The Effortless Hack You Need For Intricate Cake Decorations

Looking for an easy decoration hack to elevate your cakes? The good news is that those doilies you have lying around the house can finally come in handy. A simple doily can transform an ordinary cake into a stunning masterpiece with minimal effort and no fuss.

Simply take your finished cake, place a clean lace doily carefully on top, then, using a sifter, evenly sprinkle powdered sugar over the doily. When the sugar is spread evenly, gently peel back the doily to reveal a beautiful lace pattern. (Make sure your cake is cooled when you start so that the sugar doesn't melt and ruin the design!)

Don't have a doily? Cut out paper snowflakes to make your own pattern, and then follow the same steps you would with the doily. You can use this same method to cut out words and numbers and place them on the cake to make a sugar-coated message.

This doily trick will work best on any thick spongy cake that doesn't need icing for moisture — think a thick lemon pound cake, coffee cake, ricotta cake, or sponge cake. A simple pound cake can be dressed up in all kinds of ways, and this is a great option to add to the repertoire. The delicate lace-like pattern created by the doily adds an elegant touch, making the cake look bakery-worthy with minimal effort.

This trick could also work on a chocolate caramel bundt cake, but you may have to use a larger doily to account for the bundt cake's special shape. And there's no need to stop there — this hack can be used to sweeten up blueberry muffins, chocolate cupcakes, or even a simple fruit loaf. If you're feeling really inspired, you can even swap the powdered sugar for cocoa to create an elevated chocolatey twist, giving any cake or baked treat a more decadent, rich finish. This quick and simple decoration hack will have all your baked goods looking professionally decorated in literally under a minute!