Now that the unthinkable has happened, this seems like it should've been obvious from the start, but here goes...
For those who make & use simple syrups to brush onto torted cakes before filling: USE A SILICONE BRUSH!!!
I only use syrups for a couple of my recipes, and I served one of them last night at a family member's birthday dinner, when *GASP!* a pastry brush bristle showed up in my piece of cake. (I CANNOT imagine having to explain that to an upset bride!! Thank goodness it was for family and in my piece!) Never again...I immediately threw out all 3 of my regular pastry brushes and replaced them with silicone ones.
This happened to me as well. Luckly I noticed a bristle come off while I was brushing. I couldn't find my silicone brush at the moment, so I wrapped the brush loosly with saran wrap and put a rubberband around it to hold it on. I'll definately use a silicone brush the next time, but this worked in a pinch. It's funny the ideas we come up with when we're desperate 
My tip is for those that don't use the icing plugs and use crusting buttercream. I hate rinsing all that shortening down my drains. Fearing it will eventually cause problems.
Let your icing bags after you have used all you are going to use (squeeze excess in a ziplock & freeze) and bowls you use to mix the colors sit out over night. The bowls will be crusted over and easy to scrap into the trash can. The bags can be turned inside out and scraped into the trash also. Or turn them inside out the night before. Then you will be putting minimal shortening/butter down your drains.
Also, when cleaning your tips either by boiling or the microwave method, pour your "dirty/oily" water off into another container and place in refrigerator over night and the fat will solidify and you can peel it off the top and toss it into the trash instead of down your drains. I also boil a large pot of water to help flush it all down at the end of me cleaning session!
I live in Alaska and I'm always worried about plumbing issues here because the ground temp stays frozen longer than the lower 48.
I saw someone's post about the Amazing Mold Putty from Michaels. I recently used this to make letters for a cake. I didn't have time to order tappits online, and I really didn't want to use my Wilton alphabet cutter set because I don't like the style of lettering. So I went to the wood section in Michael's and bought a box of wooden letters (the kind meant to paint and add to frames, etc). They had a few different styles...I got italics. I used my Amazing Mold Putty to make a mold of each letter I needed for the message on the cake. It was a long message (a HUGE sheet cake!), so the actual molding process was a bit time consuming. However, I will have those molds for a while and can use them whenever I need cute writing on my cake! The mold is silicone and very flexible, so the fondant literally slid right out of the mold. I wouldn't use any crisco or cornstarch at all...at times I had trouble with trying to keep the fondant in the mold in order to fill the cavity because it wanted to slide right out! The putty is in the clay section at Michaels. I used my coupon and got it for like $10.00 I think.
Although I must waste a lot of icing because I usually end up throwing out the left over icing -like - 1/2 of green & 1/4 cup of pink & 1 cup of blue.
I take all my leftover colors, mix them together, add cocoa powder and milk as needed to make chocolate buttercream. Sometimes it isn't the prettiest, but on brownies or cake at home or the office, it really doesn't matter. 
After reading all 27 pages I think I still have a tip that's not mentioned, amazing. Anyway, I thought of this the hard way, when airbrushing a cake you can put up a trifold project board to prevent overspray from going everywhere. I did this when I was doing my turkey cake and it was a much easier cleanup. I didn't have to clean everything in my kitchen. I hope this helps someone. Happy Baking.
All of these tips are amazing. What an awesome community of people to share all of this. 
It has been mentioned when mixing cakes to put the liquid ingredients in the bowl first then the dry. I do that but I also want to mention that I always put in the ingredients in the bowl in a specific order. No I'm not OCD. LOL I always do eggs first (easier to count whole eggs if I lose count- and easier to fish out egg shells), then oil, then water, then flavoring. I find if the phone rings or distracted by someone I can easily tell what I have added in and where I am in the recipe.
I also use vanilla, almond, and butter flavoring in my cakes and my icing. I mix them all together in the ratio that I use and place in a one gallon jug. I have a smaller bottle I put it in for ease of measuring. Then I only have to measure once instead of three separate times. Hope that makes sense.
When I need a lot of black/red RI. I use airbrush color in place of the water when mixing up the RI. This works great when I'm making a lot of Santa Claus climbers on peppermint sticks.
Whew! Just finished all 27 pages of these amazing tips...hours later I might add...lol! Thank you so much everyone! Hopefully I will be able to add to this list as well. I did try to find the post about what to do when you forget to have soft butter....put it in a bowl then put that bowl in another bowl with warm water? If anyone knows of this method (besides leaving it sit out in room temperature...could you please post it again? Thanks much everyone! Fantastic tips! 
my tip is for thawing butter...i put the butter in a bowl of tap water....it softens quickly but id doesnt melt and get oily...changing the results of the cake. i find that when i leave it out on the counter it gets too soft.
