#is round for spinning. has cardboard texture on inside and another texture on the sides. would be better if tape was less smooth.

[hylianengineer]

Had the worst episode of overstimulation I've experienced in months this morning. I finally feel human again.

[thefrosting-blog1]

HOW TO FROST A CAKE

Before You Start

Attempting to spread frosting onto warm cake layers is a recipe for sloppy disaster. Chill your cake layers for at least 2 hours, or better, overnight. If you’ve made your frosting ahead, make sure it’s at room temperature before you start.

A large offset spatula and some parchment paper are small investments that will pay dividends. You’ll also need a long, preferably serrated knife to trim the cake layers and cut them in half. If you’re a cupcake fan, pick up a small offset spatula as well.

If you love baking (or at least, cake-making) consider buying a rotating cake turntable on a pedestal. While not essential, it does help achieve a satiny finish quickly and easily. A cake carrier will help you transport your cake to the party.

Prepare Your Cake

You’ve baked your cake. You’ve let the layers cool. But before you can cover them with a luscious layer of frosting, you need to get your cake ready. Make sure the layers have cooled for a couple of hours after they come out of the oven, or even overnight in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to frost, follow these steps.

Prepping A Cake

These steps below are specific to layer cakes, but you can use the basic information to get the most out of frosting pound cakes and bundt cakes, too (although you might consider glazing those, and we’ll help you with that).

Cut three or four parchment or wax paper strips to place under the cake. Then, use a serrated knife to trim off any peaks from the tops of the cakes so they lie flat and even. (Eat these trimmings as your reward for having baked the cake in the first place.)

Place the paper strips on the edges of a serving plate and invert one cake layer onto it so cut side is facing down; this helps minimize crumbs. Make sure the strips are tucked partially under the cake to keep them from moving around, and partially sticking out to cover the serving plate. The strips help keep you keep from frosting the plate as well as the cake. Finally, brush away any loose crumbs using a pastry brush. But be gentle – you don’t want to create more crumbs.

Haven’t decided what cake you want to bake? We’ve got lots of ideas for you.

Karsten Moran for The New York Times

• If your layers are thick and you’d like to halve them to make a four-layer cake, find your longest serrated knife to do the job. It’s hard to do this well, so take your time. First, score a level horizontal line around the perimeter of the layer to guide you as you cut. Then place one hand on top of the cake, and evenly cut the layer across the scored line. Use less pressure and rely more on the back-and-forth sawing motion of your knife to cut the cake.

• If you’re planning to carry your cake in a cake carrier, make sure the cake plate fits inside it. Or, ice the cake on a cardboard round that’s at least 1 to 2 inches larger in diameter than your cake.

• If you want additional flavor or sweetness, brush a plain or flavored simple syrup onto top of each cake layer.

Frostings

When it comes to choosing the right frosting for your cake, your options range from a silky buttercream to a rich, bittersweet ganache. While there are no rules about matching frosting to cakes, bear in mind that sturdier cakes, like butter and pound cakes, can stand up to all frostings, whether a delicate buttercream or a heavy fudge. But for airy confections like sponge and chiffon cakes, stick to a lighter frosting, like a 7-minute meringue.

The unifying feature of all buttercream frostings, whether sweetened with sugar syrup or jam, is the liberal use of butter. These frostings go well with any kind of butter cake, sponge cake, or fruit-filled cake, but avoid using them on flourless cakes. Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you start; if your frosting looks curdled, it’s probably because they were either too warm or too cold. Buttercream frosting can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just make sure you bring it to room temperature before frosting your cake.

Here’s a foolproof method: In a metal bowl, combine 4 large egg whites with a pinch of salt and 1 cup sugar. Set the bowl over a pot with an inch of simmering water and whisk the mixture over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with an electric mixture until stiff peaks form. Beat in 3 sticks softened unsalted butter, one spoonful at a time, until the buttercream is smooth. Then, beat in whatever flavoring you’d like to use, like vanilla extract, lemon juice or brandy.

If the frosting (or your kitchen) seems too warm, stick the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes, then continue beating. If it’s too cold, let the frosting warm up, then continue beating until it comes together. This may take several minutes, so don’t give up.

Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Cream cheese frosting has the same smooth silky texture of buttercream, but with an added tangy, sweet-tart flavor. It’s a breeze to make and is the traditional frosting for carrot cakes, but consider it for anything from simple white layer cakes to devil’s food and fudge cakes. As with buttercreams, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. Cream cheese frosting can usually be made a week ahead.

Here’s how you do it: Using an electric mixer, beat together 1 pound softened cream cheese with 1 stick softened unsalted butter until smooth. Slowly beat in 6 cups confectioners’ sugar until very smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest. Thin the frosting with a little milk if it seems too thick to spread.

Frost Your Cake

You’ve baked your cake layers, chilled them down, de-crumbed them and have them all ready for frosting. Follow these steps for the neatest, most evenly frosted and best-looking cakes. A simply and beautifully frosted cake needs no further decoration if you take the time to do it right – but rainbow sprinkles or chopped nuts hide a multitude of frosting sins, so don’t fret if it’s not perfect.

HOW TO FROST A CAKE

Make sure the bottom cake layer is sitting on parchment strips to keep the cake plate clean and frosting-free. Using an offset spatula or a knife, spread the frosting your filling evenly on top of the bottom cake layer. Then, using a large offset spatula if you have one, carefully pick up your second layer and gently place it on the frosted layer, trimmed side down. If the layer isn’t centered, use your hands to position it before you apply the frosting. Repeat if you’ve got more layers and filling.

Give your layers another brush to remove any more stray crumbs, and then prepare the crumb coat. This is a thin coating of frosting that seals the crumbs to the cake so they don’t show through. Take about 1/2 cup of frosting and thin it out with a little milk or water so it’s very easy to spread. With an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of it on the tops and sides of the cake, then chill until set, about 15 minutes. Repeat if you can still see crumbs showing through the icing. Chocolate and dark cakes will often need two crumb coats; white or yellow cakes are more forgiving.

Now frost the cake with the unthinned frosting using an offset spatula. Start with top of the cake, spreading the frosting all the way to the edge of the layer. Then, frost the sides. If the cake is on a turntable, spin it around as you frost for an even coating. When you’re done, remove the parchment paper strips and admire your nice, clean plate. But don’t do this yet if you are planning on piping any decorations on the sides or bottom of the cake. Read on for more details on how to do that.