How To Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost a Layer Cake - Curly Girl Kitchen (2024)

A comprehensive post with step-by-step photos showing you how to crumb coat a cake. From start to finish, you’ll learn how to stack, fill, crumb coat and frost a layer cake for beautiful, professional results in your home kitchen. Whether you’re a beginner who doesn’t know where to start with making a cake look as good as it tastes, or you just need a little refresher on your cake decorating skills, there’s lots to learn in today’s post!

Looking for more posts like this one? Learn how to make the best all-butter pastry crust, perfect American buttercream, and perfect French macarons.

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What is a Crumb Coat on a Cake?

A crumb coat is a very thin layer of frosting or buttercream (applied after filling and stacking the cake layers). It seals the crumbs against the cake so that they don’t end up in your final, pretty coat of buttercream. It also locks in the cake’s moisture, smooths and hides imperfections, fills gaps between each cake layer, helps to define the cake’s shape, and is a primer for other decorative buttercream designs. You may be tempted to skip this step, thinking that it’s too fussy or time-consuming. But it makes all the difference in the presentation of your frosted layer cakes.

Why is a Crumb Coat Necessary?

Quite simply, you won’t get professional looking results in your finished cake if you skip this important step. Without a base crumb coat that’s firm and chilled, your cake can slide all over the place when you frost it and the frosting can pull away crumbs or even large chunks of cake.

A crumb coat is also absolutely essential if you plan on frosting your cake with a piped design. For example, on this chai tea cake, I frosted the cake with a crumb coat first, and then chilled it well before piping on the ruffles. If you were to pipe frosting directly onto the sides of an unfrosted cake, the buttercream would just fall right off, which would be a disaster after all the hard work you put into making your cake. But even if you’re not piping on the final layer of buttercream, and just spreading it on with an icing spatula, the crumb coat does so much to make the final result more professional, clean and attractive.

Essential Ingredients

• Cake. Make sure your baked cakes are cooled and level before you begin.
• Buttercream. Read this post on Perfect American Buttercream for recipes, variations, tips and best practices. You’ll need about 3-4 cups of buttercream for a three-layer 6-inch cake, and 4-5 cups of buttercream for a three-layer 8-inch cake.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Cake Decorating Turntable.

For professional results, you need to be frosting and decorating your cakes on a good-quality turntable, also known as a “lazy susan”. Don’t waste your money on a cheap plastic one – it will jerk and wobble as it turns, making your frosting uneven. I have a marble one that I love, but it was a gift and I’m not sure where it was from. Amazon has lots of choices – be sure to read the reviews.

Cake Board.

It’s rare that I frost and decorate a cake directly onto a plate or cake stand. Using a cake board makes it easy to transfer a cake from the turntable, to the refrigerator, to a pretty cake stand. Disposable cardboard cake boards are a popular option, and you can get them in white, silver, gold, and other patterns. Simple is best, though, so the pattern doesn’t distract from your cake. You need to use a 10-inch cake board for an 8-inch cake, and an 8-inch cake board for a 6-inch cake.

An alternative to disposable boards is acrylic disks, which I own and love. They’re clear, so they look much better in photos (the cardboard boards have an open corrugated edge that I don’t love the look of), and are barely noticeable sitting underneath a cake on a cake stand. And they’re reusable since they’re washable. They also have a hole in the center for inserting a dowel through for tiered cakes. In the photos for today’s post, I used a 6 1/2 inch disk with a 6-inch cake.

Non-slip Pad.

So that your cake board doesn’t slide around as you’re frosting your cake, you need to place a nonslip pad between the turntable and cake board. You should also use a nonslip pad under a cake board when you set the cake on your cake stand, so it doesn’t slide off.

Icing Spatula.

Many cake decorators recommend using a small offset icing spatula like this one. I prefer a straight icing spatula with a flexible blade like these, so that’s what I use. As you practice, use what feels natural and gives you the best control.

Bench Scraper.

You’ll need a bench scraper for smoothing the buttercream around the sides of the cake. A bench scraper has so many uses, from making pie dough and cookie dough, scooping up chopped vegetables, cutting bar cookies or brownies, leveling measuring cups of flour, cleaning the kitchen counter of bread dough (or play doh!), and of course, cake decorating. It’s not a single use gadget, it’s a multi-purpose tool that I use every day.

Stand Mixer.

I’ve been using my apple green Kitchen Aid stand mixer for going on 11-12 years now, and it works as well as ever. A stand mixer can be a bit of an investment, but it’s necessary for whipping light and fluffy buttercream and creaming butter and sugar for cake batter. If I’m making a smaller batch of buttercream, I’ll often use a hand mixer, but for larger quantities, you need a stand mixer.

Basics.

Measuring cups, measuring spoons, whisks, rubber spatulas, sifter, mixing bowls.

