How to Put Sprinkles on the Side of a Cake

Co-authored by Quynh La

Last Updated: January 19, 2024 References

Decorating with assorted colored sprinkles is an easy and fun way to display your cake. But if you aren’t careful, sprinkles can quickly make a mess of your kitchen. Before you begin decorating, it is important to prepare your cooled cake by frosting it evenly and to select a style of sprinkle that will complement your frosting or cake flavor. Then you can either pat the sprinkles on by hand or roll the cake in a tray of sprinkles.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Getting Your Cake Ready

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1
Place your cake on a baking tray to catch fallen sprinkles. The baking tray will contain the sprinkles as you apply them to the cake. It will be easier to apply the sprinkles to an elevated cake, so if you have a cake stand, rest your cake on that, and then set the stand in the baking tray. ^{[1]
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- Make sure that the cake is completely cooled before applying the icing; otherwise, the sugar coating will melt. ^{[2]
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2
Apply a thin layer of your chosen icing around the cake to seal the crumbs. This is called a crumb-coat and it helps to give your icing a smoother appearance. Having a smooth icing surface will make distributing the sprinkles on the cake easier for all application methods. ^{[3]
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- Cover the cake with buttercream icing, ganache, or your favorite flavor of frosting. Just make sure that the layer is thin and evenly displaced.
- Use an icing or frosting that’s room temperature so it’ll spread easily.
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Some icings, like a thin ganache, may take less time to set, but other icings, like a thick buttercream, may take longer. After 20 minutes, gently tap the outside of the cake with a clean hand to see if the frosting has hardened. If the frosting is still tacky, let the cake chill for another 5 minutes before taking it out of the refrigerator. ^{[4]
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4
Cover your cake with a second, thicker layer of icing. It is easiest to apply most coatings with an offset spatula. Continue to coat the cake evenly until you reach a desired thickness of icing. Freshly applied icing will create a sticky surface for the sprinkles to adhere to. ^{[5]
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- If you are planning to roll your cake in the sprinkles, do not frost the top of the cake as you will have to hold the bottom and top of the cake to roll it. ^{[6]
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- If you want to use fondant , cover the cake with fondant as you normally would.
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5
Choose sprinkles that will complement the icing and the cake flavor. Draw inspiration from some of the ingredients in your cake. If your cake has candied cherries in it, accent the outside with a white icing and vibrant red sprinkles. Also, note the color of your icing. Sprinkles that are a dark color may not be as noticeable against a dark chocolate icing as they would against a vanilla icing. ^{[7]
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- Pick sprinkles colors that complement seasonal and holiday cakes. Choose a mixture of orange, purple, and black sprinkles to decorate a pumpkin spice cake during the fall or around Halloween. Think about using red, pink, and white sprinkles for anniversaries or Valentine’s Day.
- Use nonpareils for a speckled rainbow look, or ovular jimmies for bigger splotches of color. Mix both sprinkle styles together to vary the visual texture.
- Use large confetti sprinkles or sugar coated chocolate sprinkles for a minimalist look or mix them with smaller sprinkles to make them stand out.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Patting the Sprinkles on by Hand

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1
Pour the sprinkles into a shallow bowl to apply them easily. You will need to apply the sprinkles before the second layer of icing hardens. If the bowl is too deep, you may not be able to quickly reach in and grab the sprinkles. ^{[8]
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- Start with at least 1-2 cups (176-352 g) of sprinkles, and then pour more in your bowl later if needed. This should densely cover the entire cake.
2
Pat a handful of sprinkles onto the base of the cake. Use gentle, not firm, pats when doing this. Avoid pressing the sprinkles too deeply into the frosting. Work on the cake in layers, starting at the base and working upwards. This will ensure that the sprinkles are applied evenly.
- Repeat this process for the middle and upper portions of the cake as well.
- This method works great for large or layered cakes that may be too fragile to roll in a tray of sprinkles.
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3
Use an offset spatula to gently smooth out the layer of sprinkles. This will remove any excess sprinkles that clumped against the icing and will reveal spots where the sprinkles did not stick. If there are patches without sprinkles, firmly, but carefully, press in sprinkles to those missed areas. ^{[9]
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- Repeat this process around the entire cake until it is evenly covered to your satisfaction.
4
Pat sprinkles onto the top of the cake to complete the look. Pay special attention to the top ridge of the cake, and try to use your fingers to gently blend the sprinkles. Don’t feel like you have to use a similar sprinkle color or design on the top. Have fun with the sprinkle colors and shapes. ^{[10]
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- If you used rainbow sprinkles on the sides, make the top of the cake a single color like purple or yellow to contrast.
- If you used a dense sprinkle coating on the sides, sporadically scatter larger confetti sprinkles on top. This will help break up the busy design on the side of the cake.
5
Use a stencil to create a sprinkle design on top of your cake. Purchase a stencil, or make a personal one out of parchment paper. This is a great alternative to covering the entire top of the cake with sprinkles. Using parchment paper, cut out a stencil of a flower, heart, or another shape that will go well with your cake. The stencil can also be words or numbers, like someone’s name for a birthday or the numerical year for a New Year’s Eve cake. ^{[11]
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- Draw and cut out a stencil design of your choice into parchment paper.
- Rest the stencil on top of your frosted cake and smooth it out to remove any bubbles.
- Use a small brush to apply a thin coat of corn syrup to the stencil outline and then fill in the stencil with fine or small sprinkles.
- Finally, put the cake in the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes, and then carefully lift and remove the stencil.