How To Frost A Cake | Beginners tips for any frosting (+VIDEO)

In this post, I'm sharing how to frost a cake step-by-step with detailed images and a video. Apply the tips & techniques for any cake and frosting to create your special cake!

Everyone has slightly different ways to frost oftentimes; For example, some people use a dough scraper more often while others use a spatula, some use a bigger spatula while others use a smaller one.

And today, I am sharing the way that works best for me after trying multiple ways for a decade. I recommend trying the tips and techniques besides those from other chefs and finding which ones feel most comfortable for you!

No one can master frosting a cake from day 1. You'll need some practice but I hope this tutorial helps to accelerate your growth as a cake decorator whether you frost it for work or your kid's birthday cake, etc!

In this post, you'll learn essential frosting tips & techniques such as:

• How to crumb coat a cake properly to make a solid base
• How to move a spatula and a turning table to frost smoothly
• Essential tips to create a beautiful final coat
• Tips to pipe buttercream professionally
• Tips to decorate fruits like the ones in a pastry shop ... and so on!

Jump to:

• 📌 Frequently Asked Questions
• 📌 How To Frost A Cake
• 📌 Tips For Frosting A Cake
• 📌 Notes
• 📌 VIDEO: How To Frost A Cake
• 📌 The Cake & Frosting Recipes
• 📌 Printable Recipe
• How To Frost A Cake

📌 Frequently Asked Questions

📌 How To Frost A Cake

Follow the 20 steps:

Prep (Optional): Chill cakes beforehand before frosting.

Crumb coat

1. Place a cake on a center of a turning table.
2. Cut off an uneven part of the surface to make it flatter. (Optional)
3. Drop a big scoop of frosting and spread it evenly.
4. Repeat it for all the layers. Make sure that the cake is standing straight 360 degrees. For the last layer, spread the frosting on top thinly.
5. Fill all the gaps on the side with the frosting. Again, frost thinly.
6. Clean off the frosting on a turning table.
7. Clean off the top corner edge with a spatula.
8. Chill it in the fridge.

Final coat

9. Drop a big scoop of frosting on top and spread evenly. Spread it over the edge.
10. Coat all over the side with the same thickness.
11. Add additional frosting all around the top corner edge.
12. Smooth out the surface with a dough scraper. Freeze your arm and dough scraper (hold it straight) at 4 o'clock (or 8 o'clock if left-handed.) and move only a turning table. fade out when you are done.
13. Fill gaps and holes with additional frosting if there is any and repeat step 10 until you are happy with the look.
14. Clean off the top corner edge with a spatula.
15. Clean off the frosting on a turning table.
16. Chill it in the fridge.

Decorations

17. Add additional frosting on the center and spread thinly to smooth out the surface. (when you don't hide the surface with decorations completely)
18. Attach any ingredient of your choice on the bottom edge. (Optional)
19. Pipe buttercream on top as you like: Try to pipe with the same size, volume, and intervals to create a clean look. (Optional)
20. Decorate with fruits or whatever you like. Done!

📍 The printable instruction is at the very end of this post.

Jump to Recipe

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📌 Tips For Frosting A Cake

Now, let me share detailed tips on each step that are crucial for frosting a cake successfully.

Prep (Optional): Chill the cakes beforehand.

This is optional but oftentimes, I like to chill my cakes in a fridge before frosting them. By doing so, the butter in the buttercream slowly gets harder as you frost. Because of that, the cake is not going to move as much as you frost which helps to frost easier. Also, you can chill in a fridge for less time before the final coat.

If you are using whipped cream frosting, this is also beneficial to hold the excellent condition of the cream by keeping it cool.

Step 1: Place a cake on a center of a turning table.

👩🏻‍🍳 If the core is not in the center, the spinning of the cake gets shaky as you turn a turning table. It'll be harder to frost evenly.

Step 2: Cut off an uneven part of the surface to make it flatter.

Step 3: Drop a big scoop of frosting and spread it evenly.

I set a spatula at around 8 o'clock position (4 o'clock if left-handed) as I turn a turning table.

💬 Angle your spatula just a little bit like the image below to frost smoothly.

When you are done, slide out to minimize the gap.

Step 4: Repeat it (steps 1-3) for all the layers.

Make sure that the cake is standing straight 360 degrees. For the last layer, spread the frosting on top thinly.

💡 For the last layer, flip it and place it on the frosting after cutting off the uneven surface. You can get sharper corners by doing it.

💬 Since this is a crumb coat, you do not need to frost thick. - Frost thinly just like a primer for your makeup just to hide all the imperfections and seal the crumb that might potentially come out later.

Step 5: Fill all the gaps on the side with the frosting.

Again, frost thinly.

