Newbie would like to know how everyone gets a nice clean corner on a square cake? My corners seem to have a rounded edge. The more I work to fix it, the more disaster I have. Any secrets you would like to share would be appreciated. Thanks!

I have had great success with using a foam roller, a great tip I read on here somewhere... I ice my cake as smooth as I can and then let it crust. Then it is ready to roll! I bought the high density foam roller in the paint supply section of home depot. it came in a little plastic tray. It was about $2.

I wouldn't use the paint roller since it isn't food safe. I'd recommend looking at the various posts about using ganache under your fondant. It is AWESOME!!!

I also use ganache. It's soo nice under fondant becuase once it sets, you can use a hot spatula to make the corners nice and crispy. It holds the weight of the fondant very well, which I found is my issue with buttercream, the weight of the fondant rounds the corners when I put it on. I just got so dang frustrated with it that I gave it up!

Are you talking about square corners on a buttercream or fondant covered cake?

Since I'm new to cake decorating, I have primarily been working with bc - fondant has really challenged me. As tiffanyd15 suggested, I have used the foam roller but I did so using wax paper and the roller never touched the cake. That technique did give me a nice smooth top but my corners are always rounded. Could certainly use advice using fondant as well.

This method works really well for getting nice sharp edges on a square cake with buttercream or ganache.

http://cakecentral.com/articles/109/how-to-frost-a-square-cake

If your edges are nice and sharp with buttercream or ganache, you'll have much better success with sharp edges/corners when you cover it with fondant. Applying fondant over ganache is best for the sharp edges. It's also good to work with a chilled cake. Search youtube for "covering a square cake with fondant". There's lots of good tips there.

Do your pans have rounded corners? If you use professional pans with square corners, it's easier to ice square if the corners are square to begin with.

If you aren't using the two spatula method to ice corners, you can use your scraper... as you ice the side, and get to the first corner, don't lift the scraper--just turn the corner while pressing the extra icing onto the next side without cleaning the scraper off first. Repeat for all corners.

I don't cover in fondant...just BC and use a bench scraper and the foam roller. It works great. So far no one has died or gotten sick from me using it .. 'food safe' or not.

Here's some pics of how I do the corners. http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopicp-5396443-.html

Since taking these pics, I've also learned the bench scraper is my best friend!!! Pretty much teh same method but the bench scraper covers more surface and make it more uniform.

Another suggestion, that I had to unlearn too, is dont' ice to the shape of the cake. You can use the icing to mold the shape of the cake. for example, if the corner didn't bake very high, you can make the cake nice and even by adding more icing on the corner and shaping it square. (In my beginning days, I had the paradigm of thinking the icing had to be an even 3/8" thick all over the cake. Uneven cake = uneven icing! )

THANKS TO EVERYONE! I can see that I have been doing exactly what Indydebi said - icing to the cake and not building up where needed. I do believe that I will have to upgrade my pans if I'm going to do it right. I really dislike the Wilton leveler and it has been destroying my cakes. I probably need to get a better scraper and try again. I like the two two spatula method and the ganache suggestion. I just need more practice and patience. My husband won't work without the right tools and I guess I will have to develop the same attitude and pocket book!

I hate to admit that I don't know what you term a "bench scraper." LOL Can you explain? I'm going to be like having a two year old in class....

Here's a good variety. It's basically, a large, wide straight edge so you can spread and smooth the icing easily.

http://www.bakedeco.com/dept.asp?id=194

Here ya go!

http://www.globalsugarart.com/search.php?search=bench+scraper&searchimage.x=28&searchimage.y=8

Oh my goodness - I love these sites already! I have them saved to my favorites. I NOW know what a bench scraper is and I'm so excited. I'm ready to try a new cake now. Might just send the family on vacation without me and veg out on these sites and bake, bake, bake. My husband is never going to understand this cake thing - nor the weight gain from eating all these sweets.

Thanks again for your patience.

FYI, if you buy a metal bench scraper, make sure it specifically says it's stainless steel or else it will rust.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=10164168

Thanks - will do.

http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2011/01/baptism-cake.html

Another tip is to have a cardboard circle or square the size of the cake as the base. (Usually the cake has shrunk down a half inch or so from the board). Then you can use the edge of the board as a guide when you are smoothing the sides with the bench scraper to help you stay straight as you smooth the sides.

Bed Bath & Beyond has a nice kitchen item called a Bash 'N Chop which I have found to be a great icing smoother.

When buying a bench scraper, be sure its a perfect rectangle. For example, I would not use the first one listed in this link, the "dough spatula, blue handle" http://www.bakedeco.com/dept.asp?id=194 because it appears to have rounded sides. But the next one down, fat daddio's, is a perfect rectangle which will help ensure a perfectly straight edge.

This link might help

debbief suggested using ganache and then using fondant. I keep seeing variations on recipes for ganache. Any specific recipe a favorite and easy to work with?