My cake looks like crap!!! It is my FIRST wedding cake and I am freaking out!!! The bride wanted the Rich's bEttercreme and I told her that it would not be smooth but the more I mess with it the worse it gets. Are there any tricks??

I am never going to get more business after this!!!! boooohooooo

My experience with bettercreme is that once it starts to set it's set. If I wanted to go back I would put a thin layer of fresh on top but as for smoothing to perfection I think it's almost impossible. I have stood my ground and said NO to that and cream cheese icing on a wedding cake.
Hope that helps and things go better good luck

the pearls look great. I couldn't tell what you were trying to do with the sides. could you add more pearls or something else in clusters to cover the imperfections. not tips or tricks on smoothing it. sorry you are having such a hard time with this cake. Is is possible to scrape the icing off and start over?

When is the wedding ? can you start over again ?
just the icing part ? scrape off all the icing and do it over again.
or maybe smooth out all of it and do you designs all over again, instead of scraping. don't cry, it will be alright.

im not sure what BETTErcreme is BUT take your spatula and run it under the hottest water you can get and smooth it over.

scrap and start over????/ UGH!!!

I am just gonna leave it. Now I know, NO MORE bEttercreme!!!

1st don't cry!!! It's not as bad as you think. If you have a small spatula you might try to smooth the corners just a bit. Corners are always the hardest part!! Just go slow and with a very light tough. The design looks pretty good though. When is the cake due? If you are not happy with the way it looks entirely do you have time to remove the icing and start over? I have found even with real whipped cream if I use one of those paint spackler thingy-ies it really helps with smoothing and getting sharper corners!

Good luck and it does look better than you think.

scrape off the icing and level the cake. If you have a turntable put the cake on that and spin the turntable cakestand and dont move the knif that may help.Also on the dots on the cake stop your pressure sooner then pull the tip away. If you still have points put some cornstarch or powered sugar on your finger and press gently, the point will be gone.

The cake is due tomorrow by 4:30pm! Ok, I scraped it off but now I am letting my house cool down. I am turning on the AC to see if that will help and I have put my frosting back in the fridge. Thankfully, that is the first one I have done except for a small 6 inch round which turned out ok.

Thanks for the advice. I am going to scrape it off and try again.

When you re-ice the cake, try to level the corners so the cake is flat on the top. And, rather than re-smooth the sides and make a mess, hide any small imperfections with a scroll.

good luck.

On Bettercreme, it says you'll get stiffness and air bubbles from leaving it out of the fridge too long. So maybe you should take small "batches" out of the fridge at a time. Like just enough to ice the top, get it smooth, then take enough out for one side, etc. I've only used bettercreme on two cakes (tombstone and chocolate bday), and I noticed the faster I worked and the less I messed with it the better. So do small sections, that should help!

And I don't think some of you understand. She's not using BUTTERcream icing, she's using Rich's BETTERcreme icing. It's whipped icing, like Pastry Pride.

Thanks. I will try that. I am still waiting for my house to cool down and for myself! SO I am sipping on a glass of wine to relax.

I have my icing in the fridge so I will do it a little at a time.

Thanks Sun!

I use Bettercreme alot. It will get smooth. I totally ice my cake then immediately use a warm wet spatula to smooth. You can't wait to smooth and you can't go back and add more except for small spots that I use a wet spatula to repair spots if I need to. If I can give you any more advice please feel free to pm me. LouAnn

This may sound crazy...but i PREFER bettercreme on wedding cakes. But here is another question-is it the kind that is already whipped, or the one that you whip yourself? When I worked with a tech years ago using the kind that you whip yourself, he told me to make sure that is it not whipped too long, just til it was creamy, but solid. If I did whip it too long to add water to it, and stir (fold in) with a spatula. I do the same thing now with the kind that is already whipped in buckets, add water if necessary. This is my suggestion, for what its worth-scrape off the icing, leaving a thin layer...freeze your cake til near frozen, and then ice again, This icing doesnt crack like regular buttercream-it "gives" and the coldness from the cake keeps the icing cold while you work. I have re-done a few cakes, hated when I did it, but was glad when I finished. I also use bettercreme on almost all my barbie cakes...because it is incredibly easy and smooth. Dont let it scare you...and good luck!

Ahh never thought of chilling the cake to keep the icing cold. Would definitely help! I was sitting here trying to think of how you could put two bowls together (kind of like a double boiler) to keep the icing in the bowl cold with ice water lol.

anytime I use the whipped icing, with something I want really really smooth, I make sure the cake is near frozen. I dont use it solid frozen, just really really cold. If you look at my pictures of doll cakes, or most wedding cakes I use that icing. Once you get use to it its easy! But that is one trick that will help-keep it cold. I am a big fan of icer tips and scrapers too- I even use them at home. I use to be only a spatula user, but life is 10 times faster with those...Brenda

If you over whip bettercreme it will get very airy and will not go on smooth, try adding a little more to your already mixed product so it will have a smooth texture. When it is mixed it should have a softer peak to it, not real stiff. Once it starts to stiffen watch it carefully it will stiffen quick. I would scrap down, level more,whip up some more and re=ice.

i just read all of the advice--i hope things work out for you & we want to see the pics

What is bettercreme or pastry pride? Never heard of either. Maybe they don't carry it in the Midwest. Do they need to be refrigerated?
Vicky

Bettercream and Pastry Pride is like whipped cream only it holds up so you can decorate with it. It is sold frozen and you thaw it out then whip it up.

I love it!

Like others said, make sure it is really cold. Put your bag back in the fridge if it starts to melt from the warmth of your hands.

You can use hot water to warm up your spatula then smooth it out but it has to be done pretty fast. It will form a crust or film over it and if it has that then you can not really smooth it.

Good luck. Be sure to let us see a picture of the final cake.

I use to use bettercrm when I worked at the deli/bakery. All I can tell you is you have to keep the stuff cold. The warmer it get the more air pockets form and there's not alot you can do. I know the cakes were always frozen starting off........Use bettercrm on frozen cakes, keep it cold, maybe set a bowl of icing in a larger bowl of ice water while icing your cake. Keep putting your icing bags in the fridge to cool them down.

I can't imagine that it is SOOO bad - where is the picture? I can't find it in the galleries....PAT

Well here is the final pic!!!

http://www.babypenney.babywindow.com/enlargephoto.cfm?customerid=384&photoid=109292&border=0

http://www.babypenney.babywindow.com/enlargephoto.cfm?customerid=384&photoid=109291&border=0

http://www.babypenney.babywindow.com/enlargephoto.cfm?customerid=384&photoid=109294&border=0

http://www.babypenney.babywindow.com/enlargephoto.cfm?customerid=384&photoid=109293&border=0

WOW! It's gorgeous! Can't tell you ever had a problem!

I think you did a beautiful job!

bump for those who haven't seen the pics!

Thanks for all of the advice! I haven't tried freezing my cakes, I am a little scared of the outcome. But I actually have one in the freezer now (for my dad) that I will try to frost frozen and see how it works.

That was the hardest cake I ever did!!! I really hope the bride liked it!

Wow, KCE - that's gorgeous!!! How in the world did you find so much wrong with it???? I'd be saying tank you, thank you if I could do so well. Thanks for posting the links. PAT

It is hard to believe this is your first wedding cake...It turned out BEAUTIFUL! GREAT work!!! >^.,.^<