Hi Everyone!

I had a wedding cake sampling today and the bride has chosen a beautiful and unique cake. She will be having 4 stacked layers...one being done in chocolate buttercream. My question is....what are some good techniques in getting chocolate buttercream to smooth well???? I have used the paper towel method but wish to get a better smoothness.

Please let me know what you all do!!!!! Thanks in advance...the wedding is not until April...so I have time to experiment!!!
traci

I am bumping this back up since no one has answered.

Traci, You have helped me a bunch so here is hopefully a way to help you. I have just made 2 chocolate cakes and they smoothed perfectly. I used 2 different techniques for practice. 1 was the upside down icing of the cake which was great and really worked well. The normal way I do it is using printer paper and a plaster smoother. This works the best and gives way better results than the paper towel. Hope this helps.

Hi Traci,

I use Chocolate Buttercream.

Berta

Thanks so much for the tips!!! Do you use a plastic scraper or a metal scraper???? Is the consistency of your icing kind of thin???

blittle6...is there a recipe for Toba's chocolate buttercream or do you buy it premade????

Hi Traci,

Her recipe is found here:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/109248

I use milk instead of Liquer and if I don't have ganache on hand I use Nutella (found near the peanut butter at the grocery store). It is really good!!! I use a big offset spatula to smooth it.

Berta

Traci,

I use the same recipe for my buttercream for which I use Hi Ration Alpine, an icing base and 6x powder sugar. Then I add about 3/4 to 1 cup ghirardelli cocoa mixed in with 1/2 cup water. I then thin a little with water or corn syrup. I have both a metal and plastic scraper but i teend to use the plastic scraper to smooth because the one I have has a rounded 1/4 inch bottom so it is not sharp to leave accidental marks. The plastic scraper I use is more like a fondant smoother although it is for plaster. It is about a 8 inch long scraper I got at LOWE's. I found you do not have to change your recipe to get smooth chocolate icing. I did find that patch work is more noticable with chocolate icing so it is better to try and get it as smooth as possible with your initial icing.

The Wilton chocolate buttercream smooths very easily for me...I use the Butter Flavored Crisco in place of regualr Crisco and I use powdered cocoa, which I sift before adding.. This comes out nice and creamy and very easy to smooth with just an angled spatula....no air bubbles or anything!

Thank-you all!!! I am going to make a practice cake and start trying these different techniques. The bride will be having 1 large tier(5 inches tall) which she wants super smooth icing. I think the picture she gave me has chocolate fondant...but she really wants buttercream.
traci

..good luck and let us know how you make out!!