Ina Garten has a knack for finding ways to make kitchen tasks just a little bit easier, and she can help if you struggle to achieve a professional-looking cake presentation.

One of the most common complaints when icing a cake is that tiny crumbs can easily get into the fluffy frosting, affecting its presentation.

Pastry chefs often suggest adding a crumb coat to the cake, but this adds hours to the process. Instead, Ina Garten suggests frosting the cake in a single direction.

Applying the icing with a back-and-forth motion causes crumbs to lift from the cake and into your beautiful frosting. Frosting only in a single direction prevents this.

To keep the cake stand or plate clean, place parchment or wax paper down before adding the bottom cake layer and use the spatula to cut along the bottom edge of the cake.