Hi,

Whenever I hear about this method it is always associated to crusting icing. I have never made Italian Buttercream but I want to try it for my next cake. I have the impression is not a crusting kind of icing (no crisco, meringue powder or powdered sugar in it) so does that mean I can't use the viva towel method to smooth it out??

Also, for those of you who have made IBC, what would you say it's so wonderful about it? The buttercream I make is all butter, powdered sugar and extracts. I know people have commented on IBC being less sweet but is that the only difference??

Just wanted to say I'm having a blast in this site. I keep clicking on it and finding new posts I'm interested in reading and also wonderful pictures by all of you.

Inma

It does not crust so you can not use a paper towel.

It's so wonderful because of the taste. (Assuming it's made right, with good, unsalted butter. I've seen people making it with margarine!)

It is 500 times better than any icing made with powdered sugar.

Nikki,

Thanks for your quick response. I have a few other questions:

1) Do you have an IBC recipe you favor?
2) Is it very hard to smooth?
3) Can you pipe with it? Do flowers and borders?

Thanks,

Inma

I just bumped a thread for you. It's called:

There is a ton of good information about what recipe to use and how to smooth it.

Please let me know what this viva towel method of smoothing all about. I just can't picture smoothing icing with a paper towel!! THANKS!!

IMBC is wonderful to smooth! The taste is divine and nothing like the crusting BCs. You can pipe with it, but it is very temperature sensitive, so if you have hot hands, you may need to switch bags more frequently

I tried IMBC last weekend(martha stewart's recipe) and LOVED it. It tastes awsome..very easy to spread. I piped simple designs and they came out really nice. Its has a nice texture.. like whipped cream.. It doesn't crust, but it smoothes really well using a spatula dipped in hot water.

Thank you all for your responses. I will check that thread you suggested Niki.

Now I'm looking forward to trying it. Who can I make a cake for this weekend???? Well, I might have to wait until next weeked because on Saturday I'm going to a chocolate history and tasting class... I hope they don't make us spit out the chocolate and on Sunday I'm making cupcakes for a baby shower as I watch the Super Bowl. Not a big football fan (no football in Spain, just soccer... which, by the way, didn't care that much about either)but the Seahawks got in and I live in Seattle so I'm feeling the "12th man spirit"... Good luck to the other team too. Don't know who they are but I don't want to offend anybody out there.

About the paper towel trick to smooth icing, I think that if you use crusting icing and let it rest for like 15 minutes after you've iced the cake, then you can use a viva paper towel with no design on it and smooth the sides and top down by placing your hands on the towel and going all around the cake or using a fondant smoother. I beleive there is an article here in cake central that it is titled "faux fondant" that gives you the step by step instructions.

I just thought of another question about the IBC:

Can you use it under fondant and leave it outside (since you can't refrigerate fondant) or that's a no no for IBC?

Thanks again.

Inma

cakes47,
heres a link on smoothing crusting BC with Viva paper towel.
http://cakecentral.com/article10-How-To-Create-Faux-Fondant-The-Paper-Towel-Method----Viva.html

Thank you greatly for letting me know the paper towel info. Never would have imagined it possible to smooth a cake with one!!