#Crumb coat how to

The beauty of rustic naked cakes is that they can be imperfect and beautiful. Use your creativity here!įinally, don’t stress too much about having the perfect smooth finish. Keep smoothing and removing frosting until you have a finished design you like - your final layer can be thick enough for just a hint of cake to peek through, or so thin almost the entire cake is visible. Plus, it's always best to have more than you need to fix any potential mistakes. You'll thin out the frosting as you smooth it out and remove excess. It's better to start with more frosting than you think you want. You can also use a bench scraper to smooth out the frosting. Smooth the frosting using a large angled or offset spatula, rotating the cake using the revolving cake stand as you do. The next step is adding another very thin layer of buttercream. This helps the layers to stay put as you decorate. Smooth as much as you can with the offset spatula.Ĭhill the cake for 30 minutes. You want an extra-thin layer of frosting as that's the essence of naked cakes - make sure the cake is still clearly visible through the frosting. Layer with another cake and repeat the above steps until the last cake layer.Ĭrumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream.

Top the filling with about 1/2 cup buttercream and smooth evenly. (If you're not using filling, simply spread frosting across the surface of the cake layer.) Spoon about 1/2 cup filling into the middle well you just created. This will serve as a dam to keep your filling in place. Place the cake board on a revolving cake stand.įill a pastry bag with about 1/2 cup of the frosting.

#Crumb coat how to

(Or ensure smooth tops after baking by using cake strips, as outlined in this post on how to bake cake evenly.)

Use a cake leveler or a sharp knife to cut off the domed top of each layer, ensuring the surface is flat and even. Decorations like fresh flowers or berries (optional).Pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.Cake board (also known as a cake round).About 1 cup filling (use less filling for two layers and more for four layers).Three layers of cake (two or four layers will also work).Once you’ve prepared your cake layers, frosting, and filling, you’re ready to assemble and decorate your cake. If you don’t want to bother with a separate filling, you can always just use frosting between your layers instead. For my naked cake below, I used a blueberry compote filling. I love berry fillings, but curds also work well. While adding a filling is optional, I do think it adds a nice flavor component to cake. (Photo by Rick Holbrook) Step 3: Making the filling (optional) ( Instant ClearJel can also help stabilize whipped cream see details on this blog post, How to whip cream.)Įrmine Icing has a light, airy texture like whipped cream and holds its shape well thanks to its cooked flour base. If you do use whipped cream, make sure you refrigerate your cake after assembly and serve as soon as possible, since it's not as stable as most frostings. For example, this Ermine Icing would be a great one to use. Any frosting that's smooth, easily spreadable, and holds its shape would work. An easy vanilla buttercream frosting or stabilized whipped cream is my go-to for decorating naked cakes. One of the reasons naked cakes are so forgiving for all skill levels is that they don’t require complex buttercreams like Swiss or Italian Meringue. Just be sure to secure your cakes with a cake dowel if using more than three layers. The same goes with the number of layers! Two, three, or even four layers are easy to do. You can make your naked cake in 6', 8', or 9' round pans - whatever you feel comfortable with. Here are two suggestions for classic cakes to use as your base:įor the example I'll be showcasing below, I used a lemon cake paired with a blueberry filling for a summer-inspired dessert.Īny cake size can be used here. The dark layers of this Hummingbird Cake contrast nicely with cream cheese frosting (Photo by John Sherman)