Please - I need some help! I am making a baptism cake for my nephew's christening next week and have decided to practice (boy do I need to practice!!). I am using buttercream frosting on the cake and am have a really hard time frosting and making the frosting come out nice and smooth and even. I tried last night and it was a disaster!!! I am thinking that maybe the buttercream was not thinned enough??? Please any suggestions!
what kind of buttercream are you using?
is it a crusting type?
if you use a crusting type, you can use the VIVA paper towel method:
tutorial >> Vival Paper Towel Method
Thanks for the quick reply. I did use the crusting buttercream and had trouble using the Viva paper towel method (maybe it's just that I am a beginner at this - because I had problems doing the Viva paper towel method as well). I feel very frustrated right now, but I am going to keep trying. . . any other suggestions?
I've always found this cake difficult to ice. It does, however, usually look good when it is done, even though it looks so bad after the icing phase before the decorating!! I've done it several different ways. cornelli lace hides some imperfections very nicely!! I've got several cross cakes in my photos if it will help.
good luck!
I and others use the hot spatula technique.
large, tall glass or pan of very hot (near boiling) big enough to dip spatual into and get it hot then....
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variation 1: don't wipe it off, the water will act as lubricant and use to smooth icing.
variation 2: wipe it off, and let heat do all the work
variation 3: separate spray bottle of HOT water. get spatula hot, wipe off. light mist cake and smooth (this is the one I prefer, good compromise between 1 and 2. 1 can get too wet, 2 icing sometimes sticks to spatula)
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keep redipping spatual and be sure to clean any icing off of spatual before doing another section.
many will do this first, let buttercream dry off and crust and then finish w/ viva towel method for final smoothing.
debate on viva method -- use hands or use fondant smoothers. try both to see which you prefer.
it's really a lot of repeated experimentation to find what works best for you.
HTH
Thanks to you both for your wonderful suggestions and for making me feel a little better - especially letting me know that the cross cake is hard to frost - I thought it was me
I LOVE the hot spatula techniques you have provided and am going to try them. Again - THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
Any more suggestions - keep 'um coming!!
Thanks for this thread! I am doing my first cross cake in a couple of weeks and I guess I should try a practice one. I am putting mine on a sheet cake though..I guess I cut out some cardboard in the shape of the cross and dowel the sheet cake like I would a tier cake?
Thanks for this thread! I am doing my first cross cake in a couple of weeks and I guess I should try a practice one. I am putting mine on a sheet cake though..I guess I cut out some cardboard in the shape of the cross and dowel the sheet cake like I would a tier cake?
yes: if you want to be easily able to take it off sheet cake and serve separately
no: should work like a regular two layer cake with icing inbetween the layers and then some people just get extra thick/big slices! (ME!!!!!)
Wow! Doug - thanks for all the information; I am putting the cross cake on a sheet cake as well and thought that I needed dowels as well. The sheet cake will stand the weight of the cross cake without collapsing?? To be honest, I would rather work it as a 2-layer cake - if it is safe.
Loriemoms - definitely do a practice run if it is your first time (like me) doing a cross cake.
If I work it as a 2 layer cake, how many will it serve?
whatever the sheet cake would serve.
the people who get a part cut from where the cross is will just get an extra big piece.
if you separate cross from sheet, then sheet + # servings in cross (about 12 good size ones I think -- mine tend toward the 2x2 size)
Hello;
If your heart is not set on buttercream, then try covering the cake with rolled fondant. The cross will be smooth and then you can still decorate with buttercream.
ciao
I've made the cross twice and you are right, it is very hard to ice. The first time was just a quick job, it was for a family Christmas party so I didn't really care how it turned out. The second time was for a Baptism so it had to be perfect. It took awhile but I think I got it to look okay, it's in my files. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get it.
I find the cross cake nearly impossible to ice. I did such a terrible job on DS's First Communion cake, I ended up covering it in fondant. The sharp corners are a pain, but the top is also beveled!!
You are all great with the advise and it's nice to know that I am not the only one that finds the cross pan hard to ice (I thought it might be me). Anyway, I stepped away from it today for the day and will start again tomorrow with a fresh new attitude and will try all the great tips I have received (thank you!). If it still does not work, I will make the MMF and cover the cake and work from there.
Here is another thought: if you really want to decorate with buttercream, how about instead of smooth icing, cover it with stars (different colors and/or different sizes) and then add whatever other decoration you were already considering.
just a thought...
ciao
The cross I have to do is an order and the customer wants buttercream (very white) with poka dots all over the belved sides and flowers on top...
so I can't go the fondant or star route. But I will do a practice one and see if I can figure out any tips!
OK... and the customer is always right!...
I guess you are back to 1) a good crusting buttercream recipe; 2) smooth with hot spatual; 3) finish with VIVA towel.
good luck!!
ciao
are you using the cross shaped pan or are you cutting it from a sheet pan? iv used the cross pan once and i found it difficult , i cut all my crosses from 1/2 or full sheets(straight down the middle of it long ways and then one of those halves cuts a 1/3 and i put it together) its alot easier to ice due to the sharp edges and corners, however i also have a straight edge metal cake smoother for my sides of the cake and it lets you get into the corners of the cross to get it almost perfect.
I actually tried icing the cross cake again and it went a little better this time. Since it is probably going to be very hot out, I used a BC using only Crisco and it was a bit smoother; it did take me an extremely long time and though not great, I am planning to cover with cornelli lace and i think it should be fine. One thing, since it did take me a long time to frost the cake, what I did was box, plastic wrap and freeze the iced cake, so that i don't have to go through that again. On Friday night, I will defrost and begin stacking and decorating on Saturday (the christening is on Sunday). I figured if I start decorating the cake on Saturday morning and it still does not look good, I can use the extra cross cake I baked and go with MMF. Wishe me luck!!!
Hi Moralna, welcome to CC. I too did a cross cake for Easter and it was a royal pain especially because the cake was chocolate and the icing was white. It was my 3rd of 3 cakes for an Easter brunch at church and by the time I got to the cross cake I was wiped out! You are very smart to practice ahead of time so that you know what you are dealing with and I am sure it will look fabulous. Be sure to post pictures and best of luck to you!
Samsgranny - thank you so much for your well wishes; your cross looks great! It's funny because my cake is a marble chocolate chip cake and it is going to be sitting on a square sheet cake made of cookies and cream. Hopefully, if not gorgeous, it will taste good!! Also, the all Crisco BC is a little on the bland side, but since it has been so hot, I rather be a bit bland and figure the taste of the cakes will pick up on the icing + I am going to do the cornelli lace in the Wilton decorator frosting (thinned a bit), which is a little sweeter and will offset the Crisco BC. I will definitely take pictues
I had some extra cake batter yesterday, and decided to throw it into the cross cake and do a practice cake. It really wasn't that bad...I discovered that if you use the small, pointed shaped spatula, you can get into those corners pretty well, and the angle top is easier, becuase it is nice and small. I also found this wonderful recipe using the hi ratio shortening that is SO smooth!! I frosted this cake in like 10 minutes and quickly threw some roses on it. I would never sell this cake but it was great practice!
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