Dont Skip This Simple Step Before Slicing Your Next Cake

Cutting the cake is often a source of stress for me. I put a lot of effort into perfecting this dessert, reluctantly distracting myself while it spent its time in the oven, and now, I’m ready to enjoy it. I don’t want to let it cool, I don’t want to wait to ice it, I don’t want to find the perfect spoon to lovingly scoop it out of the pan. I want to eat it.

I am, deep down, a kid at my first birthday party and would happily start digging with my hands.

But I know that I have to fight these instincts, and that my work is not yet complete. Cutting a cake seems easy, but it is an art in itself. Fortunately, one of our favorite tricks is also one of the easiest.

The easiest way to cut perfect cake slices

Our top cake-slicing tip? Heat your knife. The warm knife is pulled across the cake and frosting without allowing anything to stick to it, keeping the knife clean and all ingredients neatly in place for sharp, neat slices. You can warm up your knife by carefully dipping it in hot water and wiping it off afterwards or by holding it over a torch or stovetop. Make sure it doesn’t get so hot that the ice or other ingredients actually start to melt.

More cake cutting tips

• • Cooling (or chilling) the cake: Cooling may not always be possible depending on time constraints, but letting the cake cool is an essential step, especially if you are decorating it. Going ahead is often the way to go—a cooled cake (especially with a hot knife) will always cut better than something that has only been cooled for a few minutes outside the oven. This is especially true for round cakes which may be a little higher and more risky than sheet cakes. The cooler and more stable the cake is, the cleaner the slices will be.
  • Use the right tool: Different types of cakes may be cut better using different types of knives. For example, a sponge cake may benefit from gentle cutting with a serrated knife rather than a typical paring knife. Some cakes, like angel food cake, are best cut with an unexpected comb-like tool called a cake cutter, which is specifically designed to avoid too many crumbs and keep the texture airy. Some even recommend using dental floss to cut sheet cakes efficiently — test out the tools you have and decide what works best!

• Mark the slices before cutting: This is especially easy with round cakes, as you can slice them in half as many times as you need, noting where you plan to cut them, which is a helpful tip to keep you on track. Again, some people recommend using floss to evenly outline fillet lines even if you don’t actually use it for cutting.