How To: Frost a cake easily in two steps

Back in college, frosting a cake was pretty much a one-step process. You took the cake out of the oven, let it cool for a bit, then whipped out your Pillsbury Doughboy rainbow sprinkle frosting and slapped it onto the cake using a spatula.

But, admittedly, the results didn't look so good. That's because frosting a cake is actually a two-step process.

CHOW Associate Food Editor Kate Ramos demonstrates the first step of successful frosting: the all-important crumb layer, followed by second coating to round things out.