After teaching thousands of cake decorators, the most common struggle I've seen is with getting perfectly smooth frosting. So let me introduce your new best friend: a metal cake scraper! This tool is everything you need for smooth, professional-looking cakes.
Cake combs (also known as scrapers or frosting smoothers) come in plastic, acrylic, and metal. While plastic and acrylic can smooth frosting well, dropping or knocking them will easily create dings that leave trails on your cake. Metal scrapers, on the other hand, stay perfectly smooth and with my tricks they'll give you perfectly smooth frosting every time!
Before you even reach for your scraper, follow these steps to set yourself up for success:
Stack your cake layers carefully, ensuring each sits directly on top of the one below. This will give your cake straight sides. Then chill the cake for 30 minutes in the fridge or 15 in the freezer. This will firm the filling and make the cake less crumbly. Next, apply a crumb coat, which is a thin layer of frosting to trap any crumbs that come off the cake. And finally, chill the cake again to set the crumb coat before adding the final layer of frosting. Again, 30 minutes in the fridge or 15 minutes in the freezer is perfect!
These steps give your final layer of frosting a smooth foundation and prevent any crumbs from ruining it.
With the right technique, your metal cake scraper will leave a super smooth surface on your frosting.
Start by spreading a generous layer of buttercream onto your cake. Make sure it sticks up above the top edge and goes all the way down to the cake board.
Now line the bottom of the cake board with your scraper at an angle, so it's at a diagonal, not pointing straight at the cake. Use very gentle pressure and let the
Don’t expect perfection after the first scrape! Go around several times and if you see any shallow areas, spread on more frosting and scrape again. If the buttercream has little air bubbles in it or isn't as smooth as you'd like it, use the heat hack below!
To warm a metal cake scraper there are three easy methods. The first is using a blowtorch by briefly passing the flame up and down the straight edge of the scraper. Then rub with a towel to cool it down and pinch to check it's only warm, not hot.
The second method uses a hairdryer. This heat is slower but gentler and it distributes heat more evenly. You should still pinch the metal to check the temperature and make sure it's just warm.
The third method is to use hot water. Hold your metal cake scraper under hot running water or pour some into a pan or tray and top your comb into it. Rub the metal with a towel to dry it off and then test the temperature with your fingertips before using.
Now use the warm metal to scrape around the cake and you'll see it leave perfectly smooth frosting behind!
An important note: hot metal can discolour your buttercream and cause bubbles under the surface. Always double check you're working with just-warm metal that isn't hot!
I love using tools for multiple tasks to make the investment worthwhile so here's some good news! A metal cake scraper isn’t just for frosting. It scrapes dried buttercream or chocolate from your surfaces without smearing and it's also great for transferring cakes! It slices easily underneath the cake and is wide and sturdy enough to lift cakes up. This makes it possible to transfer cakes from a cake board to a platter or cake stand.
For professional-looking cakes, a metal cake scraper is a cake decorator's dream tool. It creates a smooth finish, withstands wear better than plastic or acrylic, and doubles as both a cleanup and lifting aid. If you aren't happy with the results, chances are you're missing one of the earlier steps in prepping your cake for smooth frosting. Get help with that in my tutorial on how to make layer cakes!
Have questions about angle, temperature, or anything else to do with metal cake scrapers? Ask them in the comments! And please check out my cake school for more decorating techniques and designs!
You can also watch a video of this tutorial on how to use a metal cake scraper:
