Frosting A 3-Tier Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

A 3-tier wedding cake is a challenge, but with the right tools and techniques, you can achieve a professional finish. You'll need to start with a crumb coat, which acts as a base to ensure the final coat is crumb-free. You'll need to work quickly to keep the cake cool, and a palette knife will help you smooth the frosting. For a rustic finish, hold the tip of your palette knife against the sides of the cake while rotating it to produce a swirl effect.

How to create a crumb coat

To create a crumb coat, start by spreading a light, initial coat of frosting around the top of the cake with a palette knife, rotating the cake as you go. Repeat this process with the sides. This base coat will latch onto crumbs that form when you first apply frosting to a cake, ensuring that the final coat will be neat and crumb-free. Try to work quickly so that everything stays cool. Return each tier to the fridge while you do the next one.

Chill the crumb coat for 15 to 30 minutes. Don't leave it any longer than this, as condensation will form and the second frosting layer won't adhere well.

You'll need between 12 and 18 cups of buttercream frosting for the crumb coat and final coat of a 3-tier wedding cake. This basic buttercream frosting recipe makes 6 cups, so simply triple it to make the appropriate amount.

For a rustic finish, hold the tip of your palette knife against the sides of the cake while rotating it to produce a swirl effect. For a "naked" cake, apply the crumb coat and then apply the outer coat immediately. Scrape most of the frosting off with a scraper.

How to use a palette knife to frost a cake

To frost a 3-tier wedding cake, you'll need to make 12 to 18 cups of buttercream frosting. This is enough to cover the 24 cups of cake batter needed for the three tiers.

To frost the cake, start with a crumb coat. This light, initial coat of frosting acts as a base coat, latching onto crumbs that form when you first apply frosting to a cake, ensuring that the final coat will be neat and crumb-free. After applying the crumb coat, chill the cake for 15 to 30 minutes.

Now it's time to apply the second coat of frosting. Using a palette knife, spread the frosting around the top of the cake, rotating as you go. Do the same with the sides. Try to work quickly so that everything stays cool. A palette knife does an adequate job of smoothing the frosting, but for a really sharp finish, an icing smoother (sometimes called a cake scraper or decorating comb) comes in handy. For a rustic finish, hold the tip of your palette knife against the sides of the cake while rotating it to produce a swirl effect.

How much frosting you need for a 3-tier cake

To frost a 3-tier wedding cake, you will need between 12 and 18 cups of buttercream frosting. This is enough to cover the cake with a crumb coat and a final coat.

The crumb coat is a light, initial coat of frosting that acts as a base, latching onto crumbs and ensuring that the final coat will be neat and crumb-free. After applying the crumb coat, chill the cake for 15 to 30 minutes. If you chill it for longer, condensation will form and the second frosting layer won't adhere well.

To apply the final coat, spread the frosting around the top with a palette knife, rotating the cake as you go. Do the same with the sides. A palette knife will give an adequate finish, but for a really sharp finish, use an icing smoother (also known as a cake scraper or decorating comb). For a rustic finish, hold the tip of your palette knife against the sides of the cake while rotating it to produce a swirl effect.

How to assemble a 3-tier cake

To assemble a 3-tier cake, you'll need to start by making the cake batter. You'll need 24 cups of batter in total: 4 cups for the top tier, 7-8 cups for the middle tier, and 12 cups for the bottom tier. Each tier will consist of two layers.

Once the cakes are baked, you can start to assemble them. Place each tier on either cardboard or foam core, or a cake drum for the bottom tier. You'll need to insert vertical dowels into the cake to help bear the weight of the tiers above. You can use wooden or plastic dowels, or even plastic drinking straws.

Now you can start to frost the cake. Start with a crumb coat, which will act as a base coat and ensure that the final coat is crumb-free. Chill the crumb coat for 15-30 minutes – don't leave it any longer, or condensation will form and the second layer of frosting won't adhere well.

Spread the frosting around the top of the cake with a palette knife, rotating the cake as you go. Do the same with the sides. For a rustic finish, hold the tip of the knife against the sides while rotating to produce a swirl effect. For a sharper finish, use an icing smoother or cake scraper.

How to create a rustic finish

To create a rustic finish on a 3-tier wedding cake, you'll need to start with a crumb coat. This light, initial coat of frosting acts as a base coat, latching onto crumbs that form when you first apply frosting to a cake, ensuring that the final coat will be neat and crumb-free. Chill the crumb coat for 15 to 30 minutes. Don't go longer than that. If your cake gets too cold, condensation will form and the second frosting layer won't adhere well.

Next, apply the outer coat of frosting. To create a rustic finish, hold the tip of your palette knife against the sides of the cake while rotating it to produce a swirl effect. You can also use an icing smoother (sometimes called a cake scraper or decorating comb) to create a sharp finish.

You'll need between 12 and 18 cups of buttercream frosting for a 3-tier wedding cake. This basic buttercream frosting recipe makes 6 cups, so simply triple it to make the appropriate amount.

Frequently asked questions