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My Grandma’s 50-Year-Old Cake Decorating Trick Is One of the Easiest Hacks of All Time (All You Need Is a Paper Towel!)

published Sep 5, 2024
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angled shot of a full cake with a ring of rainbow sprinkles on top, with a slice taken out of it.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Styling: Brett Regot

I’m not much of a cake decorator (despite having worked in bakeries for over five years). I like to keep it simple with a swirl of frosting, some colorful sprinkles, or even a drippy coat of glossy chocolate ganache. Recently when my mother-in-law, who is quite the cake decorator, was in town, I asked her for some easy tricks she might have up her sleeve. She filled me in on what may be one of the easiest hacks of all time: Using a paper towel to decorate a cake! Turns out she learned it from her mom, who was an actual cake decorator; it was her go-to method for frosting cakes. 

The timing couldn’t have been better, as my daughter’s birthday was swiftly approaching. So I set out to try it for myself on a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting (she, of course, picked the flavor). Here’s how it went. 

Credit: Kristina Razon

Why It Works

Using a paper towel to decorate a cake is such an easy way to add a little pizzazz. It took not even five minutes to do, and made my daughter’s cake look more “dressed up” and festive than if I had just thrown some sprinkles on top and called it a day (which is my usual MO). Plus I didn’t have to worry too much about whether the frosting was perfectly smooth, as I would be pressing the paper towel’s pattern all over the cake anyways. 

Credit: Kristina Razon

How to Decorate a Cake with a Paper Towel

  1. Once your cake is assembled with a crumb coat and chilled, apply another layer of frosting, spreading it as evenly as possible. 
  2. Place the cake uncovered in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to let the frosting dry slightly and develop a delicate crust. This helps prepare the cake for taking on the pattern embossed onto the paper towel sheets you’ll be using (make sure it’s a pattern you like), and ensures you don’t end up smooshing too-soft frosting onto the sheets. 
  3. Remove the cake from the fridge and lay two connected paper towel sheets flat on top. Then gently and evenly rub your fingertips over the top to imprint the pattern onto the cake, making sure to work your way around the edge and top of the cake. If you like, you can repeat this method with the sides of the cake as well. Finish decorating the cake with any extra embellishments.