I know u can use a paper towel to smooth bc. Is it wet or dry? What is the technique?

take a viva paper towel, dry, and after your buttercream has crusted lay the paper towel on top and smooth using your hands. hth

Or you can also use a foam paint roller to add pressure just roll it all over the paper towel then lift and you have a smooth cake!!

Check this video!
Edna

The first time I saw this done was 29 years ago...I had a guest speaker who did wedding cakes talk to my clsss and demonstrate. He whipped out that roll of paper towel, smoothed and my mouth dropped. I had been taught the old straight edge in the cup of hot water method and never was great at it. from then on its been paper towels for me. I find myself studying the designs on all the towels while in the grocery..sometimes,I do get some strange looks from people in the store. untill I joined this I didn't even know there was a towel that was plain like Viva...I tend to go for the cheaper brands....now I'll have to get some Viva. I love buttercreame icing that can be made to look like fondant..

My brother was just over and I was using the VIVA on my BC cake. He mentioned that those blue paper towels they sell in the tool section at Costco don't have any design either and are really nice and thick. Has anyone ever tried them? I'm going to have to go over to my FIL house and steal some to try next time - he's always got some on hand.

I hope that blue lint doesn't come off on your cake! Let us know how it goes

It is highly suggested by the makers of Viva paper towels to only use the plain white towels. If you use any with a color, you could get dye on your icing. Colors in paper towels tend to bleed.

EWWW - I didn't think about the color bleeding or the lint...I think Viva will be my paper towel of choice.

viva is the way to go!!!

My brother.... mentioned that those blue paper towels they sell in the tool section at Costco

I don't think these would be a good idea as they are not intended for use around, much less *on*, food. I'll stick to Viva thank you.

I use Viva with a fondant "float" smoother.

I will definitely have to try this method as I have seen the cakes that use it and they are GORGEOUS!!!

This could easily be my favorite trick I've learned on CC. It's amazing how great it works!

very cool. I will definitely try, but hey can I use wax paper? Would this give me the same results?

I can't find Viva papertowels. When you say it has no pattern, does that mean it is perfectly smooth like paper, or does it still have dimpling like an orange peel? I can find paper towel with just dimpling, but it doesn't seem to make the buttercream perfectly smooth -- the dimples still show up, although it gets rid of obvious edges.

Viva works so incredibly well! Here I'd been struggling along for 5 years with parchment paper (cuz that's what they told me in those Wilton classes). I bought Sugarshack's DVD and after watching that, I also bought a roll of VIVA and good lord what a difference! I now just wish I'd actually tried it years ago--thinking back on all those wasted frustrating hours I spent trying to smooth BC with other methods!!! Oh well, live and learn!!

SERIOUSLY -- is Viva sold in Canada? Or is it under another brand name?