Hi there
I tried the viva method on a cake and I was wondering if there were different textures/patterns on a viva paper towel. If you look closely at the cake i did (sorry have no clue how to attach yet!) in my pictures you can see it is shiny and has a texture on it.
Did I do it too early before it was really crusty? or are there different kinds out there?
....BTW the cake was a lot of firsts so I would appreciate any constructive feedback on it.
Thanks
Wendy
I can see the texture you were talking about. Not sure how that happened. It WAS viva brand paper towels? Just the plain white ones? Not sure about the shine either. Hmmmmmm......this will give you a bump though.
Also, when you do your dots and they get that little hershey kiss lookin thing on top....if you put a little cornstarch on your finger, just a little, and touch that part it will push it back down so that it is round. I love your color choices on that cake!!!
thanks Michelle for the tip, just having someone answer my question has given me warm fuzzies. (yay someone cares about me!)
it was viva brand, now i am going to search down vivas at other stores and see if they have the same bumpy surface.
Wendy~ you are more than welcome and YOU gave me the warm fuzzies just saying that!!! Happy to help!!
Hey Wendy.. if your finding that the texture is showing, it is the paper towel for sure,, on a plane viva there is actually a front and back to it,, the side that usually has the pictures on it,, will be smooth,, the back of the paper towel has a bit of a texture,, almost looks like chapped skin.. yuck! what a discription.. i love the color combo.. but when using paper towel weather you want the texture or not.. start on the top of the cake,, rub firmly, don't be afraid to apply some pressure,, but don't go crazy either,,hahahah then you will notice that you kinda created a mushroom affect,, now take your pt, and lay it on the edge of the cake and the first brush of your hand should be from that top edge then downward,, do this all the way around,, now just kinda go over areas that show any deffects.. to get it as smooth as a babies butt, you have to apply a warm firm brushing with your hand,, great job,, and you will get use to it.. i keep about 8 or 9 rolls of different types of paper towels on hand,, they really add to the back ground of some of my cakes.. and customers love it. and never over wait to use the tp either,, the longer you wait the harder it is to smooth out.. touch the cake with the palm of your hand if it does not stick after about 3 minutes or so,, then go for it,, if it sticks wait another minutes or so.. great job!!!!
and never over wait to use the tp either,, the longer you wait the harder it is to smooth out..
Royal~ I am crackin up!!!! LOL!!! I know you meant pt but if you read it the way it came out it is really funny!!!! 
Aside from that, you don't wait like 15 or 20 min until you try to smooth? I thought you had to wait that long. What recipe for bc do you use?
ahahahahahh now i get it.. hahaha that did come off funny didn't it.. hahahaha
NO!! you do not wait that long at all, if you have to wait that long the icing is not going to be easily manipulated at all.. you need it to still be movable.. if this makes sense.. as soon as you finish icing your cake,, wait that few minutes not long at all , then like i said do the touch thing.. here is my recipe..
2 cups walmart shortening
2 tablespoons walmart coffee pwd creamer
6 tsp clear vanilla
1/2 tsp a butter emulsion (if you can't get it, use clear butter flav or almond flav or what you like)
2 lbs bad of walmart pwd sugar
and a 1/2 cup of room temp water minus about 2 tbls
now put in shortening,, then start the mixer on slowwwwwwwwwwwww then add the creamer then let mix for about 20 seconds then add the flavors,, now dump in the pwd sugar and now dump in the water,,, mix for about 60 seconds and your done!!!! don't over mix...
Thanks for the tip and the recipe! I can't wait to try it and see if I can get it smooth. I do the viva but it never turns out like I think it should or even like it looks like everyone elses does.....
it takes time getting use to what a cake can really handle.. you can be a bit tough on them.. and they hold up.. just do practice cakes..
Sister~let me tell ya!! 
I have been practicing so much that I think I've gained about 10 lbs!!! 
But I won't let that stop me!!! I'm not givin up!!!! 
hahahahahaah you are funny!!!! when ever i got my early orders, i looked at each cake as a practice board,, and told the person wanting the cake too!! this way if it did not look that great.. well, they knew i was new to it.hahahha maybe this is why im sooo big.. from all that practice!!! ahahahaha 
You know what's amazing????? Everyone that is getting cakes from me knows that I just started and that pretty much like you said, EVERYTHING is practice right now and for quite some time to come I'm sure!! But they love them!!!! YEAH!!!! 
and the longer you do cakes. the more word of mouth will get out.. and sooner than you know,, you will be saying help!!!!! how do i handle all these orders!!!
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