I have a lot of folks request this border, and I am trying to improve it. I have always just "pushed" the tip that always seems to form down with my finger - works, but I know that when you do cakes for competitions that is a big no-no. I was wondering if anyone would mind sharing how they get a nice rounded "ball" border without pushing it down! (there are several samples of my cakes with this border in my photos - the teddy bear one I tried to swirl it to the side, and it looks awful - IMO the pushed down ones look better.

TIA

Cindy

My only suggestion looking at the bear cake (which is super cute by the way) is it looks like when you swirled you also lifted the tip up. Try swirling and removing the tip from the ball to the side...does that make sense?

I dont know if this will help but I make mine by kind of doing it like you would a shell border. So that you the tip release by swirl is on the side and is covered by the next ball. I hope this makes so kind of sense.

Ditto to blondeez comment......why would it be a no no in competition? Like a live competition? I take a gloved fingered swipe at my piped balls sometimes....(oh. that sounded funny)

A damp paintbrush works well for pushing down the tips, for those occasions when a finger is not permitted!

love your cakes, if you're making a fondant why don't you make rolled fondant balls, with the circle design they look like gumballs, i did it on one of my cakes

Thanks everyone, I will keep trying. And yes, if you enter a cake into competetion (NOT live!) they do deduct points if you have used your fingertip to push the tip down. (I am not sure why that is??)

If I am using fondant, I don't have a problem with making the balls - it is just with buttercream that I have trouble with.

oh sorry i thought the cake was fondant