Annezca: HOW TO: Ice a Multi-Layer Cake

I was completely inspired by Whisk Kid's "How to Frost a Cake" which I found on Pinterest - flawless finish. For my Multilayer Rainbow Vanilla Cake I baked for my birthday, I used this technique to get a nice smooth finish!

Icing & Tools:

Use vanilla buttercream icing recipe (my favourite) to ice!
Rotating cake stand (not depicted here, but very useful)
Spatula
Cake Spatula
Bench Scraper

The smooth finish:

Part 1: Stacking & Icing Cake Layers

1. Use a cake cardboard mat or parchment paper and lay down your first cake layer, and put a large spoonful of icing on the top. Using cake spatula smooth out the layer and spread evenly.

Tip - Look at your cake at eye level: I like to look at the cake at eye level to ensure its even. If not add a bit more icing on the layers that slope downwards so you have more even layer. Mistakes tend to cumulate and its harder to add icing layers after you've added more layers!

2. Stack the next layer on, and repeat. Add a generous spoonful of icing on top and spread!

3. Tip: If you notice that there are "gaps" just fill in icing at the side:

4. Here I'm stacking my 4th layer, again ensure you look at the cake at eye level so that the cake remains even as you stack your cake layers:

5. Put on your top layer and ice the top!

Now you should have some beautifully stacked cake layers, use extra icing to fill in some of your gaps before we start icing the side. Scroll down to see how to ice the side of the cake.

Part 2: Icing the Side of the Cake

A "Crumb Coat" refers to the first layer of icing closest to the cake. This will provide us a smooth canvas to ice the cake.

1. Spoon some icing at the top of the cake, and use a spatula to spread evenly over the sides:

2. Keep spreading the icing around the cake, putting spoonfuls at the top edge.

3. Next add generous amounts of icing and spread to add a nice thick layer:

4. Use a bench scraper to smooth out the edges, this is honestly the secret weapon to smooth cakes! Found in any place that sells kitchen supplies/bakeware.