Tips and Tricks

• Cooled Cake. Make sure your cake layers are completely cooled. Any lingering warmth in the cake will melt your buttercream, cause the cakes to slide, and generally just make a mess. It can also help to wrap the cooled cake layers individually in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before assembling and frosting your cake. The slightly chilled (not frozen) cake layers help to firm up the buttercream as you assemble your cake, making everything more stable and just easier to manage. This is especially helpful when you’re filling your cake with something soft or slippery, like caramel or jam fillings.
• Level Cakes. If your cakes are domed, you should use a sharp knife to level them so they are nice and flat for even stacking.
• Brush Off the Crumbs. For cakes that are especially crumby, use a pastry brush to lightly brush excess crumbs off the sides of the cake. Don’t go too nuts with this step, since you can’t get rid of every crumb.
• Reliable Buttercream Recipe. If the buttercream is too soft, it will just make a mess when you try to frost your cake. Too dry and stiff, and it will crumble and pull at the cake. You should also avoid adding anything with large chunks to the buttercream (like chocolate chips or chopped nuts), until after you’ve done the crumb coat. For example, if I want to make a pecan buttercream, I will make my buttercream but won’t add the pecans right away. As I stack the cake layers, I can sprinkle some of the nuts in between each layer as I frost them, and then apply a smooth crumb coat onto the sides and top of the cake. Once the crumb coat is on, I’ll fold some finely chopped pecans into the remaining buttercream for the final coat of buttercream.
• Use Enough Buttercream. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the buttercream. If you use too little, your cake will show through, and you won’t be happy with the results. Frosting a cake is as much about how you remove excess frosting as it is about how to apply it. And the extra buttercream doesn’t need to go to waste. Just freeze it in a labeled freezer bag for another project!
• Don’t Scrape Crumbs into the Bowl. As you crumb coat your cake, don’t scrape your spatula of frosting that’s full of crumbs back into the bowl, or you’ll end up with crumbs in the final layer.
• Chill the Crumb Coat. If you skip the step of chilling your cake after applying the crumb coat, you might as well not even bother with a crumb coat. Chilling the crumb coat is key to applying a beautiful final layer of buttercream.

TIP: Be sure to read my post on Perfect American Buttercream for a complete guide to making the best buttercream for your cake decorating.

Instructions

Getting Started

• Make sure your cakes are completely cooled before you frost them. Any warmth will melt the buttercream. If the cakes have a domed top, level them slightly with a sharp knife (no need to cut off too much) so you have flat, level cakes for stacking.
• Whip your buttercream, and keep the bowl covered with plastic wrap until needed, so it doesn’t crust over. If your kitchen is warm, pop the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes to keep the buttercream cool.
• Read this post on Perfect American Buttercream for recipes, variations, tips and best practices. You’ll need about 3-4 cups of buttercream for a three-layer 6-inch cake, and 4-5 cups of buttercream for a three-layer 8-inch cake.
• Get your cake decorating turntable ready by placing a nonslip pad on top, and a cake board on the pad.

Stack and Fill

• Begin by placing one layer of cake on your cake board. It can be helpful to place the cake bottom-side-up for a flat, clean surface area. Add a dollop of buttercream on top (about 1/2 cup for a 6-inch cake and 3/4 cup for an 8-inch cake).
• Using your icing spatula, spread the buttercream from the center of the cake towards the edges, making the buttercream as level as possible. You want to try to avoid touching the cake directly with your spatula, as it can pull at the cake and make it tear or crumble.
• Stack the next cake layer on top, making sure it’s centered and level. Repeat with another layer of buttercream.
• Continue stacking and filling your cake layers until you’ve added the last cake layer on top.

Crumb Coat

• Add a dollop of buttercream on top. Use your icing spatula to spread it out into a very thin layer on top of the cake, pushing excess buttercream over the edges. Spread the buttercream very thinly around the sides of the cake, adding more buttercream as needed, until all bare spots are covered.
• Take your bench scraper, hold it at a 45-degree angle to the side of the cake, and sweep it around the side as you spin the turntable. Scrape any excess crumb-filled frosting off the bench scraper and into a small bowl (not back into your bowl of clean buttercream).
• If there are gaps, or uneven areas, add some buttercream to that spot (using what you scraped off), and smooth it out again with the bench scraper. Use your bench scraper or icing spatula to smooth the top of the cake, too.

• Your cake is now covered in a crumb coat. It should be very thin, so that you can see the cake through the buttercream. Spin the cake around, and check that it’s level and standing straight up on all sides. If it seems to be leaning to one side, use your bench scraper to gently push it straight, then smooth the sides again.
• Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes, until the crumb coat is chilled, and no longer feels sticky. If it’s a warm day, and your buttercream was warm and soft to begin with, you may need to chill the crumb coat for 45-60 minutes.
• Cover the bowl of remaining buttercream with plastic wrap so it doesn’t crust over. If your kitchen is warm (hotter than 72 degrees Fahrenheit), place it in the refrigerator to keep it cool.
• While you’re waiting, make yourself a fresh cup of coffee, and decide how you want to decorate your cake.

