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Hi, I'm Emily and I'm going to show you how to build the perfect cake
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We'll start by levelling our cake layers. Cakes usually come out of the oven domed or
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with an uneven top layer so you can use a bread knife to level the top and leave it
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perfectly flat. You can leave your layers as they are or divide them into two layers
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so that each layer is thinner. This lets you put in more layers of filling and the cake
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will be moister. Start by pushing the knife just into the surface of the cake and spinning
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the cake around to carry the indent all the way around. Then, once you're happy that the
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layer is equally divided into two halves, you can push the knife all the way through
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Now we're going to stack the cake. Use a dollop of buttercream to secure the cake to the cake
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board. For every layer, you want the cut side facing up. Brush it with simple syrup, which
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is just equal parts of water and sugar boiled together. This keeps the cake moist. Then
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you can add your filling. Repeat for all of your layers, making sure the top layer is
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cut side down, which locks in the moisture. Now we're going to freeze the cake for 30
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minutes to firm it up. I wrap my cakes in cling film or saran wrap so they don't dry
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out. We need to trim around the cake to get rid of any overcooked edges and also to make
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the cake perfectly smooth, which prepares it for buttercream or fondant. There are two ways to trim your cake. You can hold a bread knife vertically and trim
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around the circumference of the cake, or you can hold it horizontally and cut downwards
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in little sawing movements. The cake is ready for frosting. Use a non-slip mat underneath
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the cake board so it doesn't slide around. Start with a crumb coat. This is a very thin
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layer of frosting that catches any crumbs that come off the cake, so they don't get
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into the final coat of frosting. You can put the frosting onto the cake using a spatula
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or a piping bag. Then smooth it using a spatula or a frosting scraper. Start with the top
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of the cake. When that's smooth, do the sides of the cake. Make sure your frosting
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goes above the top of the cake. When the sides are smooth, use a spatula or fondant scraper
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to pull any high frosting onto the top of the cake. If you're going to cover the cake
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with fondant, this is enough frosting. If you add any more, it will be difficult to
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get sharp edges around the top of the cake and frosting might squeeze out at the bottom
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of the fondant. Also stop now if you're making a semi-naked cake. Add more frosting and repeat
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the same steps to smooth the top, sides and then the top again. Now your cake is ready
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to be decorated! Watch my other tutorials for some great ideas and techniques for decorations
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Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more cake tutorials every week
