You Don't Need A Fancy Tool To Smooth Out That Cake Frosting

When it comes to cooking and baking, presentation is everything. It can't just taste good, it has to look good. However, when it comes to frosting your favorite classic vanilla buttermilk or red velvet cake with that rich cream cheese frosting, things don't always go smoothly — literally. The technique of frosting is not for the faint of heart. There are so many mistakes you might be making in the quest for a perfectly smooth-looking end-product, including what tool you reach for to apply your sweet sugary spread. However, it doesn't take a fancy tool to accomplish this job. If you have a bench scraper, you're in business.

A bench scraper is a utility player. It can be used to scrape and cut dough, push excess flour into a mound for easy clean-up, and divide pie and pizza dough. This flat piece of rectangular steel is also perfect for spreading frosting in a unique manner that ensures there are no areas on the cake where the frosting is uneven or bulging and instead gives you a smooth finish. But as easy as it makes it look to frost a cake and maneuver around a cake's curves, it is anything but. It takes a little practice. To use a bench scraper to frost your cake, first make certain your cake has properly cooled. If it is too warm, the frosting will melt right off of it.

Chilling your cake in the freezer for 15-20 minutes will actually help make the frosting process less crumby. If this is a layer cake, place the frosting in between each layer so they stick together, and then add your crumb coat of frosting. You want to start by placing frosting on both the sides and top of the cake using a spatula to spread it over the entire cake.

Next, comes the bench scraper. Begin with the sides. You want to hold the bench scraper vertically with the flat edge lightly touching the frosting. Rotate the cake clockwise as you do this. If you have a lazy Susan or a makeshift turntable, this makes the job a little easier. You want to move the cake and keep the bench scraper steady. Wipe the scraper in between turns and move the cake around until the sides are smooth. The top of the cake is a little trickier. You want to start at the edge and move the scraper inward. Add your second coat to your cake using the same technique and your cake frosting.

But you're not done yet. You want to run your scraper under hot water, dry it, and then slowly move it around the cake. This slightly melts the frosting, giving it that polished, finished look like a professional did it.