Tutorial: How to Add Sprinkles to the Sides of a Cake

When I made Real Crazy Cake last weekend, I didn’t love the frosting and wanted to distract from it. So, I added sprinkles to the cake. This is totally do-able and a fun way to dress up a homemade cake! Here’s how to add sprinkles to the sides of a cake.

I researched a few different methods but this technique from Your Tasty Cake is what I tried and it worked really well! (Here’s another technique if you’re feeling really brave!)

Sprinkle Cake Supplies

• Parchment paper or wax paper
• Non-stick cooking spray like Pam
• Sprinkles
• 2 cookie sheets with lip (to contain the sprinkles)

Sprinkle Cake Instructions

1 – Decide how much of the sides of your cake you want to sprinkle. Cut parchment paper strips to that width. My strips were cut about 2 inches wide.

2 – Lay the strips on the cookie sheet and spray the strips with cooking spray.

3 – Pour the sprinkles on the strips of parchment paper. Lightly press the sprinkles in place.

4 – Assuming you’ve made your cake on a cake board, put it on a cake turntable or directly on your cake stand. Place the stand or turntable on a cookie sheet. (I didn’t do this, and it would have made clean up easier if I had.)

5 – Carefully pick up the first strip of sprinkles and wrap it around the base of the cake.

6 – Gently press the paper in place to help the sprinkles transfer from the paper to the cake.

7 – Peel away the paper. You may need to press the sprinkles into the cake a little more with your (clean) hand.

8 – Repeat the process on the other side of the cake with the other strip of sprinkled parchment paper.

9 – If you still have gaps in your sprinkles, pour sprinkles in your hand. Hold your hand at an angle to the cake, then quickly flatten your hand and press the sprinkles into the cake. At this point, I decided to sprinkle the most of the sides instead of just a border at the bottom, and I added more sprinkles by hand. Have a paper towel close by so you can clean any frosting off your hand as you work.

10 – Brush any sprinkles from the cake board into your hand. Add them to the cake sides if needed.

Bonus: How to Slice a Cake

Here’s how to cut nice, neat slices of cake and how to get out that tricky first slice.

Cutting a cake is always easier if the cake is chilled, so keep your cake in the fridge before serving.

Cake Slicing Supplies

• Long, sharp knife like a chef’s knife or bread knife
• Cake server
• Warm water in a glass or liquid measuring cup
• Paper towel to wipe down the knife

Cake Slicing Instructions

1 – Assuming you’re going to cut a round cake like you would a pizza or pie, make your first slice bigger than a typical slice. This will make it easier to remove the first piece.

2 – Keeping the knife in place after you make the second cut, sandwich the the slice between the knife and the cake server to pull out the slice. Let the slice fall onto the cake server, held in place by the knife.

3 – Dip the knife in the warm water between slices.

4 – Wipe down the knife, then repeat the process. Now you’ll be able to cut whatever size slices you prefer.