I don't think I'll do another cake with grass on it ever again. Is there some trick to this? I just can't seem to get it right. Blobby, uneven, falling over, etc. etc. Nothing consistent.

sometimes you have to stop and wash the tip. other than that, you're probably overthinking it. It's super fast.

i was thinking it should be super fast. no-brainer, nothing to it. But it is my enemy! I will take your wash the tip advice. thanks

Sounds like it needs to be a little stiffer icing. Normal grass isn't even either... if it's a little uneven it will look more natural.

Seriously, though, in these situations, I always remind myself that nature isn't perfect. It always makes me step back and look at it as a whole instead of the individual pieces that may not act quite right.

I thought that too but MAN it already makes my hand hurt. I did the whole top of a half sheet cake as a golf fairway. THAT grass IS perfect. I'll just chalk it up to i'm a woosy

Hey look I'm not a newbie anymore awesome

Yup...been there done that...and yes, the icing has to be stiffer or it will "fall over"...great look for a fairway and the rough but not for the green. UGH..makes you hands ache so give yourself breaks when doing this. This is why I hardly ever do "star" cakes anymore...hurts too much! LOL!

I love grass. It's an awesome camouflage and muggles are easily impressed.

Oh, and if you do muppet fur (Elmo, Cookie Monster, etc.) with a grass tip, they fall all over themselves proclaiming how realistic, and "how ever did you do that?" Cracks me up.

I have to do grass on a cake tomorrow night...which tip is a grass tip?

If it's uneven and falling over, it just makes it look more like my yard! [/quote]

Teehee!

Did you base coat the cake in green icing first? I usually do that, then put clumps of grass here and there. That way, it's less stressful. Hot hands will make the icing soft and warm, and the grass will fall over. Try to rinse off your hands in cool water to keep them from getting too warm. I also put the bag in the refrigerator for a few minutes to cool it off.

no, the cake was white base. good call on a green coating first. and yes i had the hot hand issue also. good call on the cold water and cooling the bag for a few. maybe even fill a couple of bags and rotate between the two of them being in the fridge and being used.

a few bare spots you've got my yard.

while 233 is the most common grass tip, there is a larger version 234 grass tip, which is the one I prefer

I picked up a 233 today so we'll see how that turns out. Thanks for the info!

Oh, me too! The first time I used royal icing, and to get it stiff enough so that it didn't just melt together into a clump, I had to make it stiff, and my hand was nearly fallin off by the time I'd piped two boarders. Awful stuff!

too cool your hands down faster fill a ciup with water and put it in the freezer, then wrap your hands around it when your hands get hot. =) save you constantly running to the tap.

I'm making a cake with grass this weekend. I had already bought the grass tip. With the tips here, I hope it comes out good.

And I didn't even think of using it for furry characters. Perfect.

i just use a regular round tip and pipe uneven that way :p I like it better that way.

I do know that when you use the grass tip you kind of have to pipe closely to the cake first and push slightly to create a base and then pull out fast as you pipe....I know that sounds all technical but it's the only way I can describe it. oh, and keep a toothpick on hand to unclog the holes.