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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow
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Food and Entertaining
Recipes
Baking
Cakes
Chocolate Cakes
How to Decorate a Chocolate Cake Download Article Co-authored by Quynh La and Hannah Madden
Last Updated: May 10, 2025 References
Download Article
Cooling and Stacking Your Cake
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Using Frosting to Decorate
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Putting Toppings on Your Cake
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Decorating with Fondant
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What Are Tips For Decorating a Cake?
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Video
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Things You'll Need
|Show more|Show less X
This article was co-authored by Quynh La and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Quynh La is a Professional Baker and the Owner of Sugar Bakery & Cafe in Seattle, Washington. With over seven years of experience, she specializes in baking cakes, cookies, croissants, and bread. Quynh holds an AAS in Culinary Arts from South Seattle College and a second AAS in Specialty Desserts & Bread from Seattle Central College. There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 35,682 times.
Chocolate cake is a simple dessert that can be eaten on its own or with toppings and frosting added to it. If you’ve made a chocolate cake, you might be wondering what the best way to decorate it is. All you have to do is cool your cake and choose what toppings to use, and you’ll have a beautiful and delicious chocolate dessert that your friends and family can enjoy.
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Method 1 Method 1 of 4:
Cooling and Stacking Your Cake
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1 Let the cake cool before you decorate it. Before you do any decorating, you need to let your cake cool fully. Leave your cake at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or put it in the fridge uncovered for at least 30 minutes.[1]XResearch source
If you start decorating while your cake is hot, your frosting will melt and slide off of the cake.
Speed up the cooling process by placing the cake on top of a cooling rack.[2]X Expert Source Quynh LaProfessional BakerExpert Interview
2 Stick the layers together with frosting. If you are making a layered cake, put your layers together with a thin spread of frosting. It doesn’t matter how many layers you have, but they should be stuck together with frosting so that they don’t fall off of each other while you are decorating.[3]XResearch source
The layers of frosting you use to stick your cake together will be visible when you cut into the cake. Use a bright color if you want to surprise your guests with multi-colored cake.
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3 Coat the sides of your cake with a thin layer of frosting to prevent crumbs. If you don’t want to get crumbs from your cake in the decorations that you use, put a thin layer of frosting on the sides of your cake. This layer will stick to all of the crumbs and hold them in place as you decorate later on.[4]XResearch source
You can chill your cake with a thin layer of frosting on it in the fridge for 30 minutes for added protection against crumbs.
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Using Frosting to Decorate
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1 Make your own frosting for a rich, fresh flavor. Create your own buttercream, cream cheese, or whipped cream frosting to add a touch of freshness to your cake. Most recipes require only a few ingredients and a little bit of preparation.[5]XResearch source
Make sure your butter is at room temperature, as this will help create a smooth, fluffy icing that’s easy to spread.[6]X Expert Source Quynh LaProfessional BakerExpert Interview
Tip: To make a simple buttercream frosting, just combine 1 cup (225 g) of butter, 3 cups (375 g) of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vanilla extract until your mixture is smooth. Double the recipe if necessary.
2 Spread frosting over your entire cake for a simple solution. You can use your frosting to cover the entire cake to give it a uniform look and a sweeter taste. Use a knife or a flat spatula to spread your frosting evenly and smoothly. Your cake will be covered in a thin layer of frosting that is all the same color.[7]XResearch source
3 Use a piping bag to write words on your cake for special occasions. Put your frosting in a piping bag and secure the top tightly. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the bag to let your frosting out slowly. Gently apply pressure with your hands to squeeze the frosting out of the bottom of the bag. Use small, even strokes to write in cursive or block letters on your cake.[8]XResearch source
Write messages like, “Happy Birthday,” “Congratulations,” or “It’s a Boy!”
If you don’t have a piping bag, put your frosting in a zipper-top bag and cut off the end of one of the bottom corners.
4 Apply different tips to your piping bag to make floral designs or borders. Purchase small metal tips to put into your piping bag that can create different textures in your frosting. Large tips will pipe out more frosting, while smaller tips will create finer lines. Create small petals in a flower shape, or put circles of frosting around the borders.[9]XResearch source
Practice your piping skills on a sheet of parchment paper before putting frosting on your cake.
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Putting Toppings on Your Cake
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1 Spread Nutella on top of your cake for a sophisticated presentation. If you want your cake to be super chocolatey, spread a 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick layer of Nutella on top of your cake with a knife or spatula. The top of your cake will be covered, while the sides will have drippings of Nutella going down them. This will enhance the chocolate flavor of your cake and combine it with the hazelnut taste of Nutella.[10]XResearch source
Tip: If you want your Nutella to spread more easily, don’t let your cake cool down all the way. Instead, let it cool for 10 minutes at room temperature and then spread the Nutella on while it is still slightly warm.
2 Add nuts or fruit for a rustic option. If you’d like to compliment your chocolate cake’s flavor, put fruits like strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries on the top. Stick them on with frosting around the border or cover the entire cake. You can also use nuts like almonds or walnuts for an added crunch. Sprinkle chopped nuts on the sides and top of your cake for a more uniform look.[11]XResearch source
Check with your local grocery store or market to see which fruits are in season in your area.
3 Crush up candy pieces to make a crunchy, sweet topping. If you want your chocolate cake to have a candy layer on top, you can take your favorite chocolate candy and crush it up to sprinkle it on the outside. Just put your candy, like a chocolate bar or peanut butter cup, into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break it up into sprinkle-sized pieces. Then, sprinkle the pieces onto the top and sides of your cake. It will be covered in pieces of candy, almost like sprinkles.[12]XResearch source
Use candy canes if you’d like your chocolate cake flavor to be contrasted with mint.
