7 most common frosting mistakes

Here at the 7 most common frosting mistakes and how to fix them! Number 1: Don't pull short spins of your turntable because every time you stop, your scraper will dig into the frosting leaving these vertical dents. Number 2: Check your scraper for dings/dents to prevent trails. If you ding or drop your cake comb, you might get a dent on the straight edge and that will leave these trails behind as you scrape. Number 3: Don't hold your cake scraper at a diagonal. Push down on the cake board to line it up straight! It sounds obvious, but you'll end up with diagonal sloped sides on your cake. Number 4: Spread frosting up above the top of the cake to form a lip or wall. This frosting isn't high enough! Make sure you spread your frosting high enough so that it's sticking up above the top edge of the cake. If it's too low, like this, when you flatten the top edge, you'll leave gaps like this. Number 5: Swipe sideways around the top edge. Don't swipe diagonally up! You'll create a domed top and can expose the crumb coat or baked cake underneath. Always flatten the top edge by swiping sideways, not diagonally up. Swiping diagonally up is what creates a domed top and can pull off so much frosting that you reveal the crumb coat underneath like this. If this happens, just spread more frosting on to cover the cake, smooth the sides, and then flatten the top edge again. Number 6: Wipe your blade clean after every swipe! If you don't, you'll drag the buttercream back onto the cake and leave this unwanted texture around the top edge. When you clean your spatula blade, you'll leave a neat, smooth surface behind instead. When you clean your spatula blade, you'll leave a neat, smooth surface behind instead. Number 7: Don't push down! Only sideways. Never push down as you're flattening the top edge. All of your pressure should be going sideways. If you push down, you'll create a bulge in the frosting like this. When you swipe sideways, you'll leave sharp top corners from the sides onto your cake. To fix mistakes: Spread more frosting on top, so that it sticks out over the sides. Spread more frosting onto the sides, so that it sticks up above the top edge. Scrape around the sides, spread more frosting over any gaps/indents, and scrape again. This becomes SO easy with the right technique and some practice! For the top edge, swipe sideways and lift off the excess buttercream. Scrape this into your bowl and wipe your blade clean and repeat! Always push sideways, not down or up at a diagonal. And that's it! Ask me any questions you have in the comments. Comment BUTTERCREAM for my recipe. Follow British Girl Bakes for more cake decorating tips and tricks!