A method of forming a coating includes providing a mold (24) that has a flexible wall (24a) that defines a mold cavity (26), inserting a component (22) that is to be coated into the mold cavity (26), the component (22) having a component surface roughness and there being a coating gap (28) defined between the component (22) and the flexible wall (24a) of the mold cavity (26), introducing a molding slurry (36) into the mold cavity (26), the molding slurry (36) filling the coating gap (28) and contacting the component (22) so as to overcoat the component surface roughness, solidifying the molding slurry (36) to form a green coating on the component (22), and consolidating the green coating to form a final coating on the component (22), the final coating having a coating surface roughness that is less than the component surface roughness.