Joanne Chang Bake Like a Pro Sessions by MasterClass

EQUIPMENT
Cake stand (or cake
turner)
Offset spatula
Bench scraper
Serving platter
16-inch piping bag
and small round
pastry tip (or you
can use a large
resealable plastic
bag and cut off
one of the bottom
corners)
Rubber spatula
Airtight container

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe Fluffy Vanilla

Cake
1½ cups Vanilla Swiss

Frosting and
Meringue Buttercream
1 cup sprinkles (store-
bought is fine, or see

Decorating Cake
Joanne’s recipe for
homemade sprinkles in
Cake Variations)

METHOD slowly spin the cake around to make

Transfer the chilled cake back onto the
cake stand or cake turner. Place a heap-
ing cup of the buttercream on top of the
chilled cake, and using an offset spatula,
smooth it in an even layer across the top
and sides of the cake. This should be
a thicker layer of buttercream than the
crumb coating, and it should cover the
entire top and sides, so add more butter-
cream if necessary.
Smooth the sides of the cake with a
bench scraper. Hold the edge of the
scraper along the side of the cake, and
the frosting super-smooth. Add more
buttercream to any spots that are
missing coverage. Smooth the top with
the offset spatula, moving it toward
the center as you turn the cake clock-
wise. Clean the bottom of the spatula
between each turn.
Lift the cake off of the stand or turner,
and transfer it to a serving platter. Place
the platter back on the stand.
If you’re using a pastry bag, place the
pastry tip into the bag and push it all the
way through to the hole in the bottom
so it won’t get dislodged. Twist the bag

F R O S T I N G A N D D E C O R AT I N G C A K E
Joanne Chang Bake Like a Pro
near the tip, then push the twisted part
of the bag down into the tip. This creates
a stopper so the buttercream won’t run
out of the open tip while you’re getting it
into the bag.
Once you create your stopper, roll the
top half of the bag down, like a shirt-
sleeve, so that the bag is cuffed in half.
Open the mouth of the bag wide so you
can add the buttercream. Scoop in the
buttercream using a rubber spatula.
Once the bag is filled, uncuff it, then
twist the top part of the bag repeatedly,
pushing all of the buttercream toward
the tip. (This ensures that no butter-
cream will run out of the top, either.) As
you twist the top of the bag and push the
buttercream down, the twist you pushed
into the tip at the bottom will start to
undo itself. This is exactly what you want
to happen—feel free to help the bottom
untwist with your fingers if it gets stuck.
Keep twisting the top until the bag is
straight at the bottom and buttercream
starts to come out of the tip.
Pipe a tiny bit of buttercream onto the
rim of the mixing bowl to test that it
is flowing easily. Take the empty top
fabric of the bag and twist it around
your pointer finger, holding it in place
with your thumb, for extra security—this
ensures that nothing will come out while
you’re piping and allow you to continue
to squeeze the buttercream down as you
go (like a tube of toothpaste).
Sessions by MasterClass
If you’re using a resealable plastic bag,
open the bag and fold the top half of
it down. Scoop the remaining butter-
cream into one of the corners of the
bag. Unfold the top half, squeeze any air
out, and twist the top of the bag several
times to push the frosting into the bot-
tom corner and ensure that none comes
out of the top. When you’re ready to pipe,
snip the corner off of the bag. (Be careful
to not cut too much off, otherwise the
frosting will come out too quickly. You’re
piping small beads, so you need only a
small hole.)
Pipe a bead border around the bottom
of the cake. Hold the bag at a 45-degree
angle, and squeeze the bag to make
a small bead. Flick your wrist away, and
return to make another bead next
to the first. It should resemble a string
of pearls.
Use sprinkles to decorate the perime-
ter of the top of the cake. You can also
pipe additional buttercream in different
shapes along the top and/or sides by us-
ing different pastry tips or angling the tip
in different directions while you squeeze
(i.e., star shape, S shape, reverse S, etc.).
The finished cake can be stored in an
airtight container at room temperature
for up to 2 days.
F R O S T I N G A N D D E C O R AT I N G C A K E
 Joanne Chang Bake Like a Pro Sessions by MasterClass

Homemade Sprinkles
NOTES Working with one bowl at a time to pre-
MAKES ABOUT vent the paste from drying out, stir 2 to
1 cup 3 drops of food coloring into the paste.
> This amount is just under one large More drops will make for more vibrant
EQUIPMENT
Baking sheets egg white—slightly whipping the white colors. Leave one bowl uncolored if you
makes measuring much easier. want to make white sprinkles.
Parchment paper
Small and medium Spoon one bowl of paste into a pastry
mixing bowls
METHOD bag fitted with a small round tip or a
Wire whisk resealable plastic bag with one of its
Teaspoon bottom corners cut. Pipe long, straight
Plastic wrap Sift the confectioners’ sugar after lines onto one of the prepared baking
measuring it out. sheets, using all of the paste. Wash and
16-inch piping bag
and small round dry the bag and tip or plastic bag, and
tip (or you can use Line 3 or 4 baking sheets with parch- repeat with the remaining pastes. Dry
a large resealable ment paper, and set them aside. If you all of the paste overnight, uncovered, at
plastic bag and
cut off one of the don’t have that many baking sheets, you room temperature. The next day, cut the
bottom corners) can cover a work surface with parch- paste into ¼-inch pieces using a pizza
Pizza cutter ment paper in a part of your kitchen that cutter.
won’t be disturbed for 24 hours.
Airtight container
Sprinkles can be stored indefinitely in
In a small bowl, combine the confection- an airtight container at room tempera-
ers’ sugar, egg white, salt, and vanilla ture. Decorate your cake with them just
extract, and whisk until smooth. Add before serving, as colored sprinkles will
INGREDIENTS
up to 1 tablespoon of water, whisking it start to bleed after a few hours.
in 1 teaspoon at a time (there are
1½ cups (180 g) 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon), until the
confectioners’ sugar paste has the same texture as peanut
1½ tbsp (25 g) egg white butter. Divide the paste into 3 or 4
(see the Notes section) bowls, depending on how many colors
¾ tsp kosher salt you’re making, and cover each bowl
with plastic wrap.
¼ tsp vanilla extract
At least 3 different liquid
or gel food colorings

HOMEMADE SPRINKLES