Hello I have a few questions about decorating cakes. I recently used Wilton buttercream frosting to make flowers for a cake. I noticed that the icing was not smooth, once I make the roses they seemed to crack, pluses I am not a big fan of shortening icing. Any other icing suggestions besides royal icing or gumpaste flowers.? I also find tinting icing with red is really hard to get a true red color any suggestions? Recently I have had 2 people ask me to make a tiered wedding cake with burlap ribbon around the cake. I had seen several pictures how do you attach the ribbon without getting fibers on the icing? Lastly, writing on cakes.. I can never seem to get the lettering in the center or I write it lopsided. I make one letter bigger or smaller.. ANy suggestions on how to do better on writing on a cake?

Hi when working with butter creme icing add water or milk in 1 teaspoon increments in order to thin your icing. When you write on a cake you should always use thin consistency icing, and when making roses your icing should be a thick consistency. If your icing for the roses is crumbling/cracking you should add some liquid to the icing but just a very small amount so you don't ruin your consistency(It needs to thick for the roses to stand up). I don't like shortening icing either, but the shortening does help the icing to keep the shape and not melt in warmer temperatures. When I started out I learned the wilton way. Since then i have done some experimenting and what I found is this. 100% butter buttercream tastes wonderful but it melts fast and won't hold up to decorations like roses and stuff if the temp is warm. 100% shortening has an awful flavor to me and is waxy in taste (I don't like). SO I use a 2:1 Ratio when making buttercream. 1 cup butter 1/2 cup shortening 6 cups of sifted sugar 1.5 teaspoons vanilla. that works for me and it holds up when making butter cream decorations. IF you want your icing to be red you will have to use lots of dye which can alter the flavor of the icing, most time icing tends to darken as it sits over night.. those are the only tips I have for that. I hope this helps

Thank you for your tips!

Using a toothpick to write your letters is a great way to be able to mess up without messing up the cake.   On e you get what you want written how you like, go over it with the icing.