💬 Just like when you frost the top, set a spatula at around 8 o'clock position (4 o'clock if left-handed) as turning a turning table. By doing you can view your spatula and how you are frosting well.

Step 6: Clean off the frosting on a turning table.

💬 Set your spatula at around 4 o'clock position (8 o'clock if left-handed) and move only a turning table to clean it.

Step 7: Clean off the top corner edge with a spatula.

👩🏻‍🍳 Angle your spatula just a bit like in the image below to clean off the excess buttercream and fade in. I always imagine an airplane landing on the ground as I do it since it's a very similar motion!🛩️ Since this is just a crumb coat, practice here many times so that you can do better for a final coat!

Step 8: Chill it in the fridge.

💡 By chilling the cake, it is not going to be shaky as you finish the final coat and it'll be much easier for you to frost beautifully. Today, I did not chill it in the fridge here and finished the final coat right after as I was in a rush. But if you are a beginner or want to frost with more ease, I highly and chilling it here. Still to this day, I do so about 90% of the time!

Step 9: Drop a big scoop of frosting on top and spread it evenly.

Spread it just like how we did with a crumb coat.

Step 10: Coat all over the side with the same thickness.

👩🏻‍🍳 At this point, focus on making the thickness even all around the side. No need to make it smooth yet! We'll do that later.

Step 11: Add additional frosting around the top corner edge.

💬 By doing this process, you can create, sharp even corners 360 degrees later which makes your cake so good-looking😎

Step 12: Smooth out the surface with a dough scraper.

Freeze your arm and dough scraper (hold it straight) at 4 o'clock (or 8 o'clock if left-handed.) and move only a turning table. Fade out when you are done.

💬 The surface is not looking smooth if you move your arm and spatula as you turn a turning table. Try to "freeze" them as much as you can! Also, using a good turning table is very important to smooth the surface. Mine does not move super smoothly as you might be able to see in the video. (We gotta use what we have right?) It's on my shopping list for this year😊

Step 13: Fill gaps and holes with additional frosting.

And repeat step 10 until you are happy with the look.

Step 14: Clean off the top corner edge with a spatula.

Just like for the crumb coat, angle your spatula a little bit like in the image, and slide in to create sharp corners.

Step 15: Clean off the frosting on a turning table.

Clean it off just like how we did for the crumb coat.

Step 16: Chill it in the fridge.

👩🏻‍🍳 If you have time, I recommend chilling the cake before piping frosting on top. That is because the frosting on the edge might get squished slightly as you pipe more on top depending on the type of frosting and room temperature, etc.

Step 17: Add additional frosting on the center and spread thinly to smooth out the surface.

(Do this when you don't hide the surface with decorations completely)

If you are hiding the surface completely with fruits or chocolate glaze, for example, you can skip this part!

Step 18: Attach any ingredient on the bottom edge. (Optional)

Step 19: Pipe buttercream on top as you like.

Try to pipe with the same size, volume, and intervals to create a clean look. (Optional)

Today, I piped very simple swirls. You can pipe any shapes you like.

30 ways to pipe with a star tip

Check out the video or this post to see so many ways to pipe with a star tip:

Step 20: Decorate with fruits or whatever you like.

💬 Start decorating from bigger fruits first and finish with smaller fruits. Fill in the unwanted gaps between fruits with smaller fruits. It'll look more balanced and natural that way.

I often like to create a volume with fruits to make it look festive and eye-catchy.

📌 Notes

Everyone has their preferred ways to frost. Learn from many chefs through social media, blogs, at school, work, etc, try the techniques, and see which suits you the best! I hope this post was informative for you. And even if you are a professional, I am glad if you learned something new.

It took years for me to feel very comfortable with frosting a cake and I am still practicing to get better. Please don't feel discouraged even if you could not frost well after a few practices. Keep practicing and you'll slowly get better each time. Guaranteed!

I highly recommend watching my video tutorial as well to check all the detailed moves and have a deeper understanding of them

📌 VIDEO: How To Frost A Cake

To learn how to frost a cake visually and have a deeper understanding of all, watch this video.

And don't forget to subscribe there as well if you liked it😉

📌 The Cake & Frosting Recipes

As I mentioned earlier, you can apply the tips and techniques for any cake and frosting. Today, I used my chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream recipes to frost the cake.

Check out this post to learn how to make a moist chocolate cake with some very simple steps.

The video tutorial:

And check out the video to learn how to make chocolate buttercream:

Inside the video tutorial, I am sharing 2 ways to make chocolate buttercream; with cocoa powder or melted chocolate. Use any plain buttercream as a base (I'm explaining it in detail in the video). Today, I used my Swiss buttercream recipe with the melted chocolate method as a base.

💬 If you loved this tutorial, please share your feedback on this post! I always love to hear how you enjoyed it at home with your friends and family.

📌 Printable Recipe

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