Hi! I just made my first wedding cake for a friend (it's posted-tips are so appreciated). I've always baked for everyone, but this was my first attempt at serious decorating. The cake turned out looking pretty nice, but I want to be able to present something that looks very elegant and professional. I'm not sure what the right consistency for a decorating buttercream is. The recipe I used tasted good but was a bit stiff and hard to smooth. Should I have added a little corn syrup or anything? Also, I would appreciate any knowledge on rounding the corners of the tiers for a more finished look.

Rounded edges I can help you with but straight edges I'm still having quite a time with. Use a fondant smoother & viva paper towel to do the edges! Let it crust first. Also I large spatual dipped in hot boiling water will get it smooth. Learned it from this site! Look through the "How To's" or tutorials & you will find the help you need. One tutorial is for Faux Fondant. I use the same method to smooth & shape buttercream. It gives pictures & is VERY helpful!! Take a look~ Hope I could help you some~ Welcome to the forum!

I can't help you with the smoothing of the edges, since I prefer mine as sharp as possible, but:

For the stiff & hard to smooth icing, thin it out some with some corn syrup. It doesn't change the taste as far as I've noticed, and it does make it soo much easier to smooth it.

For smoothing the sides, I use a 3" ultra stiff putty knife. It seems to work so much better for me than the spatulas, which are way to flexible and "whippy" for me. For the top, I either use the 15" spatula and take one or two swipes across the top, or I use the upside-down technique that's posted on here in the articles section, which works fairly well.

Illy

If you are looking for perfectly smooth "rounded" edges on your cake,
Follow this article:
http://cakecentral.com/article10-How-To-Create-Faux-Fondant.html

If you are looking for sharp, crisp edges, follow this article
http://cakecentral.com/article6-Upside-Down-Icing-Technique-for-Perfectly-Smooth-Icing.html

Also, if you notice your icing isn't sticking to the cake, and is very hard to smooth, add some water a few drops at a time.

I have wanted to try the upside down technique. I've tried faux fondant. Can you do that upside down tech w/ large size cakes? I'm doing a wedding cake that will be 8" (that won't be hard to do the tech on) but the others will be 12" & 16". Will they be too heavy to turn over & all? I would love to do it this way! But I think they'll be too heavy. Has anyone used that technique on larger cakes?

It shouldn't be that hard; just make sure that you're using plywood or masonite boards and have some extra hands to help when you flip the cake. I did my niece's birthday cake, a two layer 10" square, with no assistance, but the extra weight of anything larger - and the boards - will probably require some help.

Good luck! Post pics?

Illy

when I smooth out my icing, i get my finger indents no matter how light I touch it.... I use wax paper to smooth the top, but not always do I get a beautifully smooth look.... my next purchase is a fondant smoother.... maybe it will help.

Thanks so much guys. Maybe next time I can get the professional look that I'm trying to get. What exactly is the upside down tech?

i tried the corn syrup for the first time on my cupcake cakes and my husband said it was nasty. i wondering if i used too much.

Nevermind, I see the article on the upside down tech. thanks

see that scares me... the taste of the corn syrup on top of a cake.... I dont mind the taste normally, but on top of a cake?? I dunno.

i didn't put it in the icing, i used it in my bct.

Oh, I was thinking you did that coating to make the cakes stay moist! OK OK I am so

I didn't do the upside down technique, but I took tips from it. I traced a circle on a board, like it said, and glued some wax paper to it (with icing). I iced the board and put it in the fridge (like the directions said). Once it got cold enough, I spread a thin layer of icing on the cake (so it will stick). I put the circle, cold from the fridge on the cake. Finish smoothing the sides and pull the circle off, then gently peel the wax paper off. It was completely level on the top. No dips or anything. It was pertfect. The sides that's a different story

When you make your butter cream frosting add 6tsp to cake flour and your forsting will smoth out faster and easier, this frosting is great on wedding cakes.[/img]

Isn't it funny how everyone has different problems with icing a cake. Mine is getting the top edges straight. Mchelle I see yours is the sides. We all have are little problems don't we? One day we'll be able to ice a cake w/ no problems!!

Obviously its the BC recipes that make all the difference. I just need to find the perfect recipe for me.