to your pans.
- Use a pastry brush to apply room temperature unsalted butter evenly to the inside of the cake pans.
- Line the bottom of your cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Butter the parchment.
- Dust the cake pan with flour–or cocoa powder if you’re baking a chocolate cake–and tap out the excess flour before adding the cake batter to the pans.
Knowing how much to fill a cake pan with batter is important to produce even cake layers. Using a kitchen scale can help you accurately weigh the contents of each pan so that you have just the right amount of batter per pan.
Leveling the Layers
Cakes often need to be split or leveled to make even cake layers before assembling. When possible, working with chilled cakes can make the job easier (wrap cakes tightly in plastic wrap once completely cool before transferring to the refrigerator). A long serrated knife makes quick work of cutting through the cakes without destroying the cake’s texture.
- Level tops not only keep a layer cake straight but they also provide an even surface for applying decorations on top. Using a serrated knife, trim off any unevenness from the top of your cake using a smooth, sawing motion. Steady the top of the cake with one hand.
- To split a cake into two even layers, first measure the height of the cake. Mark the halfway point of the height by inserting toothpicks, evenly spaced, at the center point of the cake. Using a serrated knife, cut through the cake with a gentle sawing motion, using the toothpicks as your cutting guide.
- Place the cake layers onto cardboard cake rounds. These rounds allow you to pick up the layers and move them around as you’re filling and frosting your cake.
Filling and Frosting
Now comes the fun part of learning how to frost a cake. To set yourself up for success, it’s helpful to use a few professional cake decorating tools.
- A lazy Susan or rotating turntable is ideal for assembling and frosting layer cakes. To keep the turntable clean as you work, insert small strips of parchment paper around the edges. If you don’t have a turntable, you can turn over a large stockpot and use the bottom of the pot as a pedestal to raise the cake off your work surface when filling and frosting.
- Offset (bent) and rubber spatulas allow you to evenly apply frostings and fillings to your cake.
- A bench scraper (used for lifting dough off work surfaces) can help you create a smooth surface for the outside frosting on your cake.
How to Fill a Cake
To evenly fill a cake with a filling or frosting, use a pastry bag—or a resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off—to apply a ring or dam of filling or frosting about 1 inch from the border of the cake layer. This dam will keep the filling from falling out of the cake while you frost.
Fill in the center of the cake layer with an even layer of your filling or frosting. Stack another cake layer on top and repeat the filling process. Chill the cake after you’ve assembled the layers and before applying the crumb coat.
How to Crumb Coat a Cake
Crumb coating uses frosting to seal in stray crumbs on layer cakes. With an offset spatula, spread a very thin layer of frosting over the assembled cake. Use a spatula or bench scraper to smooth out the frosting. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least one hour before applying the final layer of frosting.
If you notice the frosting getting too soft or too warm as you’re working, place the cake in the refrigerator and let it chill to firm up the frosting before continuing.
Celebrate Special Occasions with Frost Artisan Bakery
You can always find the right cake for your special occasion at Frost. Call or visit us today to request one of our special occasion decorated cakes from our menu.
