Page 35 - YC Cooking School

The Art of Baking

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Ten tips for gorgeous icing

1. Cool your cakes
Leave your cakes to cool for a few minutes in their tins before turning out and
then leave them to cool completely before icing. You can speed up this process
by wrapping your cake in clingwrap and placing it in the freezer for a few
minutes.
2. Cold cakes are easier to cut

If you’re cutting a cake into two layers, it’s easiest when the cake is partially
frozen. It also helps to use a serrated bread knife or a cake cutting wire. If you
are using a knife, start off by making marks (with the knife) around the middle
circumference of the cake so that you can keep an eye on where the middle is
and cut evenly.
3. A dollop of icing helps keep your cake steady
Put a small dollop of icing on the centre of your cake stand, then place the first
cake layer on top, this will prevent it from sliding around. You can also place a
sheet of parchment paper underneath your cake to prevent any icing making its
way onto the cake stand.

4. The best tools for the icing job
The best tools for basic icing are a straight palette knife for the sides and an
offset palette knife for the top of the cake. For the smoothest icing strokes with a
palette knife (or even a simple bread knife) dip the utensil in very hot water first.
Keeping a jug of just-boiled water to the side of the cake so that you can
frequently dip the utensil is very handy.

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