How To Cut A Cake

Whether you’re providing a cake cutting service at an event or are the chosen one to cut the cake at a family member’s birthday party, you may be feeling a lot of pressure. It can be strenuous to cut even slices of cake without crumbling it or ruining the frosting. We understand that cutting a cake is no easy task which is why we’ve created a comprehensive guide on how to cut a cake.

What Is The Best Cake Cutting Knife?

Many individuals rely on a slicing knife to properly cut a cake. These knives have long and thin blades that make it easy to cleanly slice cakes of all sizes. To cut a fluffy or delicate cake, you should consider using a slicing knife with a serrated edge. Knives with serrated edges allow you to cut a delicate cake in a gentle sawing motion without compressing each slice.

When cutting angel food cakes, many professional chefs like to use angel food cake slicers or angel food cake breakers. This specialized cake tool features long tines that allow you to cut delicate angel cakes without crushing them.

Smooth knives are ideal for cakes that don’t feature a difference between the texture of the inside and outside of the cake. Rather than using a sawing motion to slice the cake, you simply press the blade down into the cake. Pressing down on dense cakes keeps them intact.

How To Cut A Cake Neatly

Whether you’re using a knife with a smooth or serrated blade, the secret to cutting cakes neatly is to soak the knife’s blade in hot water before use. You can leave the blade soaking for a couple of minutes and then thoroughly dry it. Using a warm blade allows you to slice the cake with ease.

It’s also important that you remove the crumbs and frosting from your blade in between each cut. You can do this by simply wiping the blade clean with a towel. However, if you’re cutting a dense cake, it’s ideal to wipe the blade clean, briefly soak it in warm water, and dry it after each cut. Removing leftover frosting and crumbs from the blade ensures that you cleanly cut cakes without ruining the appearance of the frosting.

How To Cut Different Types Of Cakes

Not all cakes are created equally. Each type of cake requires you to use a specific knife and cake cutting technique. We’ve created step-by-step instructions on how to cut each type of cake to guarantee you achieve clean and even cuts.

How To Cut A Cheesecake

1. Find a knife with a long, smooth blade. Soak the blade in hot water for a couple of minutes and dry it.
2. Cut the cheesecake in half vertically by gently pressing the blade down into the cake.
3. Wipe the blade clean, briefly soak it in warm water, and dry it.
4. Cut the cheesecake in half horizontally by pressing the blade down into the cake.
5. Repeat step 3.
6. Cut each quarter in half by gently pressing the blade down into the cake. Repeat step 3 after each cut.
7. If you want more slices, cut the halves from your quarters in half. Repeat step 3 after each cut.
8. Slide the flat side of your blade under each slice of cake to serve it.

How To Cut An Ice Cream Cake

1. Remove your cake from the freezer and thaw it at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Find a knife with a long, serrated blade. Soak the blade in warm water for two minutes and dry it.
3. Slice the cake into even wedges. Wipe the blade clean, soak it in warm water, and dry it in between each cut.
4. Slide the flat side of your blade under the slices of cake to serve them.

How To Cut An Angel Food Cake

1. Using an angel food cake breaker, gently press down on the cake and wiggle the breaker until you reach the bottom of the cake.
2. Approximately 1 to 3 inches from the first cut, gently press down on the cake and wiggle the breaker until you reach the bottom of the cake.
3. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have cut the entire cake.
4. Serve the slices using a pie server.

How To Cut Different-Shaped Cakes

The majority of wedding and birthday cakes are round. However, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to cut and serve a square cake or heart-shaped cake. To guarantee that you’re prepared, we’ve created step-by-step instructions on how to cut different-shaped cakes.

How To Cut A Round Cake 8 Inches In Diameter Or Larger

1. Starting 2 to 3 inches from the outer edge of your cake, cut a circle.
2. Wipe the blade clean.
3. Slice the outer circle into approximately 1.5- to 2.5- inch pieces.
4. Wipe the blade clean after each cut.
5. Serve the slices of cake.
6. If your cake is larger than 8 inches in diameter, repeat steps 1-3 until the cake is 5 to 6 inches in diameter.
7. Cut the remaining 6 inches of cake into 10 or 12 wedges. Wipe the blade clean after each cut.
8. Use a pie server or slide the flat side of your blade under the slices of cake to serve them.

How To Cut A Round Cake 6 Inches In Diameter Or Smaller

1. Slice the cake into even wedges. Clean the blade after each cut.
2. Slide the flat side of your blade under the slices of cake or use a cake server to serve them.

How To Cut A Square Cake

1. Starting two to three inches from the edge of the cake, cut a horizontal line across the cake.
2. Slice approximately 1.5- to 2.5-inch pieces of cake.
3. Serve the slices of cake using the flat side of the blade or a pie server.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 until you have cut and served the entire cake.

How To Cut A Heart-Shaped Cake

1. Cut vertically down the middle of the heart to create 2 even sides.
2. Make vertical cuts every 1 to 2 inches across each side of the cake.
3. Find the center of the cake and cut it horizontally.
4. Slice the cake horizontally every 1 to 2 inches from the middle cut.
5. Serve the slices of cake using a cake server or the flat side of the knife’s blade.

You’re Officially Ready To Cut Any Cake

Now that you know how to cut a variety of cakes, you can easily cut and serve cakes at a client’s wedding or friend’s birthday party. Just remember to soak the knife’s blade in hot water before use to make cutting a dense cake or delicate cake a breeze. It’s also important not to forget to wipe off the frostings or crumbs after each cut to preserve the look of cakes. Simply follow our cake cutting guide so you confidently serve guests a slice of cake.