How to Decorate a Cake

5 Must-Know Tips for How to Decorate a Cake

1. Start With a Blank Slate

Decorating a cake with a flat top is best. When the oven temperature is too high, cakes develop rounded tops. Use an oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven.

Pro tip: To flatten a cake with a small crown, put a plate on top of it immediately after you take it from the oven. Push the plate down gently.

2. Prep Your Pan

Line your pan with parchment paper to ensure that the cake will come out of the pan easily. Learn how to prep your cake pan, here.

3. Cover Sides With Ease

To apply nuts, sprinkles or coconut to the sides of a cake, hold the cake over a pan and gently pat the nuts, etc. onto the sides with your hand.

4. Plot Out Your Message

Before writing on a cake with icing, gently outline the words with a toothpick.

Psst! Practice your writing on a paper towel or plate before you begin.

5. Keep Your Station Clean

To keep the cake stand clean while frosting, line the edge with 3-inch strips of waxed paper. Center the first cake layer over the strips. When finished frosting, carefully remove the strips one piece at a time.

Cake Decorating Ideas

Peaks

To decorate your cake with graceful swirls, all you need is the tip of a spoon. To apply, scoop a generous amount of frosting onto the back of the spoon. Place the spoon on the cake with its tip in the 12 o’clock position, then swirl the spoon in a half circle to the left, ending in the 6 o’clock position. Repeat until cake is covered.

Zigzags

Run the tines of a table fork through the frosting in a wavy motion.

Waves

Use the back of a tablespoon or teaspoon to make a small twisting motion in one direction. Then move the spoon over a little and make another twist in the opposite direction. Repeat until entire cake is covered.

Stripes

Starting on the edges, run the side of a table knife to the center of the cake. Repeat until the whole top is covered. Using the same knife, make vertical stripes around the sides of the cake.

How to Fill a Pastry Bag

1. Secure the frosting tip and coupler on the pastry bag. Place the tip of the pastry bag in an empty tall glass. Fold the wide opening of the bag halfway over the glass.

2. Use a spoon to transfer frosting to the pastry bag. When it’s three-fourths full, pull the sides of the pastry bag up over the frosting. Remove the bag from the glass, twist the open end to close it and apply pressure to the bag to pipe the frosting on.

Cake Decorating Tips

Basketweave Tip

Open Star Tip

Round Tip (Large)

Leaf Tip

Drop Flower Tip

Closed Star Tip

Round Tip (Small)

Try These Techniques on One of Our Favorite Cakes

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Marvelous Marble Cake

Pound cake and chocolate make the best marble cake. — Ellen Riley, Birmingham, Alabama

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Blue-Ribbon Butter Cake

I found this recipe in an old cookbook I bought at a garage sale and couldn’t wait to try it. I knew it had been someone’s favorite because of the well-worn page. —Joan Gertz, Palmetto, Florida

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Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake

This makes a perfect cake for a special dinner for two. I have made lots of cakes and this one is easy. There have been many suppers for two since our family has grown and flown the nest. —Diane Still, Monroe, Georgia

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Classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

This pineapple upside-down cake is a classic recipe that never goes out of style! It’s delicious with the traditional pineapple, but try it with peaches or a combination of cranberries and orange. —Bernardine Melton, Paola, Kansas

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Classic Red Velvet Cake

This ruby-red cake with it’s lovely cream cheese frosting has become my “signature dessert.” I can’t go to any family function without it. The cake is very moist with a buttery chocolate taste. —Katie Sloan, Charlotte, North Carolina

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Hummingbird Cake

This impressive cake is my dad’s favorite, so I always make it for his birthday. It also makes a great Easter dessert and is lovely with a summer meal. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey

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Devil’s Food Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

This recipe won several blue ribbons at our state fair. The made-from-scratch chocolate layer cake topped with a fudgy homemade frosting is truly a can’t-miss dessert. —Donna Carman, Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Hot Milk Cake

This simple, old-fashioned cake tastes so good it will surprise you! As I remember my mom’s delicious meals, this dessert was always the perfect ending. Mom always used “a dash of this and dab of that” to come up with what we thought was “the best”! —Rosemary Pryor, Pasadena, Maryland

