Cardiff survived an early scare against Margate before easing into the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Nationwide Conference side went after visitors Cardiff from the start at their borrowed Crabble Ground in Dover.
But after striker Phil Collins missed a golden opportunity to give Margate a shock lead, the Division Two side made them pay.
Peter Thorne and Willie Boland made it 2-0 to the Bluebirds in a six-minute spell before half-time, with substitute Leo Fortune-West adding a late third at the end of the match.
Margate started brightly, with Collins and Terry McFlynn stretching the Cardiff defence.
Collins should have scored the games' opening goal after 15 minutes, but somehow managed to hit the crossbar from eight yards out.
Cardiff opened the scoring on 28 minutes when Rhys Weston freed Jason Bowen on the right.
The Welsh international had plenty of time to find Thorne unmarked at the back post and the striker's firm header gave Margate goalkeeper Charlie Mitten no chance.
Six minutes later, Lennie Lawrence's side doubled their lead when Rob Earnshaw was tripped on the edge of the penalty area by home skipper Graham Porter.
Boland stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and drilled a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner of Mitten's goal, opening his account for the season in the process.
Margate enjoyed some early chances in the second period but Cardiff were largely in control.
Sam Sodje blazed over for the home side after being fed by McFlynn in the 49th minute.
The the lively Collins saw his fine header from Greg Oates' centre turned over the bar by Cardiff keeper Neil Alexander.
Cardiff's victory was completed with two minutes of normal time remaining.
Fortune-West tapped in from two yards out after Mitten could only parry a low dive from Andy Campbell, also on as a substitute.
Bowen and Fortune-West could have made the final scoreline even worse but for good work by Mitten, but it was job done for the Bluebirds who go into Sunday's draw for round three.
Margate: Mitten, Edwards, Shearer, Porter, Oates, Saunders, Sodje, McFlynn, Lamb, Keister, Collins. Subs: Smith, Beard, Munday, Turner, Clarke.
Cardiff: Alexander, Weston, Prior, Barker, Croft, Boland, Hamilton, Legg, Bowen, Earnshaw, Thorne. Subs: Fortune-West, Campbell, Maxwell, Collins, Margetson.
Referee: R Olivier (Sutton Coldfield).