Newsletters

My Grandma’s 50-Year-Old Cake Decorating Trick Is the Only One I’ll Ever Use (All You Need Is a Paper Towel!)

Kristina Razon
Kristina RazonDeputy Food Editor at The Kitchn
Before joining The Kitchn, I worked for Serious Eats. I was initially hired as the office manager, but quickly transitioned into a role as editor and recipe developer. Prior to my time there, I spent more than 10 years in professional kitchens in Washington, D.C.; Boston; and New York City. I’ve worked as a line cook, baker, culinary teaching assistant, pastry chef, and kitchen manager. I have an MS in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College, and a Culinary Arts Certificate from Boston University. I'm the author of a self-published ebook titled A Guide to Northeast Grains, an introductory guide to baking with regional flours — specifically buckwheat, einkorn, emmer, rye, spelt, and triticale. I love teaching home cooks how to make good food in their kitchens, whether it’s sharing a recipe for a quick and easy dinner or a super-delicious dessert, or writing about how to make the best tomato toast.
Follow
published Sep 15, 2024
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
angled shot of a full cake with a ring of rainbow sprinkles on top, with a slice taken out of it.
See More Images
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Styling: Brett Regot

I’m not much of a cake decorator (despite having worked in bakeries for over five years). I like to keep it simple with a swirl of frosting, some colorful sprinkles, or even a drippy coat of glossy chocolate ganache. Recently when my mother-in-law, who is quite the cake decorator, was in town, I asked her for some easy tricks she might have up her sleeve. She filled me in on what may be one of the easiest hacks of all time: Using a paper towel to decorate a cake! Turns out she learned it from her mom, who was an actual cake decorator; it was her go-to method for frosting cakes. 

The timing couldn’t have been better, as my daughter’s birthday was swiftly approaching. So I set out to try it for myself on a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting (she, of course, picked the flavor). Here’s how it went. 

See More Images
Credit: Kristina Razon

Why It Works

Using a paper towel to decorate a cake is such an easy way to add a little pizzazz. It took not even five minutes to do, and made my daughter’s cake look more “dressed up” and festive than if I had just thrown some sprinkles on top and called it a day (which is my usual MO). Plus I didn’t have to worry too much about whether the frosting was perfectly smooth, as I would be pressing the paper towel’s pattern all over the cake anyways. 

See More Images
Credit: Kristina Razon

How to Decorate a Cake with a Paper Towel

  1. Once your cake is assembled with a crumb coat and chilled, apply another layer of frosting, spreading it as evenly as possible. 
  2. Place the cake uncovered in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to let the frosting dry slightly and develop a delicate crust. This helps prepare the cake for taking on the pattern embossed onto the paper towel sheets you’ll be using (make sure it’s a pattern you like), and ensures you don’t end up smooshing too-soft frosting onto the sheets. 
  3. Remove the cake from the fridge and lay two connected paper towel sheets flat on top. Then gently and evenly rub your fingertips over the top to imprint the pattern onto the cake, making sure to work your way around the edge and top of the cake. If you like, you can repeat this method with the sides of the cake as well. Finish decorating the cake with any extra embellishments. 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: My Grandma’s 50-Year-Old Cake Decorating Trick Is the Only One I’ll Ever Use (All You Need Is a Paper Towel!)