Once you learn how to decorate a cake, you'll be whipping up celebratory treats in no time. Use all of our favorite tips and tricks to create a professional layered cake right at home.
How to Decorate a Cake
Updated on Mar. 12, 2025
For special occasions and birthday celebrations, there’s no better dessert than a perfectly decorated layered cake. But with so many rules and techniques, cake decorating can be challenging for beginners. That’s why we’ve compiled all of our favorite ideas, tips and tricks on how to decorate a cake perfectly and easily, so yours will look like it came straight out of a bakery case!
We’ve hand-picked our favorite frosting tools, listed our absolute must-do’s when building and frosting a cake, and put together tons of fun and easy cake decorating ideas that are completely doable in a home kitchen. We also answered all of your common cake questions, like which frosting is best for decorating and how to store your masterpiece once it’s finished.
Now, bake up your go-to layer cake recipe, and let’s get decorating.
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Cake Decorating Tools
To create gorgeous cakes, there are a few cake decorating supplies you’ll want to have in your kitchen. Don’t be daunted by this list; most items cost $15 or less, so you can decorate pretty cakes even on a budget.
- Mini offset spatulas:Â These spatulas are kitchen MVPs, especially when it comes to cake decorating. They can help you get smooth finishes and elegant swirls on the exterior of your cake.
- Rubber spatula: A rubber spatula is perfect for adding even amounts of frosting in between each layer of cake. Plus, it can scrape every bit of frosting from the bowl, so there’s no waste!
- Mixer: Whether it’s a stand mixer or hand mixer, you need this appliance to whip up the fluffiest frosting possible. Even store-bought frosting can become stale after sitting out for a while, and always benefits from a quick whip with a mixer.
- Parchment paper:Â One of my favorite cake-decorating hacks uses parchment paper to keep the cake platter nice and clean. We’ll go over that hack in depth later.
- Bench scraper: A bench scraper gives the outside of your cake a clean finish by smoothing away any imperfections. If you prefer a bit of texture, try cake combs instead.
- Serrated knife: Most of the time, your cake layers will bake with a dome. Never assemble a layer cake while the cakes have a dome, or you’ll create a structure akin to the leaning tower of Pisa. Use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to cut off the domes so the cake layers are nice and flat.
- Piping bags: Yes, a zip-top bag will do in a pinch, but if you’re serious about decorating cakes, you’ll want real-deal piping bags—either disposable pastry bags or the reusable ones.
- Piping tips: For fancy finishes, you’ll want to invest in a few different pastry tips. Use these to add writing, flowers and other decorative elements to your cakes.
- Cake turntable: This spinning tray allows you to rotate the cake as you frost, making it easier to even out and perfectly swirl your frosting.
- Cake platter: You’ll need something to build the cake on, whether it’s a cake board, a cake stand or a nice serving platter.
Cake Decorating Tips
Before adding pretty designs and edible flowers, take care to build a sturdy cake that’s impeccably frosted. Here are a few essential tips that we practice every single time we bake and decorate a layered cake.
Make a crumb coat
Strange as it sounds, the crumb coat is added to prevent a mess, not make one. A crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting applied to the exterior of a cake to help contain crumbs that the cake may shed. This foundational layer means any decoration you apply on top will be neater and cleaner.
To crumb coat a cake, use an offset spatula to apply the frosting, spreading it as thinly as possible. Make sure you get the sides and the top. Then pop the coated cake into the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to firm up before adding more decoration.
Level the cake layers
When making layer cakes, it’s important that each layer is level and flat so they are easy to stack. To create even cake layers you can try two different techniques (or a combination of both):
- Serrated knife:Â After your cake is baked and cooled, use a serrated knife to slice off the domed top of your cake. Work slowly and get down to eye level with the cake. This will help you make an even cut. You could also use a cake leveler.
- Cake strips:Â Use a food scale to equally divide the batter among the pans, then wrap each pan with a cake strip. Soak these strips in water and wrap them around your cake pans before they go in the oven. The damp strips will help the cake bake more evenly, leading to level cakes.
Chill the cake layers
It’s easier to frost a cake when it’s chilled. If you have the time, pop your cake layers into the freezer to firm up—30 minutes should do the trick. Once chilled, stack and frost them as normal. The cake will be sturdier and the chill will help contain some of the crumbs. And whatever you do, never frost a warm cake: The frosting will melt right off.
Keep your cake platter clean
This is my favorite cake decorating hack of all time! Lay down pieces of parchment paper on the cake’s serving platter, then place the first layer of cake on top. The paper will collect any fallen frosting as you cover the sides of the cake. Once you’re done, remove the pieces of parchment paper, et voila! A mess-free serving platter with a perfectly frosted cake on top.
