Does anyone know how to frost a cake?

[KitchenWitch]

I baked a cake for my husband's birthday today, and all went well until I went to frost it. Suffice to say, that was one UGLY but tasty layer cake.

[RevolutionaryActs]

1. Did you wait until the cake was completely cooled?

:shrug:

[KitchenWitch]

6. Yes I did!

[bicentennial_baby]

2. Let it cool completely, and let the frosting get to room temp.

:)

What happened? :hug;

[KitchenWitch]

8. My layers were so not flat

and I could not get the frosting (which was at room temp, and the cake was cooled) to cover where the layers came together.

Tasted good though.

[bicentennial_baby]

9. well, that's what matters...

:hug:

:)

[RevolutionaryActs]

10. Oh hell, if it tasted good nothing else matters.

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Haven't frosted a cake in years, my dear KW...

I know I've forgotten how....

Glad it tasted good! :hug:

[Left Is Write]

4. Yes.

Cut the top off the bottom layer so that the top layer will sit evenly. Put a thin layer of frosting on first, to sort of "set" any crumbs in, then frost the rest of the way, top first and then sides. Use a long metal spatula and even strokes, or put it on a lazy susan and gently turn the cake against the spatula.

[Lyric]

5. I stink at frosting with store-bought frostings, so

for ThinkBlue1966's birthday this past August, I made a scratch cake (Double Chocolate Pecan) with Vanilla Cream Cheese icing (homemade).

It was more liquid-ish than most store frostings, so I "poured" it over the top of the layers. It turned out looking really nice! (pic below)

?t=1164604310

[EFerrari]

7. You baked a cake?!

That IS the right way!

lol

[grasswire]

11. as someone else said...

...you can even up lumpy layers by trimming them with a serrated knife. You can do two layers of frosting, a thin one to set the crumbs and then another one for looks.

Or you can get a glass of hot water and dip your knife in it from time to time. That will give you a very, very smooth finish. Beautifully smooth. Use a table knife. It will work just fine.

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. Ask it why it hates America

:P

[crim son]

13. The trick is to not skimp on the filling that goes between the

layers. And put a thick stripe of frosting at the very edge of the inside of the bottom layer. Basically, you need to fill in the crack between the layers. If you don't want to much frosting then don't overdo the rest of the cake. I make a lot of cakes and have learned that the secret to beautiful desserts is not necessarily the same secret that makes them classy & delicious.

[Porcupine]

14. YOU put the love in when you baked and that's what counts.

My kids remember every cake I ever baked for them half of which were rather lumpy in appearance. They really couldn't care about the ones we got at the specalist bakery. It's the love that counts.

[NMMNG]

15. You know,

When I saw who posted this thread I clicked on it assuming "frost a cake" was a euphemism for something else. :rofl:

[KitchenWitch]

18. ...

:spank::spank::spank:

[NMMNG]

19. .....

:evilgrin:


How have you been lately?

[KitchenWitch]

20. Fair to middlin'

Recovering from a minor surgical procedure last Tuesday. My health seems to be improving lately though (not due to the surgery, but due to my daily iron intake).

Settling in here in California. Not sure I like it yet.

[mzteris]

16. Turn the bottom layer

upside down.......

and the top layer right side up. That way they fit snugly together.

Also - what everyone else said. Except to add - make sure you brush off excess crumbs. If you're going to do a "crumb layer" frosting - (especially useful if the cake/frosting are two different colors) - then you thin a small amount of frosting for it with a little milk to make it spread easier.)

Frost the side of the bottom, then the top of the bottom. Add the top, frost the sides - smooth bottom/top sides; frost the top.

If you use a table knife, use one without serrations if you have it. You can use the back side if you have nothing else.

If all else fails, make something to 'drizzle' over the top (thin chocolate or vanilla or lemon or something) or dust with powdered sugar or cocoa. . .

[reyd reid reed]

17. Depends whether you want a flat cake or a nice, puffy one...

If you want a flat cake, put the first layer on the serving plate upside-down (rounded side on the bottom...weight of the cake will flatten it) and cut the rounded side off the top layer, then put the top layer on cut side down. If you want a nice, rounded top, then you put the second layer right-side up. That way, you've always got two flat sides together.

And I always start by putting a glob of frosting on the top, leaving it there and then frosting the sides first, THEN spreading the top glob until it meets the sides.

:shrug:

Works for me. And if I'm using the canned frosting, I'll ALWAYS plan to use more than a single can. Usually about a can and a half. Sometimes it doesn't take that much, but if it does I've got it and the kids are usually more than happy to take care of whatever's left.