When frosting a cake is there a sure fire way to avoid those messy little crumbs that come off when doing the top of the cake? I want my finished cake to look pretty not messy!!! Thanks!

Hey! Hair spray works for me .....

I suggest trying some patience! LOL You are probably trying to frost the cake before it has completely cooled.

Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes. Once the cake is completely cooled, try dusting on a very light layer of corn starch before frosting just to prep the surface. It will keep you from tearing off pieces of the top of the cake which will look bad when frosted.

If the cake ALREADY has the crumbs on it when you remove it from the oven then your pan is sticking to the cake and is ripping off the top layer. Either grease the pan better, wait longer to remove the cake from the pan or buy some nonstick pans.

Thank you clarebear for your SERIOUS answer!!! Much appreciated!

I'll have you know that I was VERY serious..But I did forget to tell you to use the bio-degradable spray...

Definitely Fritzz, and unsented too!!

Alas cakes have crumbs and that is a fact of life I find that if I brush a simple syrup on my layers it moistens the cake and helps keep those pesky crumbs out of my frosting.

You could also apply a very thin layer of frosting(called the crumb frosting). Let is harden for about 30 minutes before applying the decorative frosting.

Depends on the icing.

If it is a butter frosting, letting it reach room temperature means it will spread far easier. Heating up say 1-2 tablespoons until it is runny then mixing that with 1/4 to 1/3 cup will give you a thinner, softer frosting. Apply a "scratch" or first coat of that to hold everything together, pop the cake in the ice box for 30 minutes, the butter in that icing will solidify making a tougher coat that you can spread your next layer of roam temperature icing.

If it is water frosting then adding drops of water while mixing it well to get it thinned out. Again take about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your icing, this time add drops of water until you get a thinner frosting that would spread easier. This time you would want to leave the cake out for about 30 minutes until the frosting hardens.

Ideally your frosting should have the consistency of meringue (before baking), stiff, forming peaks, easy to spread out. You might remember those Frosting commercials where they cut out a paper plate knife and spread the icing with that? That should five you an idea of how stiff the frosting should be.

If you are using a prepackaged icing, I suggest getting two containers of the same flavor, pull out the mixing bowl and the mixer and mix and whip the icings together.

Use a rubber spatula, one that has some give to it.

When applying think two coats, a thin "scratch coat" which seals in those crumbs and also allows you to "fix" uneven cakes, or repair rips and cracks (these happen) I would also suggest using a thinner frosting to “glue” multiple layers together.

Apply the first coat of frosting daubing on a bit (about a teaspoon) then spread it out from the center instead of trying to go back and forth. Daub, spread, daub on another bit, spread to meet your previous daub, etc. Then you finish off with a second layer, or in stucco jargon, a finish coat. That coat you would apply in long smooth even strokes to give your textured appearance. Then follow with piped on frosting.

Also try chilling your cake in the ice box before you frost it.

Thanks everyone...I made a cake last night...let it cool over night and also followed everyones suggestions...my butter frosting was nice and soft and I put a thin layer on and then the "decorative"....although it really wasn't fancy, but it did look a lot better than my previous attempts. Thanks again!!!!!!