To achieve this, place four strips of parchment paper in a square on top of your cake platter, overlapping them in a clockwise circle if you’re right-handed, or a counter-clockwise circle if you’re left-handed. Place the cake on top of the pieces of parchment so that the platter is protected at the edges of the cake. The parchment shouldn’t be tucked all the way underneath, just about 1 inch or so underneath the cake, with a few inches of parchment around the outside of the cake.
Frost the sides of your cake. If you want a clean cake edge, take the bench scraper in your dominant hand to clean up the sides of the cake while spinning the cake turntable and platter in the opposite direction. The bench scraper should not snag on the parchment paper if you overlapped them correctly. Finally, slide the mini offset spatula underneath the cake, lift the cake ever so slightly, and very gently pull out the pieces of parchment paper. You should be left with a clean cake platter and a perfectly frosted cake. Now you can add any piped borders to the cake, if desired.
Prevent the filling from oozing out
It’s always fun to add a surprise filling, like lemon curd, pastry cream or jam. But if you don’t contain the fillings with frosting, it’ll ooze out the sides of the cake, making decorating almost impossible. This is especially important with gender reveal cakes!
Using the same frosting that will go on the outside of the cake, pipe a single frosting ring on top of the perimeter of the cake layer, creating a filling barrier. Then, add your filling inside the frosting ring, and use a mini offset spatula to evenly spread out the filling until it reaches the frosting ring. Place your next cake layer on top and repeat if desired.
Refresh frosting that’s been sitting
Freshly whipped frosting is soft and spreads without reserve. However, as it sits, the frosting will turn crusty, cementing the air bubbles inside. If your frosting has been out for over 10 minutes, I highly suggest re-whipping it with a hand mixer or stand mixer on high for 15 to 30 seconds to bring it back to life. This simple, quick act makes a huge difference!
How to Decorate a Cake
Here are few fun and easy cake decorating ideas that you can use right at home!
Use edible flowers
Between desserts, cocktails and even salads, edible flowers can garnish almost anything, but cakes are our favorite canvasses. It’s so simple to arrange them, and they instantly elevate any cake. Look for organic flowers (so they’re not sprayed with chemicals) and ones that are actually edible and safe to put on a cake, like roses, pansies, violets, lavender, magnolias, chamomile and marigolds, to name a few.
Add a scale design
This pretty effect can be recreated with a round piping tip, piping bag and a mini offset spatula. Pipe a single vertical line of dots, then use the mini offset spatula to press and smear the dot down and sideways. It’s not hard, just a bit tedious, but the look is completely worth it. Feel free to use the same color, a multitude of colors for a fish or mermaid scale look, or a few different colors in the same palette for an ombre effect, just like this.
Make easy swirls
Think you need to break out your piping bag for an impressive cake? Think again! With just the back of a spoon, you can give your cake a gorgeous swirl texture.
To do this, thickly layer your frosting on the outsides and top of your cake. Then, with the back of a spoon, make small swirl shapes until the whole cake is covered with a fun texture.
Go for an ombre effect
You won’t believe how easy it is to create this ombre effect! Divide the vanilla frosting into three to four bowls, then dye each one a different shade of the same color. Pipe a wide band of each color, from lightest to darkest, around the sides of the cake, then take a bench scraper and smooth them out. After a few swipes, the colors will blend together.
Decorate with fruit
Fruit is a simple way to add vibrancy to a cake. Try pineapple pieces, berries, fresh or dehydrated citrus slices, or even sugared cranberries for wintertime cakes—there’s no shortage of options! I love sticking in a few mint leaves, too. Pull inspiration from our Hawaiian sunset cake and Chantilly cake.
Pipe fun designs
Want to get really creative? Grab a piping bag and some frosting tips. Each piping tip is different, so you can create all sorts of decorations from flowers, leaves and stars to basketweave patterns and other designs. You can decorate an entire cake this way or used piped motifs as an accent.
Create a drip cake
There’s something about perfectly imperfect finishes that we just crave. Maybe that’s why we love drip cakes so much!
To start, frost your cake and give it a smooth finish using a bench scraper (it’s a cake decorator’s secret weapon). Then make a ganache with chocolate or baking chips. The confetti cake above uses baking chips, heavy cream and a touch of food coloring.
When the ganache has cooled slightly, spoon it over the top of your cake. Using the back of your spoon, push the ganache to the edges of the cake and watch it slowly drip down the sides to form tempting chocolaty drips.
Frost a simple naked cake
Want to take the simple route when decorating a cake? Try making a naked cake. Naked cakes still use frosting, but it’s applied thinly to let the layers of the cake peek through, giving the cake a rustic look. These cakes give you a little preview of what’s inside.
