CUSTOM CAKES AND CUPCAKES

All my secrets and tips to:
Frost Smooth Cakes with Sharp Edges

Learning to stack, assemble, and frost buttercream cakes becomes easier with practice, but I've developed a few helpful techniques and discovered some useful tools to make this process easier. Give these a try and start frosting smooth cakes to decorate on!

What You Need

Find links for supplies and materials at the bottom of this page
Recipes for your favorite cake and buttercream frosting (find all my recipes HERE)
Extra liquid ingredient from your buttercream recipe (ie: cream, milk, water, more extract, juice, etc)
Round cake pans
Cake decorating turntable
Nonslip mat or silicone baking mat
Metal offset spatula
Metal cake smoother/scraper
Metal angled offset spatula (optional)
Bowl
Spoon or rubber spatula
Cardboard cake board or reusable acrylic cake board

Step 1: Baking the Cake Layers

Mix up your favorite cake recipe (find all my recipes HERE), or use a boxed mix and prepare as per directions.

We will be talking mostly about 2 and 3 layer cakes in this tutorial, but feel free to make any size you'd like. These principles apply to any cake size and number of layers.

I like to add parchment circles to bottoms of cake pans for easy release. You may also cut circles from rolled parchment paper instead. Spray the bottoms and sides of cake pans with nonstick cooking spray/canola spray.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the three cake pans, filling them approximately 1/2 to 2/3 full.

Bake as directed by your recipe or mix package. Layers will be done once a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Run a knife around the edge of the pan to allow the layer to release more easily. Allow layers to cool completely before decorating if you are decorating shortly after baking. Otherwise, while still warm, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and store in the freezer in airtight container until ready to decorate.

Step 2: Making Buttercream Frosting

Mix up your favorite buttercream frosting (find all my recipes HERE) in a stand or hand mixer on low to medium speed, or use prepackaged frosting. Add 1 tablespoon of your recipe's liquid source to thin the consistency slightly, and mix in well. Add more if the consistency feels too thick when you are spreading it later.

Add gel coloring if/how desired. The colors will deepen with time, so buttercream may be made a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

If refrigerating, allow buttercream to warm up a bit at room temperature before using to make piping easier. Keep covered until ready to use. Stir well just prior to using to press out air bubbles.

Step 3: Stacking and Assembling

My tool of choice for spreading buttercream frosting is a metal offset spatula. These come in several different sizes and are very widely available. I'll link mine below. Typically, I use a 4" blade length for small cakes (think smash cake sizes), and a 9" blade length for medium to large cakes. Shorter blades are easier to control than longer ones, but longer ones can cover more surface area more quickly, which is why I like having both sizes.

Using the offset spatula, spread a little of the buttercream frosting onto the cake board, and place the first layer down. This will help the bottom layer from sliding around while you are frosting.

Spread a thick layer of buttercream onto the first layer, and then add the second cake layer. Repeat this on the second layer.

Place the third layer upside down on top. This gives a sharper edge to the top of the cake, as this was the edge inside the baking pan. Regardless of how many cake layers you are stacking, the top layer goes upside down.

Fill in any gaps in between the layers with buttercream using your offset spatula.

Step 4: Applying the Crumb Coat

Once the layers are stacked with buttercream in between, we will apply the crumb coat layer. This serves to trap any crumbs from your cake layers within the buttercream and keep them from your outer layer of buttercream. It also provides a shape or form for your outer layer of buttercream to follow. Crumb coats all look different - there may be lots of cake showing through, or not much at all, and it does not need to look perfect.

Spread the buttercream over top of the cake with the offset spatula, then hold the spatula steady, while turning the turntable to create a level, flat surface.

Add more buttercream to your spatula and spread this all over the sides of your cake. Keep the blade of the spatula parallel to the side of the cake.

Once the cake is totally covered with buttercream, use the cake scraper to smooth the sides (see video), leaving a thin coat of buttercream. Hold this fully upright and parallel to the cake. This may take several passes. I like to heat up my scraper under hot running water or dip it into a pot of hot water (quickly wipe it dry) in between passes. This helps smooth the buttercream more easily.

To finish the top edge, I like to use an angled offset spatula, as they are more narrow, and I feel I have more visibility. However, an offset spatula works fine as well. Hold this away from the cake, and pull the extra buttercream on top in toward the center before pulling it off. Make sure to keep this parallel to the top of the cake to create a sharp edge.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or until the buttercream is set and firm to the touch. You can also use the freezer.

Step 5: Frosting the Final Coat

Spread a generous amount of your buttercream over the top of the cake, holding the spatula parallel to the top, and turning your turntable, just like the crumb coat. Continue by adding and spreading the buttercream over the sides, keeping the spatula straight and parallel against the sides.

Smooth the buttercream with your scraper. Again, it is helpful to warm up the metal under hot water (wipe dry) to soften and smooth the buttercream in between passes. This may also take several passes. If any open spots or air bubbles appear while smoothing, use your offset spatula to add more buttercream to these areas, and then smooth again with your scraper.

Create the top edge by pulling off extra buttercream in toward the center with your offset or angled spatula just like when crumb coating. Make sure to hold your spatula parallel to the top of the cake and use a light pressure at the edge so as not to bump it.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes or until the buttercream is set and firm to the touch.

Step 6: Decorating

Decorate your cake with buttercream piping, sprinkles, fondant and other edible decorating mediums, and more! Need design inspiration and ideas? Check these out:
- Cake and cupcake decorating design tutorials
- YouTube videos
- DIY kits

Important Notes

One option would be to level your cake layers using a knife or a cake leveler to make them more flat and thus easier to stack and frost. I typically do not do this, as my recipes often bake level enough, and I prefer to use as much of the cake as I can. I just level and fill in gaps with buttercream frosting to accommodate for this. Occasionally, I have found that chocolate cake likes to bake with a domed surface, so I will cut this off with a serrated knife.

I like to frost my cake layers after they've been frozen, and I don't defrost or allow them to thaw before assembling and frosting them. I've found this helps to keep the crumbs out of the way, retains moist cake layers, and helps the frosting set up more quickly.

If you are looking for the semi-naked cake look, thin down your buttercream frosting with a bit more of your recipe's liquid ingredient, and complete just the stacking/assembling and the crumb coat. No outer coat is needed for a semi-naked cake.

If you are looking for the naked cake style, this means that there is no crumb coat or outer layer, only the frosting in between the layers. Note: naked cakes tend to dry out quickly, as there is no buttercream covering them to hold in moisture.

While I do absolutely love my sturdy cake decorating turntable, a makeshift version can be made using a plastic lazy Susan, some strong tape, and a flat round plate, board, or tier separator plate. This is what I first used when I started my business before I could afford a turntable. I'll link the one I use now this below - it is an extremely reliable product.