My hubby and found some masonite board at Lowe's. The sheet that I bought was enough to make a 1/2, a 8" round, and a 12" round. I still have plenty to make a couple more... The board was less than 5 dollards and the are WONDERFUL.... I cover them with wrapping paper and just request them back.....If I dont get them, it is still cheap enough. Probably cheaper than the cardboard in the long run....
I love this Masonite board thing.... now just a question, how do you cut them perfectly round? Did they do if for you at lowe's or does your hubby have a super cool tool? Just wondering, would love to know!
I tried the tips in the microwave thing and flooded my microwave! 
Since then, I just throw them in a saucepan with water and soap and turn the burner on high. Doesn't take long at all and I can control the boil-over a little easier! When I'm done, i just rinse the tips, then wipe out and rinse the pot and I'm done!! 
All you guys probably do this already, but, I HATE COVERING BOARDS!!! I used to put my double sticky tape along the bottom of the board then fold up the foil or whatever. I always had the tape in the wrong spot 
. It was either too close to the edge and I had all this sloppy stuff hanging all over, or too far in and never touched the tape at all. So, my solution, I tape around the edge of the foil, then cut my slits if it's round, then fold it up over the board. 
Works every time!
Oh, and I LOVE Melvira's tip about the sponge paint roller. Smoothes out the icing beautifully with no effort. Now that's my kind of tip!
I wonder if a garlic press (New, not stinky and used ) would work for hair and grass. Hmmm, might have to try that for a luau cake. Love all the tips, especially about putting the icing in bags or Saran Wrap. Have a wedding cake to do on Thanksgiving day. I might try that.
My husband has made several cakeboards for me out of plywood. I just cover them with the extra long and heavy foil and they are good to go.
just a couple of Q, crisco, what is it? im in australia and cant for the life of me find it, we do have a solidified vege oil called copha, its coconut oil solid, is this the same thing???
Copha is very similar but not exactly the same. I'm *almost* certain it can be used in place of Crisco without problem.
A some alternatives to Crisco:
*Use butter: 1 cup shortening = 1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
OR
*Margarine: 1 cup shortening = 1 cup + 2 tablespoons margarine
*Lard: 1 cup shortening = 1 cup - 2 tablespoons lard
(Sorry about the measurements, I don't have US to Oz conversions handy.)
When I am using my rose nail to make flowers, instead of putting frosting on it to hold my parchment, I use the yellow tacky puddy that you get to hang posters on the wall and put a little spot on it to hold them in place. It also works on cake boards to keep them from sliding and putting on the bottam of cupcake papers when making a cupcake cake. Less mess and a package is $2 and last forever.
This goes along with spraying Pam or oil in your measuring cups before measuring Crisco, honey, etc - if your recipe calls for eggs, I put my egg in my measuring cup (before measuring sticky stuff) and swirl it around coating all sides of your measuring cup and then pour egg into bowl and then measure your Crisco etc and it pops out of your measuring cup like a charm! 
My hubby and found some masonite board at Lowe's. The sheet that I bought was enough to make a 1/2, a 8" round, and a 12" round. I still have plenty to make a couple more... The board was less than 5 dollards and the are WONDERFUL.... I cover them with wrapping paper and just request them back.....If I dont get them, it is still cheap enough. Probably cheaper than the cardboard in the long run....
what does Masonite board look like?
i use scrapbook paper covered with contact paper for my boards, you can get it in practically any pattern, and i'll buy it when it's on sale for like .20 cents a sheet. one sheet covers up to a 12" board (i do a lot of smaller cakes)
I love this Masonite board thing.... now just a question, how do you cut them perfectly round? Did they do if for you at lowe's or does your hubby have a super cool tool? Just wondering, would love to know![/quote]
I know Home Depot will cut boards and stuff for you if you buy the material there and give them the specifications.
Great tips!!! I have another one re: torting
Before torting your cake, cut a small vertical notch on the side of your cake, (top to bottom). Then after you do your filling, you just line up the notches, slide your top layer back on and it will be even!
I have a Duh question. Why do you put a core or nail in the cake pans to bake your cakes? I've never done this and do not understand why this is done. A masonite board is a thin very strong board that has one side white hard slick surface. They have them in schools now instead of chalkboards. You can write on them with dry markers. If you don't want to ask for your boards back, build it into the cost of your cake. If you do ask for your boards back, take a deposit and when they return the board, they get the deposit back.
my husband is a carpenter, and he has a tool called a jigsaw, basically he just draws the cake board shape on the board and cuts it out with his jigsaw, also masonite is basicaly hardwood chips formed into a sheet, it is dark brown ( somtimes has white on one side) and should be found near the plywood. i use wrapping paper to cover my boards, that way i can choose from a selection of colours and cut to size, thanks also to whimsette, i will try using the copha, i had already been using butter and margarine, but wanted my icing in particular to be whiter, thanks
[quote thanks also to whimsette, i will try using the copha, i had already been using butter and margarine, but wanted my icing in particular to be whiter, thanks[/quote]
Violet food coloring makes yellow frosting white. You just add a VERY TINY bit and it will offset the yellow just enough to make it white.
