Thx for this tip icantcook I'm just starting course to and was wondering how i was going to transport my flowers!

I just posted this on another thread and thought it might belong here too.

RED/BLACK ICING- I hate it!!! So much so that I have started making a whole batch of each of them, waiting a day or so for the color to deepen and then puting it into several 2-cup freezer containers with a label containing the date and color. That way when I procrastinate or get a last minute order needing these colors I set out the amount of icing I need on the counter when I mix the cake. A quick stir and I am ready to go!!!

On the egg carton idea- My instructor suggested that we only use the styrofoam cartons and wash first with hot water to avoid cross contamination with salmonella.

[quote="JulieBugg2000"]
When I was first starting out, I would always see cakes in the gallery that had perfectly straight sides. I posted a question about it, asking whether the sides actually WERE as straight as they looked of if the icing just made them appear that way,.

This is how I found out you should always trim the sides of the cake so they're straight up and down. It makes the icing job SO much easier and with TONS better results!

JulieBugg,
I've never heard of doing that! Doesn't it make it harder to ice because of crumbs??

I'm so new to this, I'm almost embarrassed to post this, but in my course I class some people where having problems with their icing having small white spots. It was decided that the white spots were salt that didn't get dissolved. So now I add the salt to the wet ingredients of a buttercream recipe and then there are no white spots! This is probably a DUH topic , but oh, well!

Thanks for all the great tips so far!!! I love this thread!!

I missed the tip about a sponge paint roller for smoothing out your icing...can someone give details on that...what kind of roller....how big...where would I find one? These tips are awesome!

Here is the link to Melvira's sponge tip http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=42675&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

I just discovered a new (at least to me) tip.

I just got done putting a cake in the oven. I usually always try and "beat" the cake pan on the table before I pop it in the over to release any air bubbles. I normally don't do this very hard because once the air bubbles pop they splatter all over the table, the floor and me.

Well, I had a "Duh" moment and thought, "you know, if I put a paper towel tightly over the cake pan I can beat the pan harder without the splattering." It worked like a charm!

Hope someone else can use this tip too
Sabbrina

Oh, I just remembered a secret for making shapes on a cake. After you ice a cake you can take a cookie cutter & lightly press it down into the icing. You'll have a perfect outline on your cake that you can fill in with icing & nobody will ever know how you did it!!!

I'm hoping now that I'm not repeating some of the tips as I've been readin gthem over the course of a week!

My tips, make as big a batch of buttercream that your mixer will allow. Then get a big ziploc and store the rest. You can use little bits later to make small batches for other colors or later combine it with other small batches for one big batch.

Freeze all leftover batches in colors you know you will use again soon. I leave them in the bag. I remove the tip and just leave the couple and coupler cover in it.

I too make bigger batches of red and black and save them (for outlining and small decor).

For coloring buttercream, I do it in a plastic cup, so I can just throw it away.

I have several of each of my favorite tips so I don't have to keep changing them from bag to bag and I have a gazillion couplers too.

My new secret is the silicone muffin cups. I think I'm going to throw away/donate my old muffin pans that are difficult to clean, difficult to store, and are just an all around pain in the butt.

For portfolio purposes, I'm trying to be consistent and photograph the cakes in the same spot with black background each time.

My fbct transfer secrets are these. First, I have a plexiglass/clear plastic surface that I can tape my transfers too. This way I can look at my progress as I'm going. I tape the image to the underside at the edge (so it's easy to reapply) so I can lift it off and on at my convenience and view the progress. Next, I use a sheet protector (you know, those things you put in binders to protect sheets of paper). I put a slight film of crisco on the surface and then go for it. Then, I pipe the outline and then let it dry out. It makes my outlines firmer and less likely to squirm. Then, when applying each layer/color I make sure to let it crust fairly well so I can tap it down without it sticking. Oh, my fbct's are all crisco too so it will crust well.

I think that's it! I'm looking for more tips on how to minimize the mess I create. This hobby is MESSY!!! Tips, couplers, bowls, spoons, spatulas, pans, mixer bowls and paddles, etc.... Ugh!

Melissa

Here's another cleaning tip that I got from Fly Lady

Before you start baking (or cooking) fill up one side of your sink with warm soapy water. Then toss in your dishes and pots into the sink as they get dirty. When you're finished, you won't have to rise them before putting them into the dishwasher!

And, does everyone know that you can use binder clips to secure your baking strips? They won't melt in the oven and they're much easier to use than the pins.

I've also read somewhere in CC that chewing mint gum or eating pickles will keep you from snacking on the cake and icing as you bake.

I find that wearing the disposable gloves keeps me from trying to lick my fingers. This is really important to me when I'm baking for someone other than my immediate family!

