The Clever Microwave Hack That Makes Frosting Cakes So Much Easier

Is there anything more aesthetically pleasing than watching a baker carefully frost a beautiful cake as it swivels back and forth on a rotating cake stand? The rotating cake stand — a variation on the standard stand used primarily to display cakes — is typically used by professional bakers not only to make slicing and serving cakes easier and more efficient, but also to assist in their sophisticated frosting and decorating process. Offering a level, raised surface and an ability to spin to reach all areas of your cake, it remains one of the most useful baking tools to ever hit the culinary scene.

The good news is you don't have to have this piece of professional baking equipment at home to practice this convenient method of frosting and decorating your cakes. It turns out, all you really need is a microwave. Yes, in a baking bind, your microwave's removable interior turntable can double as a makeshift rotating cake stand, allowing for smooth cake frosting and more accurate piping details. Originally created to ensure that the heat in your microwave is evenly distributed on your food, your microwave's rotating base can be stabilized on your kitchen counter using a dish towel — or even a drawer liner — and used as a surprise tool to make frosting and piping your cake easier and more efficient — a clever hack that allows you to create that pristine presentation that will make your baked goods look professional.

Using your microwave turntable as a rotating cake stand is easy. You'll first remove the glass plate and the wheeled ring (also known as a guide) beneath from the microwave, and place them on your kitchen counter with a dish towel or other non-slip surface underneath, to keep the turntable completely steady. Then you'll want to place your cake on top (or directly on the sanitized turntable), and frost and decorate to your liking. This will offer you the ability to turn your cake around with your free hand while you frost with the other, and swivel your cake back and forth as needed to reach all corners easily. But be sure to use an offset spatula for smoothest frosting application. The versatile and handy baking tool will allow you to easily spread your buttercreams and other frostings with precision and evenness. Its rounded edge also allows for a more gentle icing process than those with sharper points, resulting in a more pristine cake surface. 

Additionally, piping borders on your cake will be made far easier due to being able to rotate the plate while you maintain pressure on your icing tube, so your borders will be evenly — and beautifully — applied. But the best part of this dual use kitchen tool is that when you're finished frosting, you can easily wash the turntable and place it right back in the microwave for your next quick meal.

There are a variety of tips both amateur and professional bakers use to make frosting a cake easier. For example, not sure how to keep your cake in place on that turntable to frost it? Drop a small bit of that frosting on your plate before placing your cake on top. This will help hold your cake in place so it's easier to ice and decorate, especially as it's rotating. If you're frosting a layered cake, you'll want to add another dollop between each layer to keep everything together and structurally sound. 

Additionally, for easiest frosting, consider chilling your cake for two hours to overnight before icing it. While you can also have success with a cake cooled to room temperature, a chilled cake will stay intact better as you frost it, unlike a warm cake — which will not only melt your frosting into a liquidy mess, but is also likely to come apart once you begin frosting it. If you'd like to present your finished cake directly on that pretty turntable, be sure to line the plate with parchment paper first — this way, you can simply remove the paper after frosting your cake and make a mess-free dessert presentation to wow your guests. If that doesn't impress them, finding out about your microwave turntable hack definitely will.