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Perfectly smooth icing on sheet cakes...how? - Page 2

post #16 of 32
2/5/11 at 3:19pm
After icing the cake, let set for 15 minutes. Then once the icing has crusted over, take a parchment triangle, used to make icing cones, and lay it on the cake and take a metal spatula and smooth the parchment triangle. The icing must be set or crusted over or the icing will come off onto the parchment triangle. You might have to use a couple of triangles since each one should only be used 2-3 times to smooth the icing.

I am a newbie to cake decorating and this works beautifully.

I suppose you could even use standard parchment paper that comes on a roll too. I just have always used a triangle because it is what I have on hand.
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post #17 of 32
2/5/11 at 3:41pm
If you want a bigger spatula go into the drywall section of the hardware store you can get big one there that are either plastic or metal.
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post #18 of 32
2/5/11 at 4:12pm
ah, that makes sense, thank, dnaboo. i thought that may be it, but for all i knew it had some kind of weird coating on it, lol. i guess, though, that if you really loved the pattern on 'brawny' then you'd use that, eh? icon_smile.gif
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post #19 of 32
2/5/11 at 7:02pm
I just use the plastic scrapers and a turntable, but I use a non crusting buttercream. All of my cakes look as smoth as fondant. I think part of it is also just practice, practice!
Blog: www.clasiccakescarmel.com/blog/
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Blog: www.clasiccakescarmel.com/blog/
Website: http://classiccakescarmel.com
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post #20 of 32
2/5/11 at 7:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by classiccake

I just use the plastic scrapers and a turntable, but I use a non crusting buttercream. All of my cakes look as smoth as fondant. I think part of it is also just practice, practice!



All of your cakes look like art work! I've been a fan for a while your cakes are breathtaking and always fresh and unique, love love!!
"You have to stop the Q-Tip when there's resistance." Chandler Bing
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"You have to stop the Q-Tip when there's resistance." Chandler Bing
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post #21 of 32
2/5/11 at 8:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mpetty

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose_N_Crantz

Even using a credit card works well too.



I was watching the season premiere of last week and noticed Buddy's cousin smoothing the edges of a cake with what looked liked either a plastic card or a stiff piece of cardstock. I was surprised, but maybe it's more common than I thought.



Buddy uses actual cardstock to smooth his cakes. It works wonders. He demonstrates the technique on the Cake Boss section of the TLC website under videos. I've been working on getting my corners super sharp and my sides flat/square. I use SMBC, coat, blast in freezer for 15 mins, scrape with a 6" puddy knife for the sides of the cake, use a large metal ruler for the top, Viva the corners to get the little bits back smooth, let it come back to room temp then smooth again with the cardstock.

BTW, finding the right thickness of cardstock precut to postcard size was impossible to find, so I bought a pad of artist's sketch paper that's acid free and cut them myself to the size I needed.
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post #22 of 32
2/5/11 at 8:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

Quote:
Originally Posted by mpetty

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose_N_Crantz

Even using a credit card works well too.



I was watching the season premiere of last week and noticed Buddy's cousin smoothing the edges of a cake with what looked liked either a plastic card or a stiff piece of cardstock. I was surprised, but maybe it's more common than I thought.



Buddy uses actual cardstock to smooth his cakes. It works wonders. He demonstrates the technique on the section of the TLC website under videos. I've been working on getting my corners super sharp and my sides flat/square. I use SMBC, coat, blast in freezer for 15 mins, scrape with a 6" puddy knife for the sides of the cake, use a large metal ruler for the top, Viva the corners to get the little bits back smooth, let it come back to room temp then smooth again with the cardstock.

BTW, finding the right thickness of cardstock precut to postcard size was impossible to find, so I bought a pad of artist's sketch paper that's acid free and cut them myself to the size I needed.




This really works with SMBC? I always find my SMBC sticky (because it is non-crusting)...is there something magical about cardstock that doesn't stick to roo-temp SMBC?

