Like any baking skill, practice makes perfect! While icing a cake may seem like a daunting task, the more times you do it the easier it will get! These are some of my go-to tips for icing a cake.
Cake
First, crumb coat your cake by pressing buttercream onto the sides using the flat side of a palette knife.
Chill your cake until the crumb coat is firm. Depending on the size of your cake, 10-20 minutes.
Ice the top of your cake first, then the side. Ice a smooth, even layer onto the top of the cake using a palette knife.
Ice a generous amount of buttercream onto the sides of the cake, most of this will be scraped away!
Use a stainless steel bench scraper to give your cake a smooth finish.
For extra texture, use a cake comb to create a pattern with your buttercream. When using a bench scraper or a cake comb, make sure to get your angle correct and hold it straight up and down.
If you dont get the finish correct the first time, simply add more buttercream to your cake and try again!