Help!! This Sounds Really Stupid But...
Decorating By Lazy_Susan Updated 15 Apr 2006 , 3:38am by Lazy_Susan
I can't pipe a straight line!!! Does any one have any tricks to piping straight lines? The cake below has 2 straight lines piped around it and one up the side. It is a cake that I may be making for a wedding (in the color fuscia 
). Anyway, I need help. I can't do it. As simple as it looks I don't know how to get a continuous straight line around the cake. I tried doing a little one and it looked horrrible. And the little loops around the pearls?? Do y'all think I should just try to use rolled buttercream for the straight lines? Would that work out better than trying to pipe them?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! 
Lazy_Susan
For the lines around the cake:
Center your cake on the turntable. Get in a comfortable position above the cake. Put your tip in the right spot. Squeeze and spin the cake without moving your hand. It takes some practice to get the speed and pressure to match up.
The pearls:
It looks to me like they sqeezed a big dot of icing and pushed the pearl into it.
The line on the side:
Sit down. Put the cake at about chest height. Going up or down is a matter of preference. Just do it quickly and with confidence. If you worry and going slowly you will wobble. Would they really notice if the line wasn't there? If you can't do it...maybe something subtle that is purposefully wavy.
Is the icing going to be fuscia? I worry that this will taste BAD from all of the dye it will take. Try to use something that is made to taste better.
Best of Luck
Maybe instead of the line on the bottom you could do a strand of pearls or a thin ribbon. It looks to me that the horzontal line was not piped to me but is a rolled BC or something. and I think Jenn is right about the pearls being pushed in.
I think the key to lines like Jenn says is to go fast because slowness makes them squiggle and to not touch your tip but pipe the line away from the cake and then bring it to the cake to attach if that makes since. For me I would probably start at the bottom and work up but attach your icing at the bottom. pull your tip up not touching your cake then pipe a straight line and attach at the top. Kinda like doing string work....I am sure it is not the recommended technique but it works for me!
You can do it!!!
Make sure you taste that fuscia icing before you put it on the cake!!! I'm worried about the flavor too...........I used the regular red for a pink cake one time (wilton icing color ) yucky!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe how awefull it was.....since then I only bought the no taste red and now have completely switched over to americolor which I've never noticed a flavor with.
P.S. I think I kinda like the cake without the line that goes up and down next to the pearls.........I think the pearls would be more beatiful just by themselves!
Looks like Jenn and cre8tor got it covered. I just wanted to know where you got that photo? Is it a book or a site? Would you mind if I saved it to my file for future inspiration (of course I wouldn't copy it directly, I always like to make them my own), I've never seen a pearl cake done quite like that. 
Looks like Jenn and cre8tor got it covered. I just wanted to know where you got that photo? Is it a book or a site? Would you mind if I saved it to my file for future inspiration (of course I wouldn't copy it directly, I always like to make them my own), I've never seen a pearl cake done quite like that.
I don't mind. The picture is a photocopy I received from the bride. I don't know where she got it.
Personally I like the line next to the button, I'm a sewer and it looks as if it is the back of a dress to me. It's beautiful.
Just thinking about the fuschia color....probably won't work for a wedding cake but sometimes when I have kids cakes that have a lot of red, I use punch or cherry flavored kookaid to help get the red color.. it works pretty well....still need to use some red food color to get the intensity but not nearly as much.
Cheers,
Shirley
Just thinking about the fuschia color....probably won't work for a wedding cake but sometimes when I have kids cakes that have a lot of red, I use punch or cherry flavored kookaid to help get the red color.. it works pretty well....still need to use some red food color to get the intensity but not nearly as much.
Cheers,
Shirley
You can also use the cherry juice out of the marachino cherry jar to do this.
What a stunnning cake. I think it would be easy to do the lines out of rolled buttercream or fondant. Try MMF its cheap to make and yummy.
Or sub with a bead border or a ribbon.
Thank you for all the wonderful suggestions. If the bride decides to have me make this cake for her, I think I will try to make the lines out of the rolled BC or fondant. I think it would look nicer. I'm also going to have to talk to her about this fuscia color. The little cake I made with fuscia colored frosting looked horrible. Plus she was wanting a Peanut Butter Cake with Buttercream Frosting. I'm sorry but those 2 tastes just don't go together very well. I could try a White chocolate bc frosting. We'll have to see.
I quoted her a price of $2.25 a slice. She wants a cake to feed 175 people. Is that an OK price?
Thanks again everyone
Lazy_Susan
O and I think that $2.25 is a very reasonable price, especially for a wedding cake like that. 
I don't blame you for going with the rolled BC or Fondant. Much easier to control. 
I think I found a solution for my problem of not being able to pipe a straight line. I am buying and extruder!!!! I will make perfectly straight lines out of MMF and place on the cake. What do y'all think??? Will it work?
Lazy_Susan
I'd go Pettinice and use my Sugarcraft clay gun all the way! Took all those Wilton courses and can't pipe BC to save my soul. Oh and I would purchase precolored fondant also! Good luck.
"Cakepro - your geometry tools are cool - haven't seen them since I was in eigth grade - LOL. Maybe I should take them up again - they might help my in my horrible piping........"
I use the clay extruder all the time! Just used it on the monsignor cake in my photos. You'll love it - it's so easy! I can't pipe a straight line either, or make fondant ropes. Make sure to get the greeen plastic one - i bought the silver one first and all the silver came out in the fondant. :'(
Hey beachcakes, love, love that monsignor cake! Hmmmmm which green plastic clay gun are you talking about? Mine is black with a red handle from England I believe.....costs about 29.00 bucks from Sugarcraft, but the best money I have spent so far for cakes....of the thirteen cakes I have ever made I have used that gun on five of them!
THanks tiptop! It's a green plastic clay gun from Michaels. I think it was around $10. I love Sugarcraft! Just spent a fortune from them online last week!
I just made this cake today. In my photos with rose petals. I made it in rolled fondant and just made strips of fondant for the buttons and piped with a small basket weave tip on a turn table. Go to this site:
www.elegantcheesecakes.com/wedding-cakes/pearl_buttons_img.html
I have 2 brides that want this cake this one wanted the buttons off set.
I just made this cake today. In my photos with rose petals. I made it in rolled fondant and just made strips of fondant for the buttons and piped with a small basket weave tip on a turn table. Go to this site:
www.elegantcheesecakes.com/wedding-cakes/pearl_buttons_img.html
I have 2 brides that want this cake this one wanted the buttons off set.
Your cakes are gorgeous and perfect, just wanted to say that, wow! Stunning!
Hugs Squirrelly
I use the clay extruder all the time! Just used it on the monsignor cake in my photos. You'll love it - it's so easy! I can't pipe a straight line either, or make fondant ropes. Make sure to get the greