Smoothing frosting on a cake is similar to crumb coating.

The only difference is the top layer of frosting is thicker, and smoothing can take a little longer.

There are several ways to frost a smooth cake, and in this tutorial, I’m going to show you the piping bag method.

See how I made this cake in the video down below.

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If you’ve been looking for a simple and quick buttercream tutorial check out this blog post: American buttercream tutorial

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Apply a thick layer of icing
• Smooth the icing using a bench scraper
• Form the top edge of the cake using my “crown” method

Let’s get started.

Step 1: Apply a thick layer of icing

To get an even coating on the sides of the cake, I like to use a piping bag.

You can use a spatula to apply the frosting, but I think using a piping bag is faster, provides a thick and even coating on the sides of the cake, and it’s less messy.   

Begin piping from the bottom of the cake, holding the bag at an angle, pushing the buttercream out steadily, keeping the bag still while spinning the turntable with the other hand.

Cover the entire cake.

Next, begin spreading the frosting on the sides of the cake with the offset spatula.

Spread the icing until you don’t see cake showing. 

Step 2: Smoothing the top of the cake

Once the sides of the cake are covered, start spreading the icing on the top of the cake. 

Place the spatula in the middle of the cake.

Begin turning the turntable away from you to smooth the top of the cake.

Remove the excess frosting from the spatula and onto your bowl.

The top of the cake should start to look flat and level.  

Step 3: Smooth the icing using a bench scraper

Next, take the bench scraper and hold it lightly straight against the cake at a 45-degree angle. 

The straighter the scraper, the more refined the sides of the cake will be.  

Hold the scraper still as you turn the turntable to smooth the sides.  

As you go around the cake, remove the excess frosting from the scraper and place it in the bowl.

Look around the cake for any gaps or unevenness that need more frosting.

Apply more frosting to those areas and smooth them out with the scraper. 

Try the water method if your frosting isn’t smoothing properly: If your frosting isn’t smooth, try heating the bench scraper with hot water, drying the water off with a paper towel, and placing it back on the cake to smooth the icing.

The heat from the scraper will soften the buttercream, leaving it smooth and free from air bubbles.

Step 3: Form the top edge of the cake using my “crown” method

You will notice a lip of frosting building on the top edge of the cake.  

I like to call this a “crown.”

This is how you will achieve sharp edges.

If the “crown” is not tall enough, add more icing to the sides to make it taller.

Use the bench scraper to smooth the sides.

This will lift the icing over the edge to help form the crown.

Next, its time to smooth out the crown to form the edges.

Pick a corner of the crown, take the offset spatula and pull it towards the center of the cake.

Once you have the first corner down, you have a guide for the next one until the whole crown is smoothed out.  

Always get eye level with the cake to ensure the top and sides are straight. 

And there you have frosted a smooth cake.

If you liked this post then you may also like:

Cake Decorating Tutorials for Beginners

How to Make a Mini Chocolate Drip Cake

How to Crumb Coat a Cake

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