The one tip that I have is that I use a hot plate and a large pyrex bowl filled with water to heat my offset spatula to smooth icing. The water stays just hot enough to dip spatula to melt frosting to smooth it. I also use this hot plate to keep chocolate melted when I need to dip fruit or cake balls.
When using any silicone mold (homemade or bought from a cake decorating company) I knead a bit of crisco into the fondant first and it comes right out of the mold. If the mold has very deep cuts, I pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes or so. Regardless of how much detail it has it will come out beautifully.
I've only gotten to page 9 of the previous posts (so these may be somewhere between there and the 30 something pages....) And since everyone is so nice to post something I felt I should too- I have only been flirting with cake decorating for the past few years, but my mom has been a cake artist pretty much all my life...
1. Before & after crumb coating pop the cake into the freezer for just a few minutes so the frosting sets faster..... also do this right before trying to make the edges straight....
2. dip your spatula/ putty knife in hot H2O then wipe off between each swipe, the heat will help get straight edges, keep the frosting from sticking to the utensil and coming off the cake AND helps keep the utensil clean from all the frosting that comes off so it doesnt clump up and end up back on your cake.
3. you can microwave DUFF fondant- but only do it for like 5-10 seconds at a time... it will become uber melty and super hot (enough for 2nd degree burns if you do it too long at one time!!!!)
4. ALL DUFF FONDANTS AND ICINGS ARE GLUTEN FREE!!!! (I was asked to do a gluten free cake for a neighbor, and the girl wanted something cool b/c she had never had one b/c nobody had ever thought to check for her!!!)
5. My mom and I use MDF board, you can get it at Home Depot and its like $5 for a 1/4" x 4'x2' (I think) and it is strong enough to hold most cakes and comes in different thicknesses if you want something sturdier.
6. If you are airbrushing or hand painting designs mix your colour with a little EverClear (grain alcohol) to get a nice texture and easy flow... other alcohols can be used but tequila and gin leave a greasy texture where as EverClear evaporates!... and it is the BEST to clean out an airbrush...
7. Some how it never failed that I get powdered sugar EVERYWHERE when making frosting so I started putting a small towel over the front of my mixer and it helps keep the powdered sugar in the bowl and on the mixer not everywhere (just tap it before you take it off)
8. you can just use plain Canola oil for greasing a pan (it works pretty well, better than the standard Pam, though I dont think it is as good as baker's joy) and it is GLUTEN FREE.
9. If you have the time and ability EXPERIMENT... adding different flavors to cake batter, icing, etc... You'll learn what not to do, and then somethings will surprise you!!!! My best frosting was an accident!
10. Always have fun. If you arent having fun you arent going to like the out come of your cake... frankly you may despise it....
The one tip that I have is that I use a hot plate and a large pyrex bowl filled with water to heat my offset spatula to smooth icing. The water stays just hot enough to dip spatula to melt frosting to smooth it. I also use this hot plate to keep chocolate melted when I need to dip fruit or cake balls.
This is a great idea!!!
I too just stumbled on this thread and took several hours to get through all of it (not in one sitting or I would be numb 
But any tips that I could have shared have already been posted. Thank you CC members for being so generous and sharing your helpful tips!!!! 
You probably all do this anyway but I recently had a eureeka moment and put my chrome and glass digital scales inside a clear plastic bag when I weigh ingrdients out . I was forever getting them covered in flour and sugar dust and it would drive me nuts trying to clean them as there are awkward to get to areas on it.
I have always greased and floured my pans but tried the homemade cake release suggested here and have to say I am converted. Using homemade bake strips the pan release and laying some folded kitchen foil over the top of the cake ( elevated by the strips)I had the most level no need to cut the top off ,no dark sided cake ever and it came out effortlessly....then I managed to drop it while moving it on the cooling rack 
at least I can cover the damage with some BC.
You probably all do this anyway but I recently had a eureeka moment and put my chrome and glass digital scales inside a clear plastic bag when I weigh ingrdients out . I was forever getting them covered in flour and sugar dust and it would drive me nuts trying to clean them as there are awkward to get to areas on it.
What a great idea! I just got a digital scale and have only used it once, but next time I'll have to try the plastic bag.
I've never heard of putting foil on the top of the pan before. I use the flower nails and baking strips, but I'll have to try this foil idea too.
Thanks!!
Use powder colouring, the kind you'd use to colour candy. you mix a pinch of it with the smallest amount of water you can get away with to turn it into a paste, then bob's your uncle.
Can anyone tell me the secret to getting vibrant red gumpaste. Mine is either red with a pink tint or more of an orange tint. I need rose red. Help!!
Also chew bubblegum (sugar-free!) when doing anything with cakes. You won't nibble!
I love this thread. I'm almost through the whole thing and saw this post. I don't know about all states, but in TN chewing gum while preparing food is not allowed. I guess some people may spray when they chew!
OMG you all are great!! This Site is truely a BEAUTIFUL thing! Here is my tip. I live in coastal NC. It can get humid and hot in the summer! Transporting a cake with anything temp sensitive YIKES. My husband is a genius. Xtra lg cardboard box lined with insulating styrofoam from Lowes. styrofoam can be cut easily with a box cutter. He cut different compartments/ dividers for different layers. Air holes in dividers for air circulation so the dry ice (in its own section) can keep it all cool. It worked beautifully. The cake made it on a 3 hour car ride.20 minute boat ride then on a golf cart to it's final destination with not one bit of damage!!!
Been doing it ever since. Not all were as complicated as this one was.
