What icing spatula means
An icing spatula is a kitchen tool with a long, thin, flexible metal blade that is blunt and rounded at the end, attached to a handle. In Britain it is usually called a palette knife, and in the US a frosting spatula or icing spatula. There are straight and angled shapes. A straight spatula has a flat blade in line with the handle and is good for spreading icing on the sides of cakes.
An offset or angled spatula has a step or bend in the blade near the handle, which keeps the hand and knuckles clear of the surface, so icing can be spread smoothly and evenly across the top of a cake or into a tray. Icing spatulas come in many lengths, from small ones for cupcakes, biscuits and detailed work to long ones for large cakes. They are used to spread buttercream, ganache, cream cheese icing and whipped cream, to apply crumb coats, to fill layer cakes and to create swirls, peaks and textured finishes. They are also useful for spreading cake batter, brownie mixture and fillings evenly, lifting biscuits from trays, loosening cakes from tins, transferring decorations and spreading melted chocolate.
For a smooth finish, the blade can be dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Paired with a cake turntable, an icing spatula makes covering cakes much easier. You will see icing spatulas in cake decorating and baking recipes.