Ice the cake as soon as it is cool to seal in moisture and freshness. Do not try and ice a warm cake it will just slide right off.
- If you are making a layer cake, place the bottom layer upside down on cake plate so the smooth flat side is up.
- Spread with filling or frosting.
- Add top layer, top side up, so the smooth straight sides are together. If your cake is too rounded on top, a thin slice can be removed to level it off. In this case, raw edge should be put down because it would be difficult to spread icing onto it without pulling up the cake.
- Brush off loose crumbs. Spread icing on sides of cake first. Depending upon the thickness of the icing, it sometimes helps to go around the entire sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing first to seal in crumbs.
- Add a second coat of desired thickness.
- Bring icing up high on the sides of the cake to make a good sharp edge at the top of the cake. Pile remaining icing on top. Spread lightly then make swirls or ridges with a knife to look attractive. Place the spatula on the top of the frosted cake. Tilt it slightly and lift up to get an icing peak. Continue onto another spot until the entire cake has small peaks on top.
- A smooth top is perfectly acceptable. If you let the cake sit iced for a couple of hours, it’ll form a slight crust. Once it has that crust, place a large piece of waxed or parchment paper loosely over the top of the cake. Gently, rub your hands over the top of the cake to smooth any rough areas. You can do the same thing on the sides.
