A frosting spatula or palette knife is a kitchen utensil designed especially for the use of spreading a substance onto a flat surface, such as
frosting on a
cake. It is also an ideal tool for applying spreads onto sandwiches in mass quantities.
The term 'palette knife' is common outside the US, where the term 'frosting' is not generally used. However a palette knife as a culinary tool is not the same as a
palette knife
A palette knife is a blunt tool used for mixing or applying paint, with a flexible steel blade. It is primarily used for applying paint to the canvas, mixing paint colors, adding texture to the painted surface, paste, etc., or for marbling, decora ...
as used by artists. In Canada, the terms metal spatula and leveler are also used.
The English television cook
Delia Smith
Delia Ann Smith (born 18 June 1941) is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. One of the best known celebrity chefs in British popular culture, Smith has influenced viewers t ...
refers to the joys of owning a "palette knife with a serrated edge", such that it provides ease of slicing cake as well as the spreading of icing (frosting) upon them.
The traditionally accepted British source "
Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management
''Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management'', also published as ''Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book'', is an extensive guide to running a household in Victorian Britain, edited by Isabella Beeton and first published as a book in 1861. Previously p ...
" however refers only to the use of a "broad knife" for laying on icing (frosting).
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Food preparation utensils