I would like to know if anyone has any tips for keeping the kitchen floor clean. I always seem to stuff all over the floor!

the binder clips are a great idea!
As for keeping stuff off the floor, there is always a mess because of my 10 month old, the cakes, and my husband. It helps if you have one counter top that you work on so that you are not moving things around too much. I try to pick up stuff as I see things dropped (or call in the dog) and then use kitchen cleaner to wipe down the spot instead of mopping everywhere. I used to not be so vigilant, but an ant invasion a month ago changed that! Can't bake cakes with ants around.
Another common sense tip - keep a damp kitchen towel over your mixing bowl when there is icing in it that you are not using right away. I do this often because I make icing (loudly) when my baby is awake, and decorate later when she is napping

Well after 11 pages of tips, I've yet to see the one I use for baking and making icing. I use popcorn salt because it's extemely fne and dissolves easily. I had 1 tsp. to each 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar to cut the sweetness back abit!

well, i posted earlier that i'm a newbie and didn't have anything to contribute... then i thought well, i should at least try lol! this might be common sense, but it saved me in a jam when the head fell OFF of my first superhero cake lol! i saved the last bits of icing in the bags w/ the tips on and stuck them all in a plastic cup, tip side down. i also put some toothpicks and an extra dowel in the cup and carried it w/ me to the bday party just in case. if i wouldn't have the entire cake would have been ruined! hth's and thanks so much to everyone for contributing, the info is priceless!!!

I like to use a sandvich bags for the icing when decorating the cake.Just snip the corner off and attach the icing tip on the same way you'd do with the regular decorating bag.It saved me a lot of money over the years.

Something else I have picked up from here...

If you have a turntable that doesn't tilt, you can use a 3-ring binder on the turntable under your cake to make decorating the sides easier - I use shelf liner under the binder and under the cake to keep it from sliding. If you are good with wood (or someone you know is!) you could make a wedge that would be a little more solid.

Today I had to make small squares for a checkered pattern on my Lightning McQueen cake and didn't want to take tons of time to use a ruler to measure them out so . . . I glanced at my Diamond Impression mat and what do you know, perfect 1" squares. Just rolled out my fondant, pressed in the mat and used my fondant cutter to score, let it rest a while and finshed the cake in no time!

When I started reading this post (three hours ago), I thought it would be a good idea to start a Word document with a condensed list of all the tips/hints. Well, in case anybody is interested, so far there are 128 tips that took up 8 1/2 pages. I was going to post this list so that we could just add on to it, but I don't think it will fit in this reply. Thanks for all the great tips and here are a couple that I had saved from this site. I haven't had a chance to try any of them yet. Sorry I don't remember who posted them.

"I've patched many cakes and nobody could ever notice. I learned how to make a "cake mortar" at one of my cake decorating classes. You take about 1/2 - 1 CUP of buttercream icing and melt in the microwave. Then you take some of the extra cake from when you leveled it and crumble the cake and stir to make a very thick paste - then you carefully piece the cake together with the "mortar" in between the cracks - this dries and makes the cake look perfect. I also put it over the area on the tops and sides and smooth."

"I was thinking more about baking large cakes to be cut into layers (torted). there is a way around baking such thick cakes (which break more easily) as well as avoiding the issue of torting (which can be perilous with bigger cakes) altogether. you might consider baking a series of thinner layers, like jelly-rolls. this is what we always did in college and in most bakeries i've worked in when making half or full slab (sheet) cakes, and it works equally well with smaller cakes too. for larger cakes you would need a few commercial-size (though still able to fit in a home oven) baking sheets with low sides (like big jelly-roll pans) and silicone parchment paper sheets. line the pans and fill with batter, bake (for less time than the recipe calls cause theyre thinner just watch them and youll see when theyre done), cool, and then run a knife around the edge to release the cake layer. the layer will be attached (but not stuck) to the paper, which gives a support that allows you to handle each sheet of cake like a heavy little quilt, which is an absolute dream compared to big, fragile cake layers that need to be shifted around on boards. invert the first layer on your cakeboard and then peel off the paper, spread on the filling, and then invert the second layer on top, peel of its paper, and so on. you'll then need to chill or freeze the cake, and then trim up the sides with a big saw knife (serrated bread knife) to make them straight and square."

"If you would like a really glossy look to your royal icing (even fresh made) the trick is to put it under a flexible reading lamp with at least a 60 watt bulb in it. Position the light so the bulb is just a couple of inches above the icing. Leave for 10 - 15 minutes the dry as normal in a warm dry place for at least 24 hours. Your icing will have a wonderful gloss ideal for making icing run outs or flowers"

Here is a few tips...

When coloring icing wear disposable gloves. It keeps you from getting that darn coloring on your hands and looking like a smurf. LOL.

After pouring your cake batter in the pans, use a butter knife and run it thought the batter several times before tapping on the table. This helps to get out more air bubbles.

When doing multiple cakes, note that one cake mix will make a 8" round and 6" round single layer. Bake them at the same time and you've kill 2 birds with one stone.