4 Make a frosting drizzle for a tasty, decorative option. Instead of covering your entire cake with frosting, you can make a slightly runnier drizzle to pour over your cake in a design. Put your mixture in a piping bag and pipe it out quickly in whatever pattern you’d like. Your cake will look sophisticated with zig zagging lines across it.[13]XResearch source
To make a basic drizzle, combine 2 cups (116 g) of powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons (14.19 g) of butter, 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of vanilla extract, and 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of milk until your mixture is smooth.
You can also flavor your drizzle with chocolate or caramel instead of vanilla.
5 Place fresh flowers on your cake for a bright, floral look. Fresh flowers can sit on top of your chocolate cake to add color and texture. Cut the stems on your flowers so they are 2 inches (5.1 cm) long, and rinse them thoroughly. Gently poke the stems into the cake so that they are stable. Remove the flowers before eating your cake.
Always rinse your flowers off before putting them in your cake, especially if they came from a florist or grocery store. Some flowers are sprayed with chemicals that are dangerous to eat.
6 Paint your cake with edible luster dust for an added shine. If you’d like your cake to stand out, you can purchase some gold or silver luster dust to paint onto your cake. Combine the luster powder with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of water, and use a paintbrush to add it to your cake.[14]XResearch source
Luster dust goes on best over a light color. You can use white fondant to cover your chocolate cake and spread the dust onto that.
You can buy luster dust online or at most home goods stores.
Advertisement Method 4 Method 4 of 4:
Decorating with Fondant
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1 Purchase fondant from your local grocery store. Fondant is an edible paste made mostly of sugar and water that is easy to shape and lay over the top of cakes. Check with your local grocery store or bakery to see what fondant they have.
You can also easily make your own fondant by combining 1 bag of marshmallows, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water, and 4 cups (0.5 kg) of powdered sugar.
2 Spread powdered sugar over a flat surface, like a table or countertop. Fondant will stick to most surfaces. To prevent this, lightly dust a table or countertop with powdered sugar. This will also keep the fondant tasting sweet.[15]XResearch source
3 Roll your fondant with a rolling pin to your cake’s size. Spread your fondant with a rolling pin until it is approximately the size of your cake. It should be able to cover the top and the sides of the cake while staying 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick.
Tip: Try to only use one piece of fondant to cover your cake. Otherwise, you will be able to see the seams of multiple pieces of fondant stuck together.
4 Lift the fondant onto your cake with the rolling pin. Use your rolling pin and your hands to gently lift your fondant and lay it on top of your cake. Make sure that the fondant is centered and evenly covers the top and sides of the cake.[16]XResearch source
5 Smooth the fondant onto your cake with your hands. Use your hands to gently smooth the fondant onto the cake. Don’t press too hard, or else you will make imprints in the fondant.[17]XResearch source
6 Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes out of excess fondant. If you’d like to add more decorations made of fondant on top of the cover layer, roll your excess fondant to 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) thick and use a cookie cutter to make shapes. You can lay these on top of your cake, or use edible fondant glue to stick them on.[18]XResearch source
You can make your fondant different colors by dropping food coloring on your fondant and rolling it with a rolling pin.
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What Are Tips For Decorating a Cake?
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Things You'll Need
Using Frosting to Decorate
Knife or spatula
Piping bag
Piping bag tips
Decorating with Fondant
Rolling pin
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Co-authored by: Quynh La Professional Baker This article was co-authored by Quynh La and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Quynh La is a Professional Baker and the Owner of Sugar Bakery & Cafe in Seattle, Washington. With over seven years of experience, she specializes in baking cakes, cookies, croissants, and bread. Quynh holds an AAS in Culinary Arts from South Seattle College and a second AAS in Specialty Desserts & Bread from Seattle Central College. This article has been viewed 35,682 times. 13 votes - 70% Co-authors: 10Updated: May 10, 2025 Views: 35,682 Categories: Chocolate Cakes | Cake Decorating
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Download Article Co-authored by Quynh La and Hannah Madden 
10 Simple and Delicious Ways to Decorate with Melted Chocolate 
How toMake Cake Designs 
11 Cute & Easy Ways to Decorate Cupcakes Without Icing 
How toRoll Fondant 
How to Bake a Two Layer Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide 
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Co-authored by: Quynh La Professional Baker This article was co-authored by Quynh La and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Quynh La is a Professional Baker and the Owner of Sugar Bakery & Cafe in Seattle, Washington. With over seven years of experience, she specializes in baking cakes, cookies, croissants, and bread. Quynh holds an AAS in Culinary Arts from South Seattle College and a second AAS in Specialty Desserts & Bread from Seattle Central College. This article has been viewed 35,682 times. 13 votes - 70% Co-authors: 10 Updated: May 10, 2025 Views: 35,682 Categories: Chocolate Cakes | Cake Decorating 
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1 Let the cake cool before you decorate it. Before you do any decorating, you need to let your cake cool fully. Leave your cake at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or put it in the fridge uncovered for at least 30 minutes.[1] 
2 Stick the layers together with frosting. If you are making a layered cake, put your layers together with a thin spread of frosting. It doesn’t matter how many layers you have, but they should be stuck together with frosting so that they don’t fall off of each other while you are decorating.[3] 
5 Place fresh flowers on your cake for a bright, floral look. Fresh flowers can sit on top of your chocolate cake to add color and texture. Cut the stems on your flowers so they are 2 inches (5.1 cm) long, and rinse them thoroughly. Gently poke the stems into the cake so that they are stable. Remove the flowers before eating your cake. 
1 Purchase fondant from your local grocery store. Fondant is an edible paste made mostly of sugar and water that is easy to shape and lay over the top of cakes. Check with your local grocery store or bakery to see what fondant they have.