Make sure that the cake is completely cooled before applying the icing; otherwise, the sugar coating will melt. [2] X Research source
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.
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] X Research source If you want to use fondant, cover the cake with fondant as you normally would.
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.
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.
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.
Repeat this process around the entire cake until it is evenly covered to your satisfaction.
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.
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.
This method is ideal for small, dense cakes that you can move around in your hands.
The top of the cake should not be frosted when you do this. Icing along the top of the cake will make it harder for you to transfer. [14] X Research source
Add more sprinkles onto the baking sheet if you start to run out before your cake is fully covered.
Use your hand or an offset spatula to smooth out any imperfections that occurred during the transfer.
You do not have to use candy melts. Instead, melt baking chocolate or another chocolate form. Just know that melting white chocolate bars or chips will have a slightly more yellowed appearance than the candy melts. Take the melted white chocolate and stir in a few drops of food coloring to create a colorful base for the sprinkles. Pick a color that will contrast nicely with the selection of sprinkles you chose.
Instead of shortening, add an equal amount of cocoa butter to thin the mixture.
If you are adding sprinkles to the top of the cake, spread the mixture around the top as well.
If you have a turntable, set your cake on top of it and spin it to apply the sprinkles to speed up the process. Repeat this process for the middle and upper portions of the cake. If you want to apply sprinkles to the top of the cake, press in sprinkles there as well.
Pay particular attention to the top edge as you may have to specifically press in sprinkles to that area.