Ceral box bags are great for making a moist cake. Clean and split the bag down the seam and after removing the baked cake from the pan lay the bag on top of the cake and cover with a clean tea towl untill cool.

If you have left over chocolate from making chocolate transfers, just empty in to a ziplock bag and press chocolate in to a disk shape. Seal the bag and store in a cool place. When you need it just open the bag and the chocolate will pop right out then you can remelt the disk shaped chocolate.

Out of food coloring liquid? Just add a little water to color paste untill disolved and you have food coloring. Not a great solution for coloring chocolate!!!

Only need just a little bit of one color and dont want to waste a bag? Just hold the tip between your thumb and middle finger and press icing through the tip with your index finger. This works great for things like making eyes or just small dots of one color.

AMAZING!!!

one of my tips that i can remember at this moment, is relating to fondant and gumpaste, instead of gloves which are fine.... I use crisco on my hands like lotion before i mix the coloring in when you are dones wash your hands every where that the crisco was and the color touched will wash right off. a nice side effect of this is it softens your hands too.

I have been told by people who make the fondant to use corn starch or confectionary sugar to help prevent it from sticking...... I hate that tip it dries the product and makes it stiff, that is why i use crisco any time i touch either product.....because it keeps it moist and usable. In fact i keep a small plastic dish with a cover filled with it so it is right at hand and i am not digging into the crisco container. I use those really small ziploc ones that come in the set that you are not sure what to do with. LOL

Heidi

Rezzycakes, I LOVE your tip about putting a notch in the cake before torting it so that you know where to line it back up at!!! I am ALWAYS trying to remember exactly where my layer is supposed to go back on (and NEVER getting it right)!!! Thanks so much!

Wow! Thanks to everyone for all of their wonderful tips!!! I love this thread!!!

Here's my secret for getting all the grease off of the bowl/dish/utensil explosion that comes with cake decorating. Dawn dishwashing liquid!! It's awsome for getting everything squeaky clean!!

Keep a Swiffer Wet handy to clean up the floor spills.

If using a mix, pop the box open by pushing on the short sides, line with a shopping bag as your tabletop garbage.

Drink a large glass of water and go for a walk before baking. Helps with the cake weight.

Keep a binder of ideas, include where you got it and from who.

Use visible cues, such as a wearing a bright apron, to let your family know if you are baking cakes versus cooking for the family.

Americolor gels = no toothpicks. Nuff said.

For those that are not organized: I keep a pad of paper on the fridge (magnets on the pad) and write down what I use as I use it. Then you can replenish easily. Note: always check necessities ( sugar, flour, butter, eggs) to make sure others haven't forgotten to write it down! Using see-thru containers helps.

Slide recipes in sheet protectors before using. They wipe down afterwards, and you won't lose one due to grease spots.

Love all the tips. Here's a couple I hopefully am not repeating.

1. I like the notching idea for torting and realigning. When I torte (and if I think of it), I stick two toothpicks in the cake directly above each other at any point, and torte between them, leaving one in each new layer. When I need to line the layers back up, I just line up the toothpicks.

2. I decorate mostly with imbc and have warm hands, so I use an ice pack to keep chilling my hand as I go, so my icing won't get soft so quickly while piping. Also imbc is easiest to ice with immediately after making, so I time it so it's just finished right when I need to ice the cake, so I don't have to refridgerate and rebeat it.

3. If I'm not using a store bought cake base, I always always always triple board every cake, no matter how small. Anything less, and it feels too flexible, and always cross-align the corrugated lines of the boards for extra strength before wrapping with fancifoil or whathaveyou.

4. I always ice with that big icing tip--that has saved me more time and crumb problems than probably anything else I own, and I usually don't crumb coat when using it...

5. When blending color into fondant, I leave a mess everywhere (my clothes, the counter...) even when I use gloves, so I got exasperated once and put the whole mess into a large ziplock and kneaded the color into the fondant in the bag, not necessarily sealed shut. It worked like a charm.

6. When working back and forth with black and white fondant when I did a soccer ball, I used two pairs of decorator gloves, BUT I put them both on at the same time! I put the second pair on right over the first to work with the black fondant, then pulled them off and had a fresh clean pair underneath to work with the white. Put the second pair back on to work with the black, etc. As I recall, it was a eureka moment. Up til then I kept getting black bits in the white fondant, etc.

7. I also use my Pampered Chef little plastic scraper to clean counter messes. It comes free with their stoneware products, and I LOVE it.

Hope that helps.

Hi again all! I remembered another tip that was given to me by my decorating instructor. She suggested to take a picture of every cake that you do to add to a portfolio. That way if you are in the cake selling business, or will be in the future, you will have something to show your clients your work. She also said that, along with the photo of your cake, you could give a description of what is used in the decorating (ex. fondant, buttercream, royal, etc.), number of servings & price of that particular cake. That would give clients an idea of the price range of the type of cake they are wanting, or some may even order a cake they see in your portfolio.

wow