To make a naked cake, layer your cake normally with layers of frosting in between. When it comes to the outer coating of frosting, apply it thinly and then use a bench scraper to pull away any extra frosting. Essentially, you’re just crumb coating the sides of the cake. It’s really that simple!
While this type of cake decorating is pretty minimal, don’t forget to give your cake a little extra finish up top so the unfinished sides look intentional. Try fruit, crushed candy or sprinkles. Use our strawberry mascarpone cake or chocolate malt cake recipes as inspiration.
Add a Personalized Message
Part of the appeal of bakery-bought cakes is the perfect penmanship that those cake decorators have. But it’s really not too hard to replicate at home. All you’ll need is a piping bag, a fine piping tip, a toothpick and some patience.
To start, write or print out the message or motif you’d like feature on the top of your cake. If you’re very new to piping, do a test run on a sheet of parchment or waxed paper to get used to how the frosting flows out of the piping bag.
After a little practice, trace the design onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper and lay it on top of your cake. With a toothpick or sharp skewer, prick the design until you have a dot-to-dot of your message. Carefully remove the paper and connect the dots with your piped frosting. That’s all it takes to write on a cake! And once you have a few cakes under your belt, you’ll be able to do this freehand.
Utilize sprinkles, candy, coconut and more
For celebratory cakes, you can’t go wrong with sprinkles and other colorful toppings. Scatter them on top of the cake or push them into the sides. Beyond sprinkles, don’t forget about toasted nuts, shredded coconut, chopped candy and cookie crumbles. Look to our favorite coconut cake and cranberry layer cake for inspiration, and add any or all of them for a little extra dazzle, or (shh!) to cover up any mistakes.
Best Icing to Decorate a Cake
Not all frostings are suitable for filling and topping cakes, but the good news is there are still a lot of delicious options. Bottom line: You want something thick and sturdy that’s easy to frost. Make sure the frosting is whipped enough that it spreads without much pressure, but not so thin and loose that it falls off the cake. If you’re still new to frosting and decorating cakes, increase the frosting recipe by 50%. This gives you frosting insurance and extra for piping pretty designs.
Buttercream frosting
Buttercreams of all kinds work well for decorating cakes. There are five types of buttercream: American, Swiss, Italian, French and German. Each has its own method and level of sweetness, but not all are beginner-friendly. Novice cake decorators should stick with American buttercream as it’s by far the easiest, quickest and sweetest. Plus, you can manipulate the flavor and change the color easily.
Once you’re ready to try something new, I can’t recommend Swiss meringue buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream enough. Although there’s certainly a time and place for French buttercream and German buttercream.
Cream cheese frosting
Thick with just the right amount of tang, cream cheese frosting is a quick and delicious frosting for cakes. It’s best known for its use in red velvet cake, carrot cake and banana cake. Unlike buttercream, I don’t recommend enhancing the color or flavor with dyes and extracts. While you technically can, I personally think the frosting’s flavor is too nuanced for extracts. People also expect cream cheese frosting to have an ivory color, so they might be turned off by a green cream cheese frosting.
Stabilized whipped cream frosting
When it comes to decorating, you generally want to avoid frosting your cake with straight whipped cream. It’s far too loose, aerated and soft to stay on a cake. However, it is possible to stabilize whipped cream with a bit of cream cheese or unflavored gelatin to allow it to hold its shape better. I would wait until your cake decorating skills are a bit more advanced before attempting to use this type of frosting.
Cake Decorating FAQs
How do you store a decorated cake?
The correct way to store a decorated cake depends on the frosting and the filling. If the layer cake is simply decorated with buttercream frosting, the cake can be stored at room temperature for up to three days, sealed underneath a cake dome or with your biggest mixing bowl inverted over top. If any cuts were made in the cake, press a piece of storage wrap against both sides to prevent the cake from drying out.
However, if the cake has a fruit, pastry cream, stabilized whipped cream, curd, jam or cream cheese filling, or a stabilized whipped cream or cream cheese frosting, it must be stored in the refrigerator. It will keep in the fridge for 7 to 10 days. The easiest way to cover the cake is with a cake dome, inverted mixing bowl or closed in a cake box. You could also pop the cake, uncovered, in the freezer for 30 minutes so the frosting hardens, then wrap the cake, carefully, in storage wrap.
What type of cake is easiest to decorate?
The easiest cake to decorate is a single layer sheet cake. It has a long, flat surface that provides a lot of room to frost and decorate to your heart’s content. Plus, there’s no stacking layers or adding fillings in between. Simply bake the cake, let it cool to room temperature, then frost away.
What are the easiest decorations to add to a cake?
The easiest decorations to add to a cake are sprinkles, edible flowers, chocolate shavings and fresh fruit. These ready-to-use edible cake decorations only need a tasteful eye for arranging, but are otherwise straightforward and require zero baking or cake decorating skills to make from scratch.
