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Sweet Frosting Secrets
Frosting a cake can at times be a disaster. Especially when your five year old wants to help out. Here are some sweet frosting secrets that just might ease the tension of frosting.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled. You can hurry this process by placing it in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Place a dab of frosting under the cake on the serving plate to keep the cake from sliding.
- Brush all crumbs off of the cake.
- Invest in a good cake spatula, you can find them at any craft store. You’ll want a flexible metal one that allows you to spread the frosting in a larger area.
- When you frost, push the icing ahead of the spatula; don't use a back and forth motion. That is what stirs the crumbs. Use a light touch to prevent layers from sliding and the filling from squishing out.
- Make sure the icing is moist enough to stick to the cake. Keep a cup of water out to dip your spatula in while frosting.
- After the frosting crusts, you can use your finger dipped in corn starch to press out the spatula marks. You can also use plastic wrap if you want to rub out the marks on a larger scale. (Be careful with this one, if you break the frosting where it has crusted, the moist frosting will stick to the plastic and you will end up with a worse hole than you started with.)
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spread-able. Generously frosts a 9x13 cake.
For chocolate cream cheese frosting: add 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled, with the butter.
Coconut-Pecan Frosting
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk
3 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix sugar, butter, milk, and egg yolks in 2 quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool about 30 minutes, beating occasionally with a spoon, until spread-able. Generously frosts a 9 x 13 cake.
* DVO welcomes your kitchen hints and cooking or nutrition questions! Email us and we'll post your hints and Q/A's in upcoming newsletters! *
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