Final Coat

• After chilling the crumb coat, it’s time to finish frosting your cake. If you’re doing a piped design, like on this Chai Tea Cake, you can fill a piping bag with buttercream and pipe it directly onto your crumb coat.
• With your cake on your turntable, dollop some buttercream on top of the cake, and spread it out towards the edges. Get more buttercream on your icing spatula and frost the sides of the cake. Be sure to use enough. Too little buttercream, and your spatula can dig into your crumb coat, making it difficult to frost a clean final coat.

• Once you’ve covered the cake, you can use the icing spatula to swoop and swirl the buttercream, giving it a simple, natural design.
• For a smooth finish, take your bench scraper, hold it at a 45-degree angle to the side of the cake, and sweep it around the side as you spin the turntable. The goal here is to smooth the buttercream, but not to remove very much of it. Use a light hand so you don’t scrape off too much. If any of the cake is showing through then the frosting isn’t thick enough, and you need to add a little more. If there are any gaps or holes in the buttercream, add a little more, and smooth it again with the bench scraper. A perfectly smooth coat of buttercream takes practice, so don’t worry if yours isn’t perfect the first time.

Finishing Touches

• Once you’re happy with how the sides of the cake look, you can smooth out the top, if you like. Simply take your icing spatula or bench scraper, and sweep it across the top of the cake, starting at the edge and moving towards the center of the cake. Personally, I like the textured edge and top to contrast the smooth sides, so I don’t smooth the tops of my cakes.
• Another really easy decorating technique that doesn’t require much skill or finesse is to drag your icing spatula around the sides of the cake, working from the bottom edge to the top. You can see an example on this Strawberry Almond Cake. This technique is quick and easy to do, and always looks pretty.
• If you have any extra buttercream, you can use it to pipe some decorative swirls on top of the cake, or scrape it into a freezer bag, label it, and freeze it for another project.
• Lastly, don’t forget to take a paper towel or tissue and wipe the edge of the cake board clean around the bottom of the cake.

To finish decorating my cake, I used tip #16 to pipe tiny rosettes onto the final coat of buttercream.

How to Add Fillings to Layered Cakes

If you want to fill your cake with something other than buttercream, such as jam, pastry cream or caramel, you need to pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake first. This border works as a dam to hold the filling in, so the filling doesn’t run out of the cake as you frost it.

These next photos of my chocolate caramel toffee cake demonstrate this process. I first piped a border of chocolate buttercream, then spread the middle of the cake with dulce de leche, and lastly sprinkled toffee over the dulce de leche. I did this with each layer of cake before adding my crumb coat and final coat of buttercream.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does crumb coating work with all types of buttercream?

Crumb coating a cake will only work with a “crusting” buttercream, like American buttercream.

How long does it take a crumb coat to chill and set?

You need to let it chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, but 45-60 minutes may be necessary.

Should the cakes be cold or frozen before assembling and frosting?

You should frost cakes when the cake is at room temperature, or slightly chilled from the refrigerator. Frozen cake layers are easy to frost, but as the frozen cakes thaw, their crumb softens and relaxes, which can create little ripples or slumps in the buttercream, ruining your presentation.

Can you crumb coat a cake the night before?

Yes, the crumb coat protects the cake from losing moisture. So you can assemble and crumb coat a cake, cover and refrigerate it overnight, and finish frosting and decorating it in the morning.

Can you crumb coat a cake with whipped cream frosting?

No.

Does this method work with cream cheese frosting?

Yes, cream cheese buttercream is a crusting buttercream, so you can use it to crumb coat a cake.

Do I have to use a turn table?

If you want your cake to look its best, you really need to.

How much frosting do I need to use between each layer of cake?

This isn’t something I measure, and I just eyeball it every time. But you’ll need about 1/2 cup between each layer of a 6-inch cake and 3/4 cup between each layer of an 8-inch cake. It shouldn’t be too thick, somewhere between 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick is ideal.

Why are my cakes rising so high in the middle?

It’s frustrating when a cake rises with a super high domed center, because the cake will need to be leveled, and the cake goes to waste. It could be that your oven is too hot, causing the cake to rise quickly in the center, so check the temperature with an oven thermometer. If needed, bake your cakes at 15-25 degrees lower. You might also try using bake even strips, although I haven’t had great success with those.

When leveling your cakes, you really don’t need to cut off the entire dome since that can waste a lot of cake. Just level it off a little so it sits flat, and use buttercream to fill in any uneven areas and gaps as you stack your cake.

What can I do with the leftover buttercream?

After frosting a cake, I almost always have extra buttercream. Which is a good thing, because it’s far better to have too much, than to barely have enough to cover the cake. I simply scrape the extra into a freezer bag, label it with the flavor and date, and freeze for up to 3-6 months. I’ll use the leftover bits to frost brownies, or for contrasting decorative borders on another cake. Often I’ll use it to practice new piping techniques, or pipe some buttercream flowers to decorate a cake like this one.

Sometimes I’ll just combine a few leftover flavors, as long as the flavors and colors are complementary to each other (such as vanilla + raspberry, lemon + orange, or chocolate + espresso). By mixing a few bits, I’ll end up with enough to frost a whole cake without needing to make a new batch. But whatever you do, don’t throw it away. Because there’s always something you can use it for.

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