The Freezer Tip For Getting The Perfect Drip On Your Cake

Whether it's for a birthday, a holiday, or just a fancy dinner with friends, if you're going to the effort of baking and decorating your own cake you want it to look delicious and, hopefully, beautiful. Unfortunately, a lot of cake ideas look a lot more Instagram-able in the mind's eye than they do in real life, especially if you aren't an avid baker. Even if you aren't trying for something as ambitious as the hyper-realistic illusion cakes featured on TikTok and Netflix, simple, elegant designs like piped flowers or drip cakes can be a lot trickier to execute than they seem if you aren't using the right tools. Luckily, there is one tool that everyone has in their kitchen that can help make those piping jobs easier and cleaner: the freezer.

There are plenty of ways that freezing your cake layers before you decorate them will make your life easier. Freezing cake layers makes them easier to handle while you assemble and decorate your cake, prevents crumbling, and can keep the cake moist and easy to cut, though it also may be worth your while to pop the cakes in the freezer more than once during your decorating process.

The secret to a perfect drip cake is to first put the main layer of icing on the cake and even it out, then freeze your cake again. This ensures the drip drizzle doesn't run too much, as it will be chilled by the cake as it's applied. It will also keep the original layer of icing hard and well set so the drip doesn't mix with it and cause it to run or smudge on the sides.

After the drizzle is applied, it's best to put the cake back into the refrigerator or freezer for another 10 to 15 minutes so it too can fully set up. This will keep it from running more than you want it to and also adds stability if you plan to put additional icing or decorations on the top of the cake. It's a simple trick, and it may take a little extra time in your decorating process, but it is an easy way to guarantee your cakes turn out looking as beautiful as you pictured.