Chocolate cake sprinkled with powdered sugar.
SMarina/iStock/GettyImages

Dusting a cake is really quite simple. Rather than icing the cake with frosting, you decorate it by sprinkling a thin layer of confectioners sugar, cocoa powder or ground nuts over the top to enhance the flavor and appearance. Even a novice can do it. Here's how.

Place the cake gently on top of a cooling rack.

Pour some powdered sugar into a bowl and stir it to remove clumps and separate the particles.

Carefully pour the sugar into an empty sugar shaker, sifter, sieve or fine strainer. If pouring into a sifter or strainer, hold it over another clean bowl to catch the excess.

Hold the sifter or strainer over the cake and then gently shake out or sift the sugar onto the cake until it's evenly covered with a fine layer of sugar.

Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate.

Tip

To create designs with the powdered sugar, place a stencil or doily on top of the cake before dusting.