Hi all!
I prefer to use white buttercream because it is more forgiving but I was asked to make a cake with one tier being purple and the other green. I am used to smoothing my cakes with a hot spatula but I have found it very hard to smooth the icing with the spatula without "melting" the deep color. I use a crusting buttercream. I had to re-ice the cake twice and still got a so-so result on the second try (its the garden theme green/purple cake in my gallery). Any advice on how to smooth it with a hot spatual or should I try a different smoothing method (although I'd prefer not to). Thanks
Fedra

When I read the subject, I was about to suggest Viva towels but I looked at your photos and saw the cake and I think you did a great job, I'm not sure what you are worried about. When I hot spatulaed my bright orange icing few years ago, it was streaking so obvious from miles away that I promised myself to never try it again on colored icings. You somehow proved me wrong he he. Yours looked really nice, no visible streaks.

Sorry no advice on this purple and green cake since I think there's nothing wrong with it, at least to my eyes, but you may want to try Viva...I use that from my last orange icing disaster.

HTH!

fedra, the finish of your cake looks wonderful so I can only think what you are talking about must be on the back of your cake, if at all. The only recommendation I would give would be to use the viva towel method. I hated smoothing buttercream until I started using it.

Thanks for your replies ladies. The bottom tier does have a color changed streak in the back. I will have to try the viva method next time as it's very time consuming to re-ice. Thanks!
Fedra

it is the heat causing that. use the spatula less hot, just a little warm and it should stop.