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Old-Fashioned Poppy Seed Torte

I got this recipe from my grandmother; it’s an old fashioned recipe, but well worth it. My dad requests this cake every year for his birthday. I make it for church events and charity auctions, too. Everyone loves it! —Brenda Patterson, Pullman, Washington

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Buttermilk Pound Cake

Now that I’ve retired from teaching, I have more time to bake. This buttermilk cake is the one I make most often. It is a truly Southern recipe, and one I think can’t be topped—once people taste it, they won’t go back to their other buttermilk recipes. —Gracie Hanchey, De Ridder, Louisiana

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Mom’s Favorite White Cake

I received this recipe as part of a wedding gift. I have made it for a couple of summer gatherings with friends and most recently when my husband requested that I make it for his birthday. —Tricia Bryan, Bolivar, Ohio

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Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Cake with Penuche Frosting

My aunt, who was born in the 1920s, passed this recipe down to me. She made the cake from scratch from start to finish because she didn’t have modern amenities to help her in the kitchen. The penuche frosting goes with the cake nicely. —Beth Vorst, Columbus Grove, Ohio

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Favorite Coconut Cake

When I need an impressive dessert for a special occasion, this is the recipe I depend on. My guests are glad I do! —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana

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Heavenly Angel Food Cake

This light, moist cake is my favorite. It tastes heavenly and is special enough for most any occasion. —Fayrene De Koker, Vancouver, Washington

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Spiced Pudding Cake

I came across this recipe years ago and made a few changes. It’s very popular. My mom’s church group serves it for dessert quite regularly. —Kelly Kirby, Westville, Nova Scotia

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Classic Chocolate Cake

If you need to learn how to make a cake, this easy chocolate cake recipe is a perfect place to start. It appeared on a can of Hershey’s Cocoa way back in 1943. I tried it, my boys liked it and I’ve been making it ever since.—Betty Follas, Morgan Hill, California

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Lemon Chiffon Cake

This moist, airy cake was my dad’s favorite. Mom revamped the original recipe to include lemons. I’m not much of a baker, but whenever I make this dessert my family is thrilled! —Trisha Kammers, Clarkston, Washington

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Old-Fashioned Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

A pleasingly moist cake, this treat is the one I requested that my mom make each year for my birthday. It’s dotted with sweet carrots and a hint of cinnamon. The fluffy buttery frosting is scrumptious with chopped walnuts stirred in. One piece of this cake is never enough—better than all the other carrot cakes I’ve tried!—Kim Orr, West Grove, Pennsylvania

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Moist Lazy Daisy Cake

We always called this Mama’s “never fail” recipe. I guess the same holds true for me, since I’ve entered this cake in contests and won with it. This tasty dessert is popular in our family, and it always brings back fond memories of Mama. —Carrie Bartlett, Gallatin, Tennessee

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Classic Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches means “three milks.” This cake gets its name because it uses three kinds of milk—evaporated, condensed and cream. This cake’s light and airy texture has made it a classic in Mexican kitchens for generations. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Old-Fashioned Molasses Cake

This old-time spice cake is lower in fat but big on flavor. Serve it warm for breakfast on a frosty morning or have a square with hot cider on a snowy afternoon. It’s a great cold-weather treat. —Deanne Bagley, Bath, New York

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Aunt Lillian’s Crumb Cake

My Aunt Lillian made her fabulous crumb cake every weekend when we came to visit. She created this recipe back in the ’40s. Knowing my father loved it, she shared the recipe with my mother, who passed it on to me. I serve it as a coffee cake for Sunday brunch or for dessert. —Rose Gearheard, Phoenix, Oregon

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Lady Baltimore Cake

I first made this cake for my fathers’ birthday and now it is the only cake that he requests. This cake has complex flavors and is very unique. —Cleo Gonske, Redding, California

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Strawberries & Cream Torte

This festive strawberry summer treat is one of my mom’s favorites. It wows guests every time yet is simple to make. —Cathy Branciaroli, Wilmington, Delaware

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