Just looking for opinion here, since I know there's no right answer, but can a cake look professional and not be smooth? I know there's a certain look that you don't attempt to smooth out, but what about just a regular decorated cake?

Here are a couple of my latest cakes and as you can see I don't get them all that smooth. I used to spend a lot of time trying to get my cakes smooth and now I don't put that much effort into the process. Just try and get them even and work on getting a nice base.

So, should I have spent more time on these cakes? Would I have had a much better product if I had? How important is having a smooth surface, in your opinion?

Your cakes look great...I LOVE the Mickey cake, especially the script. Very nice. I think the smoothness just depends on the cake...sometimes cakes look better when they are not as precise and perfect looking. I guess it depends on the function, formality and overall look you're going for.

Your cakes are beautiful!!
Angie

My personal opinion is smooth is the best but some times it is harder than others. I charge a good amount for my occasion cakes and twice that for my wedding cakes. I feel that the client is paying for the best so that is what I try to give them. MY best! It also depends who the cake is for and how much time you have to get it done.

Like for instance I was asked to do a cake 3 days before it was do and it was just like yours. I think your cakes look great and I'm sure no one even cared.

After your icing sets use a piece of parchment paper and lay it on the top of the cake then run your hand over it to smooth out the lines. You can also use a VIVA paper towel.
Good Luck

I love your designs on your cakes, but I definitely think they would have looked more professional if the base icing had been smoother. I'm new to cake decorating, but I know when I didn't do cake decorating, and I saw someone buy a cake that wasn't smooth, I always thought "well I could have done that."

There's just something about the smoothness, and the skill it takes to get that smoothness, that makes a cake more presentable.

I had a lot of luck with the crusting buttercream and viva paper towel method (see the heart shaped cake in my photos). It got the icing perfectly smooth. Wish I had done it with the babyshower cake, it doesn't look near as good and a lot of it has to do with the not so smooth icing.

Hope this helps.

I love your designs on your cakes, but I definitely think they would have looked more professional if the base icing had been smoother. I'm new to cake decorating, but I know when I didn't do cake decorating, and I saw someone buy a cake that wasn't smooth, I always thought "well I could have done that."

There's just something about the smoothness, and the skill it takes to get that smoothness, that makes a cake more presentable.

I had a lot of luck with the crusting buttercream and viva paper towel method (see the heart shaped cake in my photos). It got the icing perfectly smooth. Wish I had done it with the babyshower cake, it doesn't look near as good and a lot of it has to do with the not so smooth icing.

Hope this helps.

I've tried the paper towel method and sometimes I'm happy with it, other times not. Appreciate the feedback. I don't charge much for my cakes, but at the same time I do want them to look sharp. I think part of my frustration with smoothing a cake might be with my icing. I used to use the Wilton class recipe, but then later switched to one that had a better flavor. Seems since I did that I was never able to get my cakes perfectly smooth. So, I decided taste was more important to me than smoothness. Still, I do hear what you're all saying and I appreciate your opinions. Maybe I need to find yet another recipe.

Mine crusts, but when I go to smooth it seems there's always a place that will stick, even after I've let it sit. If it sits too long I find that smoothing doesn't work at all. I get cracks and wierd textures. I've tried the water and spatula method and in fact that's what you see on my baby shower cake here. That's the best I can do using that particular method.

So, next question is what recipe to you use that works well with the paper towel method?

I'm pretty new at this, but what really works for me is using ALOT of frosting. I just pile it on. I use the half butter/half crisco recipe. The more frosting I have to work with, the better. And I use the large angled spatula. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of my last 2 cakes...People got to the cakes faster than I did...and I was so mad at myself because I finally figured out what works for me!! Oh, well.

Good luck to you. I'm sure the professionals here will provide some great advice.
Angie

Personally I like the smooth look for a decorated cake. (I'm still trying to perfect that!) I feel the smoothness just has a more finished look to it. But it is a personal preference. You're right, taste is the most important thing! If you like the look you're getting and are happy with it, that's all that matters. Your cakes look yummy and your decorations are great.

One method that I have found that works really well is using Copy Paper. You have to leave the icing to crust for about 20-30 mins and make sure you do us a good amount. Thats how I get my cakes really smooth.

You are doing a great job, but smoother is more professional.

angelas2babies is right. Start with more icing and take it off in one stroke. The final removal should be done with the whole side of the spatula touching the whole side of the cake. Don't use the tip at all for smoothing. The top is harder but can usually be finished in 2-3 swipes depending on how big it is. Be sure the cake top is cut flat to make it easier.

You may need a better or different knife. A longer skinny one works best for me.

Personally I'd rather see a cake that's really smooth and perfect even if the decorations are simple. Your decorations are really nice!

I think I'm one of the few, but I use a non crusting buttercream. I start with the cake icer tip and load on the icing, use a bench scraper for the sides. To smooth the icing I use really hot water and very gently smooth. This works great for me! You could also firm up the icing in the freezer before smoothing if you wanted to.

Courtney

I use the all crisco buttercream recipe. I get mine as smooth as I can, but I don't get too stressed out over it being perfectly smooth. I think your cakes look great, unless it's a wedding cake, I dont think anyone will even notice.

I too, love a super-smooth cake. I use the Viva method and give my cakes a nice massage. SOmetimes I use parchment or even cheap notebook paper works.

Yes, I think it really is more professional looking, and one you find the method that works for you you'll find that they can look good and taste great at the same time!

