Duff Goldman's #1 Tip For Avoiding Frosting Failure

There's no denying that Duff Goldman has some serious expertise when it comes to baked goods, with an impressive amount of knowledge about cakes in particular. After all, "Ace of Cakes" didn't emerge randomly; he snagged the show because of his prowess with the frosting-covered favorite. Before he was acting as a judge on Food Network baking competition shows, sharing his knowledge with rising bakers, Goldman was the owner of the successful cake business Charm City Cakes.

Over his years in the culinary industry, Goldman has refined his recipes, making the best versions of whatever cakes, fillings, or frostings he's whipping up for a particular episode (or simply just for purchase at one of his cake shops). And he's picked up a lot of tips along the way, which he isn't afraid to share with the wider public. As Insider explains, Gold wants to help everyone from novices to children experience the joys of baking, encouraging everyone to try putting together some tasty treats in the kitchen. For those who want more guidance, he even has baking kits aimed at younger audiences (per Baketivity).

If you're a baker who's always struggled to get the silky-smooth frosting of your dreams, you need to learn Goldman's number-one tip for avoiding frosting failure in particular. Surprisingly, it's something that begins before you even turn your stand mixer on and start whipping the sweet topping.

Any cake connoisseur knows that there's a lot of variety in types of frosting you can spread onto your cake layers, from tangy cream cheese frosting to light and fluffy whipped cream frosting. As Wilton outlines, even within just the category of buttercream, there are seven different types of frosting.

If you're making any type of frosting that incorporates egg whites, such as a classic Italian meringue buttercream, Duff Goldman warns that you want to ensure your mixing bowl is as clean and dry as humanly possible, Popsugar notes. The baker and television personality explains that this is because any type of fat or liquid clinging to the sides of your mixing bowl can affect the egg whites and prevent the meringue base of the frosting from forming. If you've used the same mixing bowl to first whip up your cake batter, take the extra few minutes to really scrub and dry your tools before starting your frosting.

The material your bowl is made of might have an impact as well. As Boston Girl Bakes advises, plastic has a tendency to retain grease, which may make it hard to get completely clean and suitable for your meringue. And glass bowls have the potential to retain heat, which can pose a challenge when you're crafting frosting where a heated sugar mixture is poured into your mixing bowl.