Before I ask my question, I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone for the helpful tips I have read over the past few years. This is only my second post as I haven't had much experience in cake decorating, but would love to do and learn more!!!

Anyway, I have done a few ball shaped cakes and have had trouble getting a smooth finish on my buttercream. I watch Ace of Cakes and Amazing Wedding Cakes and it looked like they used some sort of a template to ensure the buttercream was smooth and perfectly round. Is there such a tool and where can I buy one? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't tried this myself, but when I have had video demo's from yummyarts dot com on domed shapes they use a strip of clear acetate. I am not sure where you get it from. If I was to do it I think I would cut a rectangle from some flexible plastic, maybe a cool-whip container. Then hold it bent in a curve the same as the cake to get a curve in the icing. That would allow you to ice in a curve and you can adjust the bend in the plastic (by how you hold it) to whatever curve you need. Hope this comes across, it is hard for me to explain.

Also, I think Ace of Cakes usually uses fondant, not sure about the other show. I don't have cable. But getting smooth and round in fondant would be a different process than buttercream.

I got a roll of acetate at Walmart I think in the section where contact paper is sold.

On an episode of Fabulas cakes on TLC one of the cake decorators used a strip of wax paper that was folded up.

I really wish that I could get these shows. I have never seen any of them. Our cable company doesn't offer these channels. I have been thinking of changing to satelite so that I can get these, but I just haven't done it as of yet.
Sorry I know that I am totally off subject here.

Go to http://community.webshots.com/user/abbyniemeier
The click on the album: faux fondant technique. The tool you make from the 2 liter pop bottle will work well too for smoothing out balls. A piece of flexible plastic or part of a plastic lid, an old credit card. Experiment, I'm sure you'll find something that will work for you.
Good luck!

I have the Planet Cakes book and they recommend "flexi scrapers". If you get an acetate or an overhead projector slide and cut it into a rectangle which fits in to the palm of your hand (with rounded corners). Works well if you have one in each hand.
All the best!

VIVA PAPER TOWELS are the best tools for smoothing butter cream on anything!! Apply the butter cream on the cake (smoothing as best as you can) then allow to crust over for about 15 min. Gently apply a VIVA (yes it must be this brand) paper towel to the cake and slide your fingers over the paper towel. NOT MOVING THE PAPER TOWEL JUST PRESSING GENTLY PRESSING AND SLIDING YOUR FINGERS TO SMOOTH IT OUT. I use this technique all the time when working with butter cream.

Here is an example of a dome (sports ball pan) cake I just did using butter cream.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1829421

Good Luck & hope this helps

I agree with the acetate strips. I use these often as I only use IMBC and cream cheese icing. Before I discovered acetate however I would cut strips of parchment paper (about 2 inches wide) and fold it in half. I put the cake on the turn table and hold the strip with both hands starting at the bottom and working my way to the top of the cake. HTH

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions. I will definitely try the acetate

Paper towel and a fondant smoother. This is what I used for my helmet cake and it worked like a charm. If you want it smooth use Viva if you want to leave a pattern use Bounty, Brawny or off brands.

OK, here is one of my (to date) best kept secrets...

Head to your local paint, hardware store or WalMart type store. Get a short(4 or 6") paint roller with 1" diameter foam rollers. Wash the rollers well with soap and hot water or in your dishwasher.

Smooth the frosting the best you can and allow to crust (I usually wait 15-20 minutes). Dampen (not wet) the roller and gently roll it over the surface. I've used this technique on everthing from sheet cakes to petal shapes and it works great.

Happy Baking!

I use a strip of card, Or waxed paper, You can curve the paper to the shape of the dome (You will need several strips) and you simply drag it over the dome, and it will smooth it to perfection for you I use this way everytime, and everytime it works perfect.

I recently made a cheeseburger cake frosting entirely in SMBC.  I had purchased a domed cake pan but my "buns" still need to be rounded off.  I did a lil sculpting after filling/crumb coating/chilling the cakes.  Then I did my final frost and as always put on an extra thick layer.  I let the cakes chill another hour or two in the frig so they were nice and firm.  Then I used the cut-out from a 2L soda bottle mentioned here.  It worked perfectly!  You have to hold the plastic piece just right in your hand and keep it steady.  It also helps that the piece it sized proportionate to your cake's height and not too long of a strip.  It took a lil practice but this gave me a beautifully smooth and rounded edge - very close to fondant.  Here's a pic of the finished cheeseburger cake...