I prefer a smooth cake too. I stream hot water from my sink, heating my spatula often. I must tell you that your cakes are wonderful...you're very talented.

I love the "smooth" look. But who am I to say, I can't get my cakes smooth for the life of me! I have to say though I have been messing around with the "hot spatula method" and seems pretty easy. Anyways, good luck in the journey of making it smooth. I'm right there with ya.

I tend towards the smooth look as well. "I" prefer it, but a lot of people don't really think about how smooth it is and just love the decorations. What ever meets the needs of you and your customer is what you want. Love the Mickey cake.

I think the baby cake would look better smooth- all delicate and pastel; but I like the rougher for the Mickey cake.
Maybe because it's chocolate...

I agree - the mickey cake seems fine to me, but I think the baby cake - while BEAUTIFULLY done! - would have been even better smoothed. I am not the best at smoothing cakes, and I prefer the paper towel method over wet spatula. The recipe I use depends on the cake - if I am making it ahead and can't chill it, I use all crisco with extra butter flavoring, as well as vanilla and almond. If I can refrigerate it, I use real butter in my frosting.

One thing about the paper towel method - I made an american idol cake last weekend, it might be the smoothest cake I've ever done. But I could see a faint pattern in the frosting, from the viva towel! It really bothered me, even though I know no one else noticed it. It also made me think-hmmmm...what would cheesecloth look like, what other textures could I come up with?

another ks baker - Tammie

Hi,
I am not that great at smoothing icing either, I could try all day and never get it perfect. My favorite trick is to use a cake comb, its a 3 sided metal triangle with different sides on it. It works perfectly every time and still gives the cake a professional look. Hope this helps! Check out some of my cakes for the combing method.

so far I am only baking for family and freinds. But love the look of smooth cake. It still takes a while but if I am using a Crisco recipe then the viva and computer works well. If using IMBC then a hot spatula does the trick. In desperation at times, then I use Rose Birenbaums trick which is the icing has to be a little thicker and softer. Take your offset spatula, place it lengthwise on the sides and just keep piking it up 'till you have little spikes all over. It is more effective and prettier than it sounds especially with fondant ribbons as the border or other borders. What works well with this is Frosting Pride. Frosting Pride and Pastry Pride are really good to keep in the house for times when you just don't feel like doing the whole frosting and filling thing. It is also good to start with if you are new at this or just plain impatient.

so far I am only baking for family and freinds. But love the look of smooth cake. It still takes a while but if I am using a Crisco recipe then the viva and computer works well. If using IMBC then a hot spatula does the trick. In desperation at times, then I use Rose Birenbaum's trick which is the icing has to be a little thicker and softer. Take your offset spatula, place it lengthwise on the sides and just keep piking it up 'till you have little spikes all over. It is more effective and prettier than it sounds especially with fondant ribbons as the border or other borders. What works well with this is Frosting Pride. Frosting Pride and Pastry Pride are really good to keep in the house for times when you just don't feel like doing the whole frosting and filling thing. It is also good to start with if you are new at this or just plain impatient.

I've found that getting a cake smooth is about practice as much as anything else. I'm slowly getting better at it all the time, but it isn't easy! I've made it difficult for myself by only using butter in my powdered sugar buttercream. It doesn't smooth as well as a Crisco buttercream, but I like the flavor and feel so much more.
The easiest icing to smooth, of the ones I've tried, was the Swiss or Italian Meringue buttercream. The purple Barbie cake in my photos was done in that.

I too have found that using lots of icing helps. That and making sure you do a crumb coat first.

I think your cakes are very nice, so don't worry about them.

I do think that smoothness adds something to the overall look of the cake. I use the viva paper towel method of smoothing my cakes. It took some practice, but now my buttercream is often mistaken for fondant at first glance.

Don't give up on the paper towel method. You just have to learn when it's crusted just enough to smooth, but not too much.

Does anyone remember all those cake ads from the 1970's? You know--the ones with all the ladies, standing there in their kitchens, just slapping on that Duncan Hines canned frosting, and then SWIRLING IT?

The cans of frosting all have the icing peaks as their "catch." (The first thing your eye tends to hit as you look at the product.)

Smoothing the icing for me is really easy. My mom had me doing it way back then! (She was seriously anal for the 70's, too.) She taught me the boiling water and knife thing as a kid, so when I went to cake class--I was there in my head.

Before I started decorating cakes, I'd just slap a mix into a 13x9 Pyrex, and slather on the canned frosting. I'd always swirl the knife around in the frosting, to get that "peaked" look all over the cake.

*jerks self awake*
Oh! Hey Y'all! Sorry for taking up so much forum space with my nostalgic ramblings...

--Knox--

I've done cakes for family and friends, special occasions and church functions for about 5 years. One thing no one else mentioned in the posts was waxed paper. I use a creamy vanilla for a thin "crumb coat", then put on a thicker layer for what everyone sees. After that has crusted over for about 20 minutes, I use a piece of waxed paper to smooth out the wrinkles I couldn't smooth with a long straight spatula.
Hope this helps someone!

Believe it or not, I found that I liked using regular typing/computer paper the best for smoothing my icing - worked better than Viva or parchment (my second choice).

Deb

Believe it or not, I found that I liked using regular typing/computer paper the best for smoothing my icing - worked better than Viva or parchment (my second choice).

Deb

Wendysue,
I use a crisco based icing. I usually ice the cake with my large icing tip, another favorite item. Then i use the comb, you to need to comb it right after icing the cake , cause when the icing crust it doesn't work . You can even make several designs using the comb. Thank You