How to Cover a Cake With Buttercream

Which type of buttercream is best for covering a cake?

Use American buttercream for frosting that's the simplest to make. This is a fantastic frosting if you're new to baking or are short on time. Simply beat softened butter with powdered sugar to make a thick, fluffy frosting that clings to your cake. Since it's so sweet, it's hard to add flavors like fruit preserves or caramel to American buttercream. It also tends to be a little grainy, but it has a classic buttery flavor.

Try Swiss meringue buttercream for velvety frosting that's easy to pipe. For this buttercream, heat egg whites and sugar before you beat them. Then, mix in softened butter to make a silly frosting that's easy to spread or pipe onto your cake. The egg whites are safe to eat since you heat them with sugar. Swiss meringue buttercream is a great choice if you want to flavor it with jam, caramel, flavor extracts, or melted chocolate. It's also perfect for frosting and piping since it's so smooth.

Make Italian meringue buttercream for the smoothest frosting. Italian meringue is a lot like swiss meringue but it holds up better in warm temperatures. Start by whipping egg whites and making a sugar syrup. You'll slowly pour the syrup into the whipped eggs before you add softened butter. Italian meringue buttercream is a great choice if you want to prep the cake in advance. The meringue helps stabilize the buttercream so you can frost and store your cake for up to 3 days in advance.

How do I get the buttercream to stick to the cake?

Chill the cake for 2 hours before you frost it. It's hard to be patient, but wait! If you frost the cake before it's cooled, the butter in the frosting will melt and soak into your cake. Plan on chilling the cake for 2 hours before you cover it with buttercream. Let the cake layers cool to room temperature and wrap them in plastic wrap before you stick them in the fridge. You can chill them overnight as long as they're wrapped well.

Spread a really thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. To do a crumb coat, brush away loose crumbs with a pastry brush. Stir a 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of milk into 1/2 cup (56 g) of your buttercream to loosen it. Then, use an offset spatula to spread it onto the tops and sides of your cakes. Pop them into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes so the buttercream hardens. You may have heard of a crumb coat—this is just a super-thin coating of buttercream that traps loose crumbs. It also gives your buttercream something to really stick to. If you're frosting a chocolate cake, you might want to do an extra crumb coat since dark cake crumbs can show up easily in light-colored buttercream.

How do I smoothly frost a cake with buttercream?

Use an offset spatula to evenly spread buttercream onto the top and sides. Set 1 cake layer on a turntable and scoop 1 cup (112 g) of buttercream frosting onto the top. Spread the frosting to the edge of the layer with an offset spatula. Set your other cake layer on top and put the rest of your frosting on top. Then, spread the frosting across the surface and down the sides of the cake. It can help to spin the turntable slowly so you get even coverage. Remember, you're covering the cakes that have a crumb coat. If you've got a turntable, you can also hold a flat scraper vertically against the side of the cake. Slowly rotate the turntable so the scraper smooths the buttercream.

How can I decorate the cake with buttercream?

Drag a cake comb across the sides to give your frosting a unique texture. Cake combs are plastic scrapers that have designs along the edge. Once you frost your cake, hold the cake comb vertically against the side of the cake and spin the turntable slowly as you press the comb against it to make ridges, stripes, or cool textures. If you don't want to buy a cake comb, look for things you already have in your kitchen. Drag the tines of a fork along the sides to make thin ridges or swirl the back of a spoon along the frosting to make fun swoops.

Use a piping bag with different tips to make rosettes, ruffles, and scallops. While a smooth cake is striking, it's fun to play with buttercream accents. Fill a piping bag with your buttercream and choose a tip based on what design you want to make. Use a small round tip if you want to pipe words, for instance, or use a leaf tip to give your cake floral decorations. To practice your piping skills, lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and try out different tips before you decorate the cake itself.

Do you have to refrigerate a buttercream cake?

No—unless your kitchen is really hot. If you've coated your cake with buttercream, it's totally safe to pop a large cake cover over the frosted cake and leave it at room temperature for up to 5 days. If the temperature in your kitchen is over 72 °F (22 °C), stick the cake in the fridge so the butter in the frosting doesn't melt. To chill your cake, put it into the fridge without a cover or plastic wrap until the frosting hardens a little. Then, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate your frosted cake for up to a day or two. Your cake will dry out the longer it's in the fridge. While Italian and Swiss meringue buttercreams have egg whites, they're safe to keep at room temperature since you heated them thoroughly.

Can I frost my cake in advance?

Yes—you can frost the cake up to 5 days before you plan to serve it. For extra protection, put a storage cover over the cake to protect it from moisture. Keep in mind that slices of frosted cake won't last as long since they'll dry out. If you make your cake in advance, don't start cutting into it unless you're ready to serve.