Why Buy A Cake Turntable When You Can Use A Lazy Susan?

While you can absolutely frost or crumb coat a cake when it's stationary, most bakers agree that using a cake turntable makes a world of difference to the entire process. Not only does a turntable give you a stable base for your cake to sit on, but it also allows you to frost (or ice, since frosting and icing are different) with precision and efficiency, thanks to the ability to easily rotate your dessert. It also makes decorating so much easier because you can make delicate swirls and intricate designs without much effort while spinning your cake. Need to trim your baked goods? A turntable can help with that, too.

Cake turntables are available to buy online and in-store, but you may already have a kitchen gadget that can help you out: a lazy Susan. While known for serving food (and as Giada De Laurentiis's tip for organizing your countertop), putting a cake stand on top of a lazy Susan is a no-fuss way to get all the benefits of a turntable without having to buy one.

When using your lazy Susan, some tips can help make all your trimming, crumb coating, frosting, and decorating even easier. One piece of advice is to make sure your cake is secured. You can do this easily by adding a dollop of frosting to your stand before putting down the first cake layer. The frosting acts as a glue that prevents the dessert from sliding around. If you want to go a step further, there are non-slip cake mats available that you can use instead.

When using it for the first time, start rotating the cake slowly to get the hang of how it works and feels — including how your offset spatula slides across the cake. You'll also be able to gauge how much frosting to use with each pass. Additionally, you can use the lazy Susan to present your final cake, which allowing guests to admire it from all angles. This gives them the opportunity to truly appreciate your hard work making the most beautiful — and scrumptious — dessert possible. You can even serve your dessert on a lazy Susan for a cake you didn't necessarily decorate — like a rum cake — because people can easily cut it, serve it, and rotate it to make additional slices.