We just celebrated both of my daughters’ birthdays, which means one thing- LOTS of cake:). My mom always made our cakes growing up, and I’ve tried to keep up the tradition by making my kids’ cakes for their birthdays. I am definitely not a professional, but I’ve been learning tips along the way and I’m hoping that by the time my kids are 18 I’m like a cake decorating master ;). Or at least have my cakes resemble what I’m trying to make ;).

For me, one of the hardest things about decorating a cake is frosting it. It’s so hard to get the frosting to look just right, all while trying to avoid a crumb- filled spread of frosting… which is easier said than done! But there are a few tricks to make it easier!

*Grease and flour like there’s no tomorrow. It’s so disheartening to spend the time and ingredients to bake a cake, and to have half of it stick to the pan when you try to take it out. Plus, you’re starting with a whole bunch of crumbs right off the get-go, and that just doesn’t make frosting a cake very fun. Be very liberal when greasing and flouring the pan beforehand. You don’t want any cake sticking to the pan, so go all out ;). There are also special products like “Cake Release” (or even DIY versions) that you can use, but I’ve always relied on good o’ Crisco and flour- and they work just fine:).

*Let the cake completely cool. When you’re in a rush, sometimes it’s tempting to frost the cake before you’re completely done, but you’ll end up with a melty, crumbly mess. It’s not worth it… just wait;).

*And to help the process along, you can freeze your cake to help the cooling process. This is also really helpful if you have any cut-out pieces of cake that no longer have that smooth pan edge and have all the crumbs exposed, just waiting to taint your frosting ;). Freezing the cake pieces will make frosting them a lot easier. Just take one piece out at a time so they don’t thaw out before you frost them!

*Use more frosting than you need. If you start off with the minimal amount of frosting, you’re going to tear the cake, which is going to lead to crumbs in your frosting, which is going to lead to tears ;). Glob a ton of frosting on when you are first putting the frosting on, and then gently scrape off the excess once the cake is completely covered and frosted. It might seem like you’re doing extra work for nothing, but it’s going to actually save a lot of time when you don’t have to figure out how to fix all the crumby frosting mess you made ;)

*Make a “crumb coat”. After cooling/freezing your cake, spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Don’t worry if there’s crumbs, because you’re not going to see them later! You’ll want to make sure your frosting isn’t too thick, or this technique won’t work. Once your cake is completely covered, let it dry completely and then frost it again however you want! The crumb coat should keep those pesky crumbs at bay ;).

*For a nice finishing touch, use a knife or frosting spatula that has been heated with hot water to smooth out your frosting. This technique can be a little messy, but it’s a great way to get a smooth, finished look!

What tips do you have for frosting your cakes? I’d love to hear your ideas! Share in the comments below!