In anticipation of Taste of Tribeca*, the benefit for P.S. 234 and P.S. 150 on May 15, I’m asking some of the participating chefs for cooking tips. Madeline Lanciani of Duane Park Patisserie says that icing a cake is as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Don’t try to ice a cake when it’s room temperature—the layers are too soft. Chill the cake (or layers) in the fridge for a half hour or so first.
2. Apply what’s called a “crumb coat,” a very thin coat of the same icing that you’re using for the cake. Then chill the cake until the crumb coat is cold, and finish icing the cake.
3. Don’t try to ice the cake on a serving platter. If the cake is a layer cake, put the bottom layer on a thin piece of clean cardboard (cut to fit the size of the cake). This will make the cake easy to ice and easy to transfer to the fridge and to the serving plate.

*Tickets are on sale now at tasteoftribeca.org. Buy before May 1 and they’re only $35.

Previous Taste of Tribeca Tips:
• Tip #9: There’s More Than One Way to Slice a Tomato (E. Chewy Cereceres of Macao Trading Co.)
• Tip #8: One for Surf and One for Turf (Luis Nieto of the Palm)
• Tip #7: Good Food Is Slow Food (Alberto Polo of Farinella)
• Tip #6: When Applying Sauce, Use Your Noodle (John Sierp of M1-5)
• Tip #5: Prep Like a Pro (Marc Forgione)
• Tip #4: Fresh Pasta Shouldn’t Be Too Fresh (Giovanni Tenace of Roc)
• Tip #3: Back to the Cutting Board (Russell Moss of Cafe 92YTribeca)
• Tip #2: Method to the Mashedness (Henry Meer of City Hall)
• Tip #1: Bake Beforehand (Rachel Thebault of Tribeca Treats)