We have all heard of Trains, Planes & Automobiles, but GOLF CARTS??? 
Laurieg, I could just visualize you transporting a cake on a golf cart!! The insulated box using the dry ice is a gem!! Thanks for that tip!! Where do we all come up with these over the top, fantastic ideas? Got to love it!!
I use the whole egg even in white cake. And I always use room temperature eggs, if I forget to set them out I put them in warm water for a little while before using. Makes better cake.
Sometimes at receptions there is no refrigeration for cheesecakes. I add about a cup of melted white chocolate to the batter to help them hold up better. I also freeze my cheesecakes and deliver them frozen and by reception time they are thawed but still cold.
LOVE this thread!!! I use many of these tips I learned here on this forum a couple years ago. Thanks to all who shared. Here's my tip: Instead of purchasing the plastic cupcake inserts for the 9x13 cake box, I make my own! Turn your muffin tin upside down. Tear off a long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold in the middle to make a double thickness of foil. Carefully press the foil around each "cup" of the inverted muffin tin. When you remove the foil, you have a perfectly shaped cupcake "insert" that holds the cupcakes in place even better than the purchsed ones. Cupcake transportation is easy and safe!
LOVE this thread!!! I use many of these tips I learned here on this forum a couple years ago. Thanks to all who shared. Here's my tip: Instead of purchasing the plastic cupcake inserts for the 9x13 cake box, I make my own! Turn your muffin tin upside down. Tear off a long piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and fold in the middle to make a double thickness of foil. Carefully press the foil around each "cup" of the inverted muffin tin. When you remove the foil, you have a perfectly shaped cupcake "insert" that holds the cupcakes in place even better than the purchsed ones. Cupcake transportation is easy and safe!
I just remember something that I can share thanks to PPattyCakes. I don't know if this was already mentioned, but before making my cake batter, I make sure that all of my ingredients are room temperature, i.e., eggs, sourcream, yogurt, eggs, buttermilk, etc., I also use 1 cup of flavored yogurt and a little tube of vanilla pudding in addition to the sourcream in my mix when i'm using WASC. Sometimes I will also use dry vanilla pudding and sift it in with my dry ingredients.
Hope this is useful. 
For me, it makes for better mixing and blending of ingredients, but that's just my preference.
After feeling guilty about not contributing, I finally remembered one! When I was taking Wilton Course II and we made all of those various flowers, I had to take them for the last class 30 miles away. I put my airdried buttercream and royal icing flowers in an empty egg carton. Those little compartments were the perfect size to keep the flowers from sliding around and breaking during my drive to class. I had some left over, so I just put the whole egg carton into a gallon sized ziplock bag once I got home. The flowers still looked great 2 months after the class.
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.
Great idea. To take away the unsureness of cross contamination there are these plastic egg cartons out there. Where I live there are 100's or 1,000's of $1 plus stores here. and I have seen them at a couple of different ones.
I'm only on Page 22 and haven't come across this one yet. But I thought I would add it now before I forget again.
I was working on a last minute bday cake and pressed for time and my 1 year old was not wanting me to finish.
So I sat him down on the floor with a huge plastic bowl, a huge wooden spoon and I gave him the empty cake boxes to play with. And each time I took the shiny wrapper from the 1oz chocolate I gave it to him. Sometimes putting 1 in the bowl or 1 in one of the cake boxes for him to take out and put in the bowl. He had a blast mixing the wrappers with his huge spoon. There were wrappers every where when done but then he had fun picking them up and putting them in the little trash can.
hope this one is not a duplicate but I found this works very nice for me. I use a quilters hard plastic cutting board they use to cut fabric squares. THey have measurements on the outside and little squares all over. This works great coated with small amount of shortening. I roll my fondant out and cut away. Doesnt roll up , and it really works great for cutting long strips ( follow the lines one the board) or squares. **never use that roll up mat anymore...
I remembered a little lifesaver. If your fondant or gumpaste pieces that stand up or stick out, like numbers, leaves that sort of thing didn't dry completely or are kind of floppy you can use a little melted chocolate the same color and put on the back or the piece and put it in the freezer for a minute. It can save your bacon in a rush.
TAKE A PICTURE & LOOK AT IT BEFORE YOU LET THE CAKE GO. This REALLY helps if you are having trouble or you don't think it's "just right"...........take that step back & look thru a picture.
I couldn't tell you how many times I've wished I had the cake back b/c I seen something in the pictures I didn't like![/b]
YUP You Wouldn't think that you would forget the "T" in "Birthday" but I did. It was a crazy day. I totally didn't notice it ....lol.... until after I looked at the Photo of the cake on the way to deliver the cake. Also always always take a repair kit with ya. Not just for repairs but for mistakes.
Man I must have looked at that cake dozens of times. Totally didn't notice that. It was for a friend so we had a good laugh over it.
K I don't know if this makes much deference or if it has been mentioned [on page 31] But I was told when i was young [like 10] that on top of banging the pan to get out bubbles it also helps to run a butter knife through the batter a few times before baking. I do both on the same cake.
P.S. Thank You to each and everyone for all of these awesome tips. I'm just getting into making more cakes and cupcakes for more people and more for fun. :0) So i'm loving all of these and learning so much more.
Without reading all the posts I don't know if this is on here yet. I make "tea" to clean my greasy decorating tips. I place them in a coffee mug, squirt a little dish soap and then pour BOILING water over. Then later I come back and just have to swish and shake clear water over them and they are grease free and clean!! Set on a towel to dry.
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