How to Make an Easy Carved Cake

Whether it's a whimsical, complicated, Topsy-turvy cake for a baby shower or a simple cartoon design for your son's birthday, carved cakes are a fun alternative for the baker looking to break away from the traditional round or rectangular cake. While carved cakes may look complicated and carving without causing tons of crumbling may seem impossible, with the right tools and preparation, anyone can make a gorgeous, lump-free, carved cake.

Make a Dense Cake

A dense cake, such as a pound cake, is much easier to carve than the traditional, fluffy box cake. Find dense cake recipes online or if using a box mix, substitute the oil and water for butter and milk to create a denser cake.

Freeze or Chill Overnight

To reduce the risk of your carved cake crumbling, once you have baked your cake, freeze or refrigerate it overnight and allow it to thaw slightly before you begin carving.

Invest in a Turntable

When carving your cake, a turntable is a must. Not only does it make carving easier and faster, there is less room for error, since you won't have to reposition your cake after every cut.

Use a Serrated Knife

A serrated knife is the ideal cutting tool when making a carved cake. As well, be sure to cut with one smooth action, to further reduce crumbling.

Brush off the Crumbs

Use a pastry brush to gently brush off excess crumbs from your carved cake. Don't get too carried away, though. You don't want to rip your cake. Don't worry about the smaller crumbs or edges, you'll smooth those out later. Then let your carved cake rest for about 30 minutes.

Apply the Crumb Coat

A crumb coat can help to further minimize any remaining crumbs. To create your crumb coat, lightly coat the carved cake with a light icing, preferably buttercream. The crumbs will set in with the icing. Allow the crumb coat to harden by letting the cake rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Once the crumb coat has hardened, carefully apply your icing.