OK krysoco (and anyone else who is interested) here are a few of the step by step photos I took when I was doing Sponge Bob. I kind of got wrapped up in the process and forgot to take photos after each step, but it gives you a basic idea. I started with frosting and smoothing the background and sides of the cake. Then started in on Bob, smoothing each area after I filled it in. Hope that helps to make this technique more understandable

Strong work there! Well done, indeed!

hey i have a question i was planning on doing star tips on a cake i need to make for this weekend, but i would really like the smooth look .. it is a camoflaged(?) cake .. how would you make that look smooth, yet in all different shapes and colors to get that effect of camoflage(?)?

Thanks. I've just never been a fan of the star tip on character cakes. They hurt to much on my wrist and take to long IMO.

Do you have an outline you are using for the star tip? I'd just fill in with a round tip instead and either press each area flat, or brush it till any lines are smoothed out THEN press it down.

Looks amazing, what buttercream do you use? And what consistency? I have real trouble even getting the sides smooth.

I love the look

I tend to use the all crisco buttercream recipe. Or a thicker recipe for the half butter half crisco recipe. I find (after it crusts over) for a totally smooth effect, the fondant smoother is an excellent tool. I just press it into the cake, lift up and gently press the next area. Works REALLY well on the sides of a cake especially.

thanks sheila .. i think i will try that .. i think it will look more "professional" then just a simple star tip!

Thanks so much. Ive been wondering how to achieve this effect. Thanks for the tips. Will have to try it.

hey i have a question i was planning on doing star tips on a cake i need to make for this weekend, but i would really like the smooth look .. it is a camoflaged(?) cake .. how would you make that look smooth, yet in all different shapes and colors to get that effect of camoflage(?)?


I have made this cake if it helps. my version of camo anyway
just a side note--I didn't have the camo toys until the customer picked it up--I would have matched the colors better!

Sheilaf

I wanted to ask a question about the first picture,

Did you ice the whole cake black and then the white, or is your actual cake that dark?

Thanks

TheCakerator
When I did my camoflauge cake I put differnt colors of icing in different places then kinda smeared it together, it worked pretty well. There is a picture of it in my photos.
Jeanne

What a great job! Thank you for the tutorial. Seeing SB come to life prior to luch is scary though

how did you see the outline of things? Is it iced in black or is it choc. cake? It looks so hard to see where to outline.... esp. after you've iced some parts of it.....

WOW! Great job!!

crystalcakes, it's a chocolate cake. It's not as hard to see the outline as it looks in the photos. Sorry I didn't answer earlier, but I've been working on a couple cakes for today and tomorrow, so I have not had much time to check online too.

I see you used the red from the tube. Do you like it better than making red?

I can't make a true red, so yes, when I need red or black, I use the ones from a tube. They work well.

These are a couple of camo cakes I have done.  Easy peasy.  Just put on blobs of icing and smooth with Viva paper towel.