The Genius Paper Towel Hack That Upgrades The Look Of Any Frosted Cake

Homemade frosted cakes are always cute (even if they're not), because sometimes baking is all about having fun and making memories. This is especially true if little hands are mixing, baking, and frosting cakes with you. With this simple cake hack, they can easily frost a special dessert that's not messy and looks, well, actually cute. Texture is the name of the game here, with the right kind of paper towel along with any buttercream — this classic vanilla buttercream frosting recipe comes to mind because it can be tinted and flavored any way you like. Combine these two to give your next cake a bit of a stenciled pattern with depth. The best part is, anyone who can handle a paper towel can handle this frosting technique.

It takes a thicker paper towel to accomplish this look, one with designs embossed on it with little dots. These little dots can do the trick all by themselves, or you can find them within a larger design, like circles or diamonds. The thinner paper towels won't impart much of a design onto your frosted cake at all, but that could also be a choice. If smoothness is your goal, opt for a thick paper towel with no design. For years, bakers have called this the "Viva Method" of smoothing cakes. No matter which path you choose, take note of a few simple tips to keep in mind for a flawless technique when applying a paper towel to any frosted cake (store-bought, too).

Rule number one when it comes to applying a paper towel to a frosted cake: The texture and temperature of the frosting must be just right. For a freshly-frosted cake, let it rest for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator before applying clean, dry paper towels to the top and sides of the cake. Here's the kicker: The frosting should be dried a bit on top. Work in sections, and (ever so) gently press the paper towel into the icing and leave it there for a few seconds, before slowly removing it from the icing. Keep the design going or break it up by turning the paper towel before applying it to another section of the cake. This hack works perfectly on any one of these 12 birthday cake recipes worth celebrating.

This speedy hack can also quickly transform a store-bought cake, especially once you learn what it means to make a cake semi-naked. While you can always make a semi-naked cake from scratch, you can also work backward in a pinch, especially with the help of a cake comb. Scrape off most of the frosting from the store-bought cake, blending the assorted frosting colors for a tie-dyed look if you like. After the cake chills in the refrigerator, use paper towels to emboss it with an original, dotted design. This is another fun task for the kiddos, too, when everyone wants to decorate a cake but no one wants to bake it.