Is this the one you were thinking of? It's way back on page 1. 
I haven't made it all the way through yet but haven't seen this mentioned.
For crisco, peanut butter, etc, I use the Pampered Chef measuring cup that's reversible liquid/solid. It's perfect and scrapes out with no residue leftover. I've used Pam before and wasn't nearly as pleased with the results as this.
I also use the PC scrapers that come with their stoneware to scrape any residue leftover.
Also, perhaps instead of using wasteful plastic wrap each time, maybe use a kitchen towel to catch messes. It's easy to clean up as well.
I cover my floor area with a bed sheet(s), then no grease gets on floor and I just fold up the sheet at end and shake outdoors! No worries on grease or crumbs to pick up!! Made a difference and I bought the sheet at thrift shops or used old ones of ours! Works like a charm!
LOVE THIS SITE!!
I cover my floor area with a bed sheet(s), then no grease gets on floor and I just fold up the sheet at end and shake outdoors! No worries on grease or crumbs to pick up!! Made a difference and I bought the sheet at thrift shops or used old ones of ours! Works like a charm!
LOVE THIS SITE!!
love it! i have so many old sheets anyway.
Great tips!!! I have another one re: torting
Before torting your cake, cut a small vertical notch on the side of your cake, (top to bottom). Then after you do your filling, you just line up the notches, slide your top layer back on and it will be even!
Such a no brainer but I never thought of it! I love this, thank you!
[quote thanks also to whimsette, i will try using the copha, i had already been using butter and margarine, but wanted my icing in particular to be whiter, thanks
Violet food coloring makes yellow frosting white. You just add a VERY TINY bit and it will offset the yellow just enough to make it white.
I wonder if this tip would work for MMF?? Mine is always off white.
This thread is FANTASTIC!
My tip (for saving the info I'm learning here!) is - I'm printing the topic (at work of course! 
), clipping all the pages together like a book, then highlighting all the info I'm finding interesting.
That way, when I'm looking for a piece of information I can just review the highlighted portions instead of pulling my hair out trying to remember what page I saw it on.
If someone has a better idea than this, please post!
P.S. After I read through the entire thread, I'll pick my own brain to add something here and try not to be redundant.
Thanks again everyone
I copy and paste any tips that I am interested in and send them to myself in an email and then save them in a folder with my emails. My computer is next to where I do my cake decorating so they are always handy to get.
I do that too, but mostly so I can get tips/ideas that Ive found from my work pc to my home pc . Otherwise, if Im on my home pc already, I just save the info to a cake stuff folder on my pc.
Oh oh! I think I sent this topic off on a tangent. Sorry everyone ... 
Here's a caking tip I just learned about cutting the sweetness of buttercream. Very simple ... just cut down on the PS added! Duh! I know.
I use Indydebi's BC recipe. I love almost everything about it, but I did find it a little sweet for my tastes. Instead of adding salt, as I had read some people do, I experimented.
I now only add 1 1/2 lbs. of PS, instead of the full 2 lbs. It tastes great, and yes, it still crusts perfectly!
Hope that helps someone!
"how do you save it to a folder on your pc? I know how to create a folder on my desk top but I only know how to save pictures in it. "
Depends on what it is, but normally I copy and paste the info into a wordprocessing document and save it into my "cake stuff" folder.
* edited to say, guess I should have quoted the question... a couple comments slipped in while I was typing so my reply didn't make too much sense all on it's own.
my tip is for thawing butter...i put the butter in a bowl of tap water....it softens quickly but id doesnt melt and get oily...changing the results of the cake. i find that when i leave it out on the counter it gets too soft.
Is this the one you were thinking of? It's way back on page 1.
Yes, mpetty, this was it! Whew...all the way back on page one? 
Thanks for finding it for me. I have always had a mess with the butter by putting in in the microwave or leaving it out over night. Now it will go right in my "Cake Stuff Tips" folder!
Hi Girls,
I use PVC pipe to stack my cakes. This gives it a great support and it's inexspensive.
I use hotwater to smooth my BCI (I place my spatula in hot water and use it to smooth the BCI)
Do you know the Grip Liner that you can get to line your drawers with...its non-skid. I use that and cut to fit under my cake board when transporting in my car. IT WILL NOT MOVE!!!!
I love that stuff! I use it under my cutting boards on the kitchen counter so they don't wiggle around.
I also use it under cakes inside a Tupperware or Wilton Cake taker, so again the cakes won't slip around inside. Thanks for reminding me.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%