Secure a pair of fishnet stockings — make sure they’re clean — to make a lovely latticed pattern on your next cake, or any other baked good that you’d normally top with powdered sugar. Once you have the hosiery, stretch it over a round ring (like a pastry ring mold) that extends beyond the perimeter of your cake. Congratulations! You just made a stencil. Finally, place it gently over the cake and sprinkle powdered sugar over it through a sifter. When you lift the stencil, you’ll find that even the world’s sharpest protractor can’t hold a candle to the precise crosshatch pattern that bestows the top of your cake.
At this point, your cake is dressed to impress, but there’s no need to stop there. If you’re a fan of checkerboards, you might try filling in alternate squares with sprinkles, or dots of frosting from a piping bag. Have fun with it. After all, it’s your cake, and you can eat it, too.