My tip:
To measure out Crisco, fill your liquid measuring cup w/ 2 cups of water. To get 1 cup crisco, just keep adding crisco until it reaches 3 cups on your measuring cup. Does that make sense? The crisco just diplaces the water and when you're done, the Crisco comes right out! You do need at least a 3 cup measuring cup, though 
If you're decorating a cake a day or two before the occasion, you can keep the cake moist by brushing it with a little simple syrup. This works especially well on a torted cake. To do this just take equal parts of sugar & water & heat them on the stovetop until all of the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool & then, using a pastry brush, brush the top of each layer of your cake (don't soak it full, just a light brushing will do) before you ice it. This also works well on a cake if it's not all going to be eaten on the day of the event. It'll keep it moist for a few days after.
If you're decorating a cake a day or two before the occasion, you can keep the cake moist by brushing it with a little simple syrup. This works especially well on a torted cake. To do this just take equal parts of sugar & water & heat them on the stovetop until all of the sugar is dissolved. Let the mixture cool & then, using a pastry brush, brush the top of each layer your cake (don't soak it full, just a light brushing will do) before you ice it.
you can also add flavorings to the simple syrup to enchance the flavor and when using the scraps for cake balls you don't have to add in any flavoring or bc cause they are so moist, just roll up and dip in topping of your choice.
I learned this one on CC...I love to use the ceramic tiles for a cake board! They NEVER bend, are food safe, never need covered, never show grease, and are cheap and come in alot of colors. Only drawback is they only come in square sizes, but I have found them up to 16 inch square and if you go to a surplus place they will almost give you one.
Also, to keep from buying alot of different sizes of plateues (?) I use the glass blocks to can get at Lowe's. I can use as many or as few as I need for support, place them in a square and fill with lights and tulle, or place a nice piece of silk over them and they aren't seen.
good one New! I'm thinking cakes would look stunning on marble and granite. The possibilites are limitless they have such beautiful tiles available now and not to expensive if you are buying only one or two. I know they will cut tiles for you I wonder if they would do round? Also what do you put between tile and cake? Just cake board?
Wow! Glass blocks? Whooda thunk it? Sounds beautiful with the lights inside. Have to try it! Do you use battery lights, or plug in lights?
I don't put anything between the cake and the tile. Decorate right on it and wipe up any mess I may have. I do hot glue a square of felt on the bottom in each corner so that it won't be seen and will protect any table it may be sitting on.
The glass blocks can be seen in my pics. I use electric lights -just because that is what I had handy.
Sure if there is a glue that will stick to the tile. I am sure Lowe's or Home Depot would have the glue for you.
Have to share the most impotant thing I have learned in my time cake'ing.....
NEVER, never, never wear NEW shoes when going to deliver a cake!!!
My big disaster happened after I had loaded the wedding cake in my van and went back to get the 3D tractor cake that I had spent almost as much time making as I had the 4 tier wedding cake! The tip of my new shoe kind of stubbed on the ground making me lose my balance and SMASH there it went!! Face down and totally un-salvageable. 
Didn't even get a picture of it because I was waiting until I had it set up. Boy was that ever a loooong drive going to deliver the cake and dreading telling them what had happened. Luckily, the family was very kind and the reception was being held at a golf course with full kitchen and a pastry chef, who was also very sympathetic and kind about it and whipped up a simple sheet cake within the hour. Of course, I did refund money and did their other daughters graduation cake for free to ease my conscience.
When I am using my rose nail to make flowers, instead of putting frosting on it to hold my parchment, I use the yellow tacky puddy that you get to hang posters on the wall and put a little spot on it to hold them in place. It also works on cake boards to keep them from sliding and putting on the bottam of cupcake papers when making a cupcake cake. Less mess and a package is $2 and last forever.
I use ZOTS for the same thing - you can find these clear adhesive dots with the scrapbook/card making stuff at the store
It has been so nice having all the tips on one list. Lots if items have been great reminders for me - once I've read them, I think, "oh yea, I forgot about that!" And there are always new things - thanks!
After feeling guilty about not contributing, I finally remembered one! When I was taking Wilton Course II and we made all of those various flowers, I had to take them for the last class 30 miles away. I put my airdried buttercream and royal icing flowers in an empty egg carton. Those little compartments were the perfect size to keep the flowers from sliding around and breaking during my drive to class. I had some left over, so I just put the whole egg carton into a gallon sized ziplock bag once I got home. The flowers still looked great 2 months after the class.
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