How to Frost a Naked Cake

Naked cakes don’t have the thick layers of fondant or frosting typically seen on layer cakes. Instead, most of the frosting is between the cake layers to keep the cake moist and add ample flavor.

The exterior is then left either completely bare (as in our Pomegranate Walnut Cake) or has a thin layer of frosting that is scraped along the sides of the cake (our Blackberry-Mascarpone Lemon Cake is a beautiful example of this technique).

There’s something appealing about leaving the sides of a cake exposed. It’s minimal—showcasing the contrasting layers in a Summer Berry Chiffon Cake, with the added treat of seeing what’s inside the cake before it’s cut. Plus, it’s less work.

The results imitate professional wedding cakes in boutique shops, but if you’ve ever put a crumb coat on a cake before frosting, it isn’t so intimidating. Here’s how to do it. 

This will keep the platter clean while you frost the cake.

Using the frosting to anchor the cake keeps the layers from sliding around while you frost the cake.

Place 1 cake layer on the platter. Spread 1 cup of frosting evenly over top, right to the edge of the cake. 

Continue spreading 1 cup of frosting evenly over each layer, pressing the cake layers lightly to adhere. If your cake has only two layers, skip this step and go to step 5.

If you’d like to keep the edges completely exposed, you can stop here and decorate just the top as we do in the Maple-Pumpkin Stack Cake.

You’ll want to cover the sides of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting. If you feel like it’s too much, you’ll correct it in the next step.

This will remove any excess frosting, resulting in an even, clean look. The cake sides should still be visible.

This will solidify the frosting and ensure a clean presentation. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor. Carefully remove the parchment strips before serving.