How To Make Stripes On a Cake Using a Cake Comb.

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The cake comb tool for cake decorating is easy to use and following our few simple tips, you will produce expert results. The cake icing comb is also known as a ‘cake decorating comb’ and the teeth on the comb are used for making striped designs in the frosting on the side of a cake. This is the trending design for cakes as the series of parallel stripes around the cake can be left plain or in-filled with different colours.

Gather the tools that you will need:

The key to success is to allow yourself plenty of time and to use the correct equipment.

A metal cake comb.

The rectangular Ruoth Cake Comb is the perfect choice as it is made in top-quality stainless steel that is tall enough (22.9cm) so that you can decorate large and small cakes easily. The cake decorating comb does not bend, is efficient to use and is easy to wash afterwards. The teeth on the cake comb are evenly spaced at 23mm and have a depth of 5mm so that the grooves made in the icing are deep enough for in-fill icing in a contrasting colour.

The Ruoth Cake Comb is light and comfortable to grip which makes the task easy. Made from food-grade and non-toxic anti-rust stainless steel, the cake comb will give you many years of great service.

Cake turntable.

A cake turntable does make decorating cakes easier as you can slowly rotate the cake, giving you easy access to all sides of it – without having to move the cake itself. This produces a smoother and more professional finish.

Cake board.

It is easier to work with the cake if it is already on its board as it will be almost impossible to move it from the turntable afterwards, without damaging the icing. Fix the cake to the cake board using a little buttercream, spread this in place with the spatula. Check that you have the cake centrally positioned and that the turntable spins smoothly before you start decorating it.

Spatula.

Spread the buttercream quick and easy.

Cake scraper.

You will also use the Ruoth cake scraper for smoothing the icing. Many professionals have a Ruoth cake scraper and a cake comb in their kitchen. The Ruoth cake scraper makes it easy to smooth the top and sides of the cake before using the cake comb.

A damp cloth.

You will need a damp cloth for cleaning your Ruoth cake scraper, cake comb and spatula.

Room in your refrigerator or freezer.

Before you start work, you must create space in your refrigerator for the cake to chill. If you do not have space for the cake on its cake board, you can use a freezer.

The careful use of food colouring.

If you are adding colour to the buttercream for the icing or to make contrast stripes in the ridges created by the cake comb, it is best to use gel food colouring. The advantage of using gel is that it gives a deep, even colour without affecting the consistency of the buttercream.

Prepare your cake for the cake decorating comb.

• Place the board with the cake in the centre of the turntable. Using the spatula, cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream icing. Smooth this layer using the Ruoth cake scraper. Clean the cake scraper well when you have finished, using a damp cloth. This icing layer is a ‘crumb coating’ that will minimise the risk of crumbs ruining the finish on your cake striping.

• Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes.

• Add a generous second layer of buttercream icing to the top and sides of the cake. Spread the buttercream on the cake using the spatula. Scrape this second layer of icing carefully using the Ruoth cake scraper. To get the top of the cake looking perfect, use the cake scraper to gently pull the scraper evenly across the top of the cake. If you are pleased with the results, remove any excess icing at the edges, using the edge cake scraper. You can repeat this step until you are satisfied with the shape of the cake. Clean the cake scraper carefully using the damp cloth.

• Chill the cake in the freezer for 1 hour or the freezer for 15 mins.

• To make the stripes on the side of the cake, take the cake comb and hold it at a 45º angle with the bottom edge of the cake comb just touching the cake board to ensure straight and consistent grooving.

• Hold the cake comb with light pressure and gently turn the cake turntable, drawing the cake comb evenly around the side of the cake to create the stripes. Between each scraper remove the buttercream from the comb to avoid transferring back scraped buttercream. If there are any gaps in the stripes use the offset spatula to add buttercream to the cake and repeat the process. If the lines do not appear as clean as you want them to be, you can heat the cake comb under hot running water and wipe it and scrape the cake again. The heat on the scraper should give you a clean and smooth finish.

• When you are happy with the results, chill the cake immediately until the stripes on the cake are firm to touch as this will ensure that they hold their shape. The cake must chill in the refrigerator for 40 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes.

• After this, the top of the cake can be decorated as you wish. If you would like to make contrast stripes around the sides of the cake, do this before decorating the top of the cake. The stripes are made by piping coloured buttercream in the grooves using an icing bag with a small plain hole nozzle.

• Use the Ruoth cake scraper to scrape all the excess buttercream off and soon you will see the stripes appear. Remember to scrape the surface of the cake and not go too deep to remove the initial buttercream. Remove the scraped buttercream from the cake scraper. Clean the top edge of the cake with the edge scraper. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the appearance of the cake

• Continue decorating your cake.

Once you feel confident using the cake comb, try other decoration ideas including two-tone stripe contouring and graduated colour toning.

The best tip of all when using your cake comb is to relax! Our tips will help you to achieve great stripes on the side of the cake, but the saying ‘practice makes perfect is also very true!

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