Review of the Ateco Aluminum Decorating and Icing Comb for Cakes

You might recognize baker Aimee France, aka Yung Kombucha, from our story in which we tagged everything from Chloë Sevigny’s recent nuptials (France didn’t even realize Sevigny was a follower until she wakes up with a DM request.) But in confectionery circles, the 23-year-old self-taught pastry chef isn’t known for her clientele (although it’s vast — she’s created desserts for AnnaSophia Robb, as well as for brands like Parade and Brightland), but for its painterly glazing technique that evokes the wrinkled texture of goat dung.

Photo: Aimee France

France says she used to achieve this effect with a wooden spoon or dowel, sliding the utensils through the icing to leave lines that add dimension to the cake. Then last spring, she came across a “decorating and icing comb” in the baking section of a restaurant supply store. The aluminum triangle has since become her most used tool – due to its 4.25 inch edges she can cover a lot more area in a lot less time.

As seen here on his TikTok account, France turns the tool to its finest serrated edge – it provides the most intricate detail – and strokes the frosting upwards to leave raised marks, “like when snow is skied a lot and then freshly groomed.” (An alternative analogy for getting the right move is the Zen garden, but you’re raking a landscape of dairy and sugar.) She’ll then add more freehand buttercream or leave it bare for an organic look. Less experienced home (or artistic) bakers may want to start with the simplest use of the comb: place the cake on a rotating stand, touch the comb to the side and turn the base – this gives you neat grocery ridges, which have their own birthday party charm in the park.

But to find your own icing aesthetic, France recommends checking out YouTube’s school (“your best friend” for learning new baking skills) and experimenting. After all, it’s just icing – if it goes bad, you can always smooth it over and start over.

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