Opening Day + How to Ice And Assemble A Large Cake

Something to add to the list of things you may not have known about Beth–I used to be quite the little athlete.

I played a little bit of everything–including one ill fated season of basketball–but my main sports were softball and soccer, both of which I played for over 10 years with the Freedom Optimist Leagues.

So when my mom asked if I would be willing to make a big cake for Softball’s 2010 Opening Day Celebration, I agreed. Because what’s better than giving back to the program that gave me so much? And I knew there would be lots and lot of adorable kids all geared up for another season of softball. And really who can say no these faces? Not me.

But since I’ve already shared the recipe I used for the cake with you, I decided to do a tutorial. A how to assemble a cake so ridiculously large you think no one will ever finish it, but it’s gone in 45 minutes, tutorial.

Yeah. Seriously.

*Don’t forget to enter the Reusable Grocery Bag Giveaway!*

How to Assemble a Really Big Cake
A Tutorial

Although it may seem simple to assemble a really big cake, it’s actually a bit more work than just plopping the two (or in this case, four) individual cakes together. If you want your cake to look good, you need to make sure the cakes are relatively level, and that your icing is uniform. The tips below should help you get good results, even if you’re not a cake pro!

Step 1: Try to get your cakes to come out of the oven as level as possible. There’s a reason I love my go to big cake recipe–those cakes bake level. Also, pick a cake that is firm, with a tight crumb, but won’t dry out. You don’t want something that is going to break in half when you go to move it, but you also want it to taste good! Again, the go to recipe is a winner in this category.

Step 2: Before you start icing and assembly, make more icing than you think you could ever possibly need. Icing is your glue, but it’s also your corrective tool. If your cake sags in the middle or is a bit uneven, you’re going to use icing to even it out. And this isn’t just a trick for amateurs–have you ever noticed how much icing is on a wedding cake?

Step 3: Make sure you have a large cake board at the ready to put your cake on. This cake is going to be heavy, so foam board or heavy duty cardboard is best. Put some icing on the board before you put the cake on, this will help keep the cake in place.

Step 4: See that picture above where the edge of the cake looks shaved off? That’s on purpose. After you put one layer on top of the other (with lots and lots of icing in between–the cake will soak some of it up!) and line them up as best you can, take a look at the cake from all angles. If something looks like it’s hanging out of line, or if it’s uneven, take a large serrated knife (like a bread knife) and trim the edges. This will help your cake look professional in the end.

Step 5: Crumb Coat! The biggest difference between professional and amateur cakes is the crumb coat, which is a thin coat of icing which will lock in the crumbs from the cake. This should be as thin as you can get it, then you need to let is set so it will hold the crumbs. If you’re using a shortening based icing the crust will form after a few minutes of the cake setting out in the air, but if you’re using a butter icing, put the cake in the fridge for a few minutes to encourage the icing to set.

Step 6: Ice it thick. Use lots and lots of icing to ice your cake, and use it even out places where the cake looks saggy or uneven. No one will notice that the cake underneath all that icing is uneven, they’ll be way too impressed with that flat expanse of a cake! Once you have the icing on and it’s relatively even, and crusted, use an icing towel or a regular old Viva brand paper towel to smooth out your icing. By gently rubbing the towel (I find a circular motion works best), you’ll be able to get that super smooth look.

Step 7: Decorate! This is the fun part, and (for me at least) the easy part! All of that smoothing stresses me out! We used an image transfer method for this cake, but you can really do whatever you want. My only tips are to use color and to keep a toothpick at the ready, because if you don’t like something, you can use that toothpick to scrape it right off!

Now enjoy! If you’re traveling with a big cake make sure you have a secure way to transport it–a cake carrier or a box is best. Because you would hate for all of that work to meet a tragic end!

And don’t forget to grab a piece before it’s gone!

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