While rustic swirls are easy to create, they do require a little bit of strategy. The first time I tried this look, I found myself spending way too much time trying to perfect each and every swirl. Turns out that in order to get that carefree look, you have to let loose a little bit. Once you get to the point of wild abandon, your cake will look amazing! 

This technique works with any kind of frosting and color scheme, but I really love it with chocolate buttercream. The texture of the swirls makes a chocolate cake just look extra delicious. Here’s a quick video I whipped up of the technique so you can see it in action before you read the step-by-step below. 

If you love cake decorating tutorial videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’ve got a growing collection of recipes, decorating tutorials, and Cake Basics over there. Hit the subscribe button on my page so you never miss a new video.

You Will Need:

• One 6-inch or 8-inch layer cake that’s been crumb coated and chilled
• 3 Cups of frosting (here’s the chocolate buttercream I used)
• Cake turntable
• Icing smoother
• Angled icing spatula 

Step 1: Frost the Cake

Start with your chilled, crumb coated cake on the turntable. Add a few scoops of buttercream to the top of the cake and smooth it down with your angled icing spatula until it’s nice and level. 

Next, add buttercream to the sides of the cake and glide your icing smoother over them while turning the turntable to create level sides. Fill in any gaps in the finish with more buttercream and continue smoothing until the sides are level.

Don’t worry about achieving a super smooth finish – the goal here is to make the sides look straight and even. 

Step 2: Create the Rustic Textures

Immediately after frosting the cake, swipe your angled icing spatula through the buttercream to create the rustic texture all over the sides. Remember, we’re going for a perfectly imperfect look, so try not to overthink this part. 

I like to use a combination of quick swipes, C-Shapes, and S-shapes for my rustic swirls. You can always re-texture some areas that you’re not entirely satisfied with. 

Step 3: Decorate the Top

When you’re satisfied with the texture on the sides of the cake, continue those same techniques on top of the cake until it’s all filled in with beautiful rustic swirls. 

And that’s it! You can keep the cake as-is or continue decorating by adding fun birthday candles, fresh (edible) flowers, sprinkles, or whatever you’d like! However you choose to decorate (or not), your cake is going to look downright delicious with all that texture. 

I hope you have the best time with this classic cake decorating technique! If you found this tutorial helpful, be sure to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post How to Frost a Cake with Rustic Texture appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

There are two main methods for torting cakes: using a Cake Leveler or using a serrated knife. I prefer the Cake Leveler method because it’s ultra failproof, but if you don’t have one on hand, a serrated knife will work just fine. You just need to be a little more careful when it comes to making sure the end result is even. Here’s a quick video to show you both before I walk you through each method below: 

Side note before we move on: If you’re wanting to see more Cake Basics videos like this one, you should definitely check out my YouTube Channel and watch more of this series! You’ll even find cake recipes and decorating tutorials there to help broaden your skill set and inspire you. Be sure to hit the Subscribe button so you never miss a new video!

Method 1: Using a Cake Leveler

Like I mentioned before, the Cake Leveler is my preferred tool for torting cakes. These contraptions come with an adjustable wire or blade, so you can set it at whichever height you want your cake layers to be. I have been using this one by Wilton for over a decade now and love it, but there are other brands out there. 

The size I use accommodates cakes up to 10 inches in diameter. I rarely make cakes larger than that anymore, but if you do, I can also recommend this large Cake Leveler by Wilton. 

To torte your cakes with a cake leveler, simply line up the wire at the height you want to cut and lock it into the groove. 

Then, use a gentle sawing motion as you slide the wire through your cake layer, ensuring that the “feet” of the Cake Leveler remain flat on the table the entire time.

After that, remove the top of the cake that has been leveled off. 

I usually end up snacking on the leveled off tops with a little bit of buttercream. Gotta make sure it still tastes good, right? 

Method 2: Using a Serrated Knife

If you don’t have a Cake Leveler on hand, you can always use a serrated bread knife to torte your layers. The serrated edge is perfect for slicing through cake. Since this method is a little more freehand, you’ll need to use a little more focus to ensure your layer ends up level. 

First, you’ll want to create some score marks around your cake at the height you want to level off. You can eyeball this part or use a ruler to make each layer exact. 

Once your score marks are there, use a gentle sawing motion to level off the cake layer as close to your score marks as possible. Remove the top and continue torting until the layer looks perfectly level. 

Whichever method you use, torting your cake layers will ensure that when you’re filling and frosting your cake, the end result is nice and level. It’s a must!

Want more Cake Basics? Head here to see all of the posts and learn the methods of caking I’ve come to love over the years. I’m cheering you on every step of the way!

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