Life's too short to make cake pops.
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www.sweetperfectioncakes.blogspot.com.au/
www.facebook.com/sweetperfectioncakes (come visit sometime!)

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Life's too short to make cake pops.
___________________________________
www.sweetperfection.com.au

www.sweetperfectioncakes.blogspot.com.au/
www.facebook.com/sweetperfectioncakes (come visit sometime!)

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post #23 of 32
2/5/11 at 8:36pm
Any tips for the top edge of the cake? I always wind up with a ridge. If I smooth the top it pushes out to the side, then when I smooth the side it pops up on top! It is almost funny but frustrating.
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post #24 of 32
2/5/11 at 8:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evoir


This really works with SMBC? I always find my SMBC sticky (because it is non-crusting)...is there something magical about cardstock that doesn't stick to roo-temp SMBC?



It takes practice, but mostly yes. It will skim a little off, but not a bunch. You have to have the perfect "touch", the right thickness of the paper, you have to spin your turntable kind of fast, and you can't pass over the same spot several times. Flater angle, paper not too thick, not too thin. It's also great because sometimes SMBC gets that weird discoloration after you scrape it, you know what I mean? The cardstock removes it. I just looked at the paper I use, it's 140lb acid free non-toxic smooth textured watercolor artist's paper. Anyway, I'm still working on my technique, but I am getting better and better (faster, too).
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post #25 of 32
2/5/11 at 8:39pm
Cool! Thanks for the explanation icon_smile.gif That sounds like something I'll need to practice. And yeah - its inmportant to avoid that discolouration. I think working faster with SMBC goes a long way to helping avoid that too.

Life's too short to make cake pops.
___________________________________
www.sweetperfection.com.au

www.sweetperfectioncakes.blogspot.com.au/
www.facebook.com/sweetperfectioncakes (come visit sometime!)

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Life's too short to make cake pops.
___________________________________
www.sweetperfection.com.au

www.sweetperfectioncakes.blogspot.com.au/
www.facebook.com/sweetperfectioncakes (come visit sometime!)

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post #26 of 32
2/7/11 at 11:28am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tips! I have used both the Viva and Melvira methods, but still can't seem to get the hang of a perfectly smooth top of the cake and any cake that is wider than the paper towel or foam roller. The cardstock tip is new to me, do you use it like a scraper? I have used a bench scraper for the sides of cakes, but again they were never wide enough to do the top without leaving a line. Thanks for the other tool recommendations.

I have always wondered how the supermarket bakeries do it when they surely don't have the time to obsess over perfection. Anybody know? I'm sure they are very practiced, but what method or tool do they use?
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post #27 of 32
2/7/11 at 3:52pm
OK Buddy's icing video...

http://tlc.discovery.com/videos/cake-boss-icing-a-cake-buddy-style.html
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post #28 of 32
2/7/11 at 4:12pm
That is exactly how I do it also, except I use plastic instead of posterboard.
Works everytime.
Blog: www.clasiccakescarmel.com/blog/
Website: http://classiccakescarmel.com
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Blog: www.clasiccakescarmel.com/blog/
Website: http://classiccakescarmel.com
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post #29 of 32
2/21/13 at 5:37am

I also saw that episode of cake boss and was wondering if anyone else uses card stock as a scraper. He didn't smooth with it the way you would viva. He used it as a scraper. And it seemed to work like a charm. 

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post #30 of 32
2/21/13 at 11:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by crp7 View Post

Any tips for the top edge of the cake? I always wind up with a ridge. If I smooth the top it pushes out to the side, then when I smooth the side it pops up on top! It is almost funny but frustrating.

 

I use a bench scraper and IMBC. It's just a matter of practice and a light touch, as FSSF said. Frost your top, then your sides. Scrape your sides, Smooth your edges to the center. Very light touch!, Then keep smoothing toward the center. You'll get smaller and smaller lines. 











 

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