I love this topic!!!! My secret is about wooden dowels. Instead of buying the Wilton ones I think you get a few pieces for about $6, I just go to a craft store and buy a 3ft piece rod for well under $1. Also this type of wood cuts and/or breaks cleaner and you don't even have to use sandpaper to smooth the edges.
K, here's one that I don't think anyone has thought of yet...If you guys have like a HUGE cake or a lot of orders to do, wouldn't it be nice to have a 5 gallon bucket of bc at your decorating tips?
I know, I know, lots of us don't have access to getting those buckets of frosting, but here's where my tip comes into play.
You could buy a corded variable speed drill (needs to be corded the cordless ones just wouldn't have the juice to mix buttercream) and what is called a "mud whip". It's a bit that drywall contractors use to mix their "mud" or spackle. (ya'll know where I'm going with this aren't cha?) Mix your ingredients in the 5 gallon bucket (don't forget to purchase the lid or acquire it wherever you got the bucket) using the drill with the mud bit. You will gets enough icing to cover a lot of cakes or a large cake and coloring is a snap also just add your coloring to the mixture and whip it with your new "heavy duty" mixer.
Be sure to put some saran wrap over the top of the finished bc to keep the air off (like cooked pudding) and write the date and color of the icing on the top of the lid with an erasable marker. That way when you reuse the bucket for another color or flavor, you can erase the data that was on there and put on the new data.
Dang, I forgot to mention that you would need to measure your ingredients by weight with this amount of frosting. You could also use a 2 or three gallon bucket with this too, doesn't have to be 5 gal.
I am pretty sure that the gals at the local supercenter bakery would be more than happy to save a couple buckets for you (just don't tell em what you are using em for) I would also not use yer hubbies drill but one that is dedicated only for your frosting.
Those corded drills only sell fer like 20 bucks and the mud whip last time i bought one was like 8 bucks. So for round bout 30 bucks you could get a hand mixer with the capacity of a hobie. LOL
here's a small tip. when you have left over icing in your bag and want to store it, along with tying off the top with a twist tie, just plug up the tip end with a small piece of saran wrap by rolling it into a small tube and pressing it in with a toothpick. if you're using a small round tip - just push the toothpick itself into the hole and your icing won't dry out and clog up the tip.
thanks for all the other great tips!
Soneone earlier had mentioned using a clear vinyl sheet to roll out fondant on. I have been doing this for years, but always had a problem with storing the vinyl so it wouldn't crease and then leaving lines in my fondant the next time I used it to roll out on. To solve this problem, I went to the craft store and bought a long, 1/2" dowel rod and now I roll the vinyl up on that for storage. I attached the vinyl to the dowel rod with clear tape and when I go to pick up the fondant to lay it over the cake, the dowel rod helps with support.
Here is what I do when I do my cakes and it certainly makes my cakes look, bake, and decorate better.
*Use a cake mix extender to fill out my 9x13x2" and 2 8x2" round pans and makes my cakes taste better.
*Use pans.
*Use bake even strips.
*Lightly drop pans that have been filled with batter onto countertop a couple of times to pop any air bubbles.
*Bake cakes at 325 degrees.
*Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes and then turn cakes out onto cooling racks and immediately wrap cakes in plastic wrap.
*Use hi-ratio shortening in my buttercream frosting.
*Use VIVA paper towels to help smooth out my cakes.
there is a website called baking911 (i think) that had a proffesional testing and evaluation of food safety on several recipes and methods. they said that wrapping cakes while warm actually encourages the micro organisms that allow bacteria to grow because you are trapping in more liquid. the more water, the easier for the bacteria to grow (ie. mold etc) . they said this is a popular idea but not safe at all. cakes should cool thoroughly before wrapping. i would say that the only way this would be ok, is if you are eating it immediately.
I don't recall reading this yet...
I recently started to premeasure everything. I separate my flour, sugar, brown sugar in plastic bags marked with the amount. Sugars usually in 1 cp bags -snack size si perfect and four in 2 and 3 cup increments. Then put the bags in a big air tight container. I don't have a lot of storage space and 3 little kids, things need to be as easy to get to as possible for me. I also repurpose my peanut butter jars. I mark the jar at 2 cup intervals. I have chocolate chips in one, crushed oreos and rice crispies on others. Makes it supper easy to whip up oreo or peanut better truffles. I just started placing my dipped balls on styrofoam plates. No need for wax paper, I mark the plate to indicate the type and they pop into the freezer easy if needed to set.
Hope this is helpful to someone. I've picked up SEVERAL tips from this thread so far. There must be more out there 
my tip is something that i did when i realized i was out of dowel rods (at 10pm the night before the cake was due)....I had straws and while some people just use straws...it worries me a bit, but also I had those little wooden skewers (you know the kind that comes like 100 in a pkg) I use them for fruit kabobs and such...anyway.....I used two wooden skewers in each straw and then cut to the perfect length...it was so much easier to cut than dowels and seemed to hold my cake just fine.
I just posted this on another thread and thought it might belong here too.
RED/BLACK ICING- I hate it!!! So much so that I have started making a whole batch of each of them, waiting a day or so for the color to deepen and then puting it into several 2-cup freezer containers with a label containing the date and color. That way when I procrastinate or get a last minute order needing these colors I set out the amount of icing I need on the counter when I mix the cake. A quick stir and I am ready to go!!!
HOW LONG DOES BC ICING STAY GOOD IF FROZEN??
Tips:
I use Twixit clips to close off the ends of decorating bags. Quick and easy to handle with greasy hands. Plus, they wash up easily.
Cover cake boards with coordinating wrapping paper, then cover the paper with clear Contact paper (shelf liner).
If you regularly multiply recipes (or divide, i.e., half a recipe) note the multiplied measurements (2X, 3X) right on your recipe so you don't have to do the math each time.
A digital scale is one of the best investments you can make. Measuring out your ingredients is SO much faster and easier (and more accurate!) than scooping out 5 cups of this and 2/3 cup of that.
An electric skillet is great for keeping chocolate warm. I line mine with a kitchen towel before placing bags and bowls on it.
When I'm getting ready to smooth my icing, I boil some water in my electric tea kettle and fill a metal bowl with a variety of spatulas and bench scrapers. Pour the hot water over the utensils. Wipe the water off with a kitchen towel before using on the cake. I place at least 2 of each size spatula in the bowl so when one cools off, I can grab a hot one right away.
If you need to measure several spoonfuls of water, rather than standing at the sink trying to fill a measuring spoon from the tap, fill a cup with water and scoop out with the measuring spoon.
My rule of thumb for freezing BC is 3 months. I always date it when I put it in there but have yet to get to the 3 month mark.
I personally have not tried this but a friend gave me this tip on melting chocolate.
When you melt chocolate (or melts) for dipping, place water in a small crockpot and place the bowl of chocolate over the crockpot. It will take a while to heat up and melt but the water will remain a constant temperature so your chocolate will stay workable. For larger quantities of chocolate, I suppose you could use a full size crockpot.
Also, a general Holiday tip is to use your electric griddle as a hot plate to keep dishes warm. Just turn it on low and set your casserole dishes on top.
These tips are awesome and I've learned so much...if only I REMEMBER them when the time comes! lol
I absolutely love the idea of trying the vinyl for rolling out fondant, but do you have any tricks for keeping the vinyl from slipping on your tabletop or does it just lay perflectly flat naturally? Every time I roll out fondant on something other than the actual tabletop I end up pushing the "non-stick sheet" all over the countertop or it buckles when I'm flattening/kneeding etc and I get SO frustrated.
Thanks for all the great info!
What a nice thread! I hope I didn't miss someone already writing this one...
I used to HATE HATE HATE cutting dowels...what a pain in the a**. I used to use my kitchen shears....then my DDDDDDDDDDDDDH bought me a pair of PVC cutters from Home Depot....
OH my gosh!! It's like cutting through butter.
GET THEM!!!! 
Wanted to say THANKS to everyone. There are some great tips in this thread!!!! Took hours to read but well worth it. 
Now need to read it again so I can write down all the super great ideas. 
This thread is so long I didn't have time to read it all the way through but I have a great tip. When you forget to leave your butter out to reach room temp grab your hand held cheese grater and grate the butter right into your mixing bowl. In minutes you have soft butter!
One thing I have not seen mentioned, forgive me if I missed it, go to a local tile store( or Lowe's, Home Depot, ect... and get the large marble or granite tiles to use as your cake platter. They look great and you can get many different colors! I believe a standard size is 12X12 so a 9 inch cake looks nice and it helps to keep it chilled!
All the ideas given are great ,thanks!
Tracy
Okay,guys and gals, I haven't had time to read the whole thread yet, but I've opened my word pad and I'm cuttin' and pastin'. WhenI get through them all, if you brilliant people haven't posted every one I can thinkof, I surely post 'em! Meanwhile, keep 'em coming! I just love CC!!!!!
Oh my goodness, this is a pack a lunch thread...
I am ready for the challenge with a notepad and pen and a snack... page one here I come. hehe
All kidding aside, what great tips I have seen so far...
Thanks everyone!
hey guys, once again thanks for all of the fabulous tips!!! absolutely amazing...
this is a duh tip, but along w/ using the woodens skewers as opposed to the wooden dowels through the center, i use cookie sticks underneath the stacked layers. they are soooo much easier to cut when you need 5+ for each layer! hth
Last night on Ace of cakes, the baker was wearing a loofa (sp?) glove and running it across the cake to rid the cake of crumbs.
well I was just going to have a quick look at this thread. 1 hour, 2 x coffees and an icecream later I have a tip of my own which I don't think has been mentioned. I haven't got around to buying a printer yet. So to make paper patterns for BCT transfers (my Bailey's Bratz, Homer Simpson and Blackies Holden cake are examples) I look for a pic on the net and save it to my computer. I enlarge it to the size I want (on the screen of my computer) then I stand a clear glass chopping board up against the computer screen. I clip a piece of baking paper (which I wipe with oil first to make it more transparent) to the glass board and trace over it. Voila!
If you're decorating a cake a day or two before the occasion, you can keep the cake moist by brushing it with a little simple syrup. This works especially well on a torted cake. To do this just take equal parts of sugar & water & heat them on the stovetop until all of the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool & then, using a pastry brush, brush the top of each layer of your cake (don't soak it full, just a light brushing will do) before you ice it. This also works well on a cake if it's not all going to be eaten on the day of the event. It'll keep it moist for a few days after.
This also works if you slightly overbake your cake. If you really overbake it just try more syrup. Let it rest awhile and then sample it. If it's good, no need to make another one!
I use the simple syrup and add flavoring to it, this keeps the cake moist, adds a little extra flavor to cake. Then when I make cake balls from the scraps there is no need to add any flavoring or extra liqued and the texture is not mushy but more brownie like. I just compress cake in my hand and roll into balls then dip in chocolate.
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