That trimming is to take the edge off the top of the tier so that when you scrape /sculpt the icing over the edge with the shaping tool it will be possible to round it off so that it looks like a rolled icing. I use the Viva paper towel to smoothe and stretch the edge into a nice curve. I don't use butter in my icings so I can't answer that one. But since you do use cake flour in this one maybe butter wouldn't be a big issue. That's a guess on my part though. To trim I just take clean kitchen scissors and cut the edge off each tier (they are already filled and stacked) then I go ahead with my icing. Works great for my. Also scissors give me more control than using a knife for this..

Thanks carolann! I got it! I will be doing this technique this week and make a final cake for sat.

When you use rolled BC, do you put it over BC just like you would with MMF? Can you make shapes, flowers, and such with it?

I dont get the tool part of it...and I cant click on the picture to make it larger it doesnt work..do u jsut cut the side of the bottle...I dont get it...

WHERE DO I GET THE POPCORN SALT WHAT IT IS THAT??
SORRY IM JUST STARTING AND WHAT IS A SALICE? OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT???AND IF I DONT FIND THE POPCORN SALT HOW IT IS THE PROCEDURE WITH REGULAR SALT?/?
WHERE DO YOU BUY POPCORN SALT???????
OH boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't enlarge the pictures, either, so I can't tell what the deal is with the pop tool, either. Help!

I just looked up the faux fondant tutorial, I can not open the pictures either, and just don't understand the process with the "pop tool". Hopefully someone can explain the process or help with the pictures enlargements. Thanks.

I use the faux fondant and crusting buttercream recipes all the time. For smoothing with the paper towel, I use the regular fondant smoother, a spoon for individual spots and a little spatula type tool that I'll try and post a pic of. TC turtleshell, I live in Baton Rouge and have not had a problem with the humidity yet. The most recent cake was done in early June and I didn't have a problem with smoothing. I'll post a pic of it. If you want to take a trip to Baton Rouge before the wedding cake is due, I'll be happy to help you with it.

OMG, I guess I should have looked at the dates on the post. For some reason I thought that the posts were recent. Sorry!!!!

How well does the recipe lend itself to being colored with food coloring?

The pictures don't enlarge on this tutorial for me, either. Can some admin please look into it? I really want to try this technique on a cake I have due Saturday, but it's so hard to see the part about the pop bottle tool!

Thanks!

I too can't see the soda bottle tool. Would love some help with this!

Although I don't care much for the taste (very crisco-y) this recipe and technique ROCKS MY SOCKS! My cake is smooth as a baby's rear end!
Thanks!

When I did a cake with this look, I just guessed at what the tool from the bottle was supposed to look like. I think I guessed right, because it works great. Here is my rough sketch of what you're supposed to cut from the bottle (good thing I'm better with cakes than with a pencil and paper!)

Thank you, thank you so much. Your hint gave me such a break on doing the five layers of cake that I have had to complete this week. Of course I had to do everything the hard way as I had not stumbled on to your site till this week. What a great idea and so simple. I was unable to find viva towels in our little town so had to go with royal napkins just cut the edge (ruffled) off and it worked like a charm.

Wow!! I just did my son's birthday cake with your buttercream recipe and the faux fondant method!!! It turned out awesome! I have always been intriqued by fondant because of the classy smoothness....but my family hates the taste....and what is the point if you won't eat it! When my husband came home he thought my cake was fondant!!!

I did not make the tool (no bottles and in a hurry) so I just rounded the edges with my palms and it turned out great.

One question....how do you keep your cakes from "crumbing"? I tried syrup but and it helped, but it still did a little.


This is the coolest thing I have ever done. SOOOOO simple!!! Yet, so outstanding looking!!!

Thanks for sharing.....

Katrina

katrina-
I never posted my buttercream recipe. I think some of the others posted crusting buttercream recipes that they have. My recipe has powdered sugar, powdered milk, cornstarch, salt, water, and flavorings.

I crumb coat my cakes with thinned down butterrcream icing. I never use a sugar syrup. Hope that helps.

Thanks for your article..I'm a beginner and it helps me a lot. I can't enlarge the pic, to see it more clearly..so what should I do?

WHAT DID I DO?

First off, LOVED working with this recipe. An hour after the cake was iced it looked "sweaty"....why? what did I do? It was ok, just a little shiny!

With a recent pm my attention was pulled back to this thread. I am posting the blow up pics I have of the bottle tool used for the faux fondant method.

As for the question about trimming the edges, the easiest way to explain this is that by beveling the edge of the cake you don't have the sharp edge to work around to get the round edge for the fondant look. If I don't bevel my edge I have to use a lot more icing to get the desired look. I take my clean kitchen scissors and simply trim off the top edge of my torted/filled cake to make it angled, then I crumb coat with a thin layer of bc as usual.

I don't find the Crusting BC II recipe to be any sweeter than my other bc and I can't taste the flour at all. I've had nothing but raves when I've used it. I haven't used the faux fondant on a cake in summer, come to think of it, and have never known mine to sweat. If it sweats I'd think that would be due to high humidity wherever you are. We sure get that here in Kansas in late summer. When my sis made my son's fondant covered wedding cake in June a few years back it did sweat even though we kept it well ac'd during transport. Well, it was covered with teeny tiny beads of oil, that's sweat, right? I don't know how you can avoid it unless you make it on site, and how often can we do that! Most cakes have to go outside at some point.

Hopefully the tool pics will post without a problem. Hope this helps someone.

Carol

Here's the cut tool. As you use this you will bend the top to get the desired amount of contour on your edge. Be sure you put the bc on thick enough that you can sculpt/scrape it into the fondant look you're going for. I love using this method. Hope you will too. Good luck!
Carol

I don't know why it didn't post this pic as it did the first, but there it is anyway.

I saw the instruction on the faux fondant and it looks easy, but I dont understand on how to make the bottle device. Could someone please tell me where exactly and exactly will that device look like. Becasue the picture is not clear.
I am making my first quinceanera cake and I want to do a good job.
Thanks
Sally
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Ok. I use this method on every BC cake that I make. However, I find that the viva still leaves the impression of the pattern on the papertowel, on the cake. I have the blue viva towels. Is my icing not crusted enough or am I pressing too hard? I did not notice the impression until I saw the picture of my latest cake, I went back through the other pictures that I have and it was there in some of the others and not in some. Thanks for any advise, I love the method. Anyone have any thoughts about using wax paper in the same way? I have not tried that but someone on another site suggested that.

Thanks again.

Ok. I use this method on every BC cake that I make. However, I find that the viva still leaves the impression of the pattern on the papertowel, on the cake. I have the blue viva towels. Is my icing not crusted enough or am I pressing too hard? I did not notice the impression until I saw the picture of my latest cake, I went back through the other pictures that I have and it was there in some of the others and not in some. Thanks for any advise, I love the method. Anyone have any thoughts about using wax paper in the same way? I have not tried that but someone on another site suggested that.

Thanks again.