Supporting a Cake

To support the cake while filling or frosting it with buttercream, place it on a rigid surface such as a serving plate or cardboard round. Slip a few wide strips of wax paper or parchment under the edges of the cake to keep the rim of the serving plate clean. After the buttercream has been applied, carefully slip out the strips.

If using cardboard rounds, choose one the same size as the pan in which the cake was baked. Since cakes shrink ¼ inch all around the sides, this offers you a guide for just applying the right amount of buttercream. Begin by placing a small dab of buttercream on the middle of the cardboard round; this keeps the cake layer in place on the round. When applying the buttercream to the sides of the cake, be sure to hold the spatula at a right angle to the cake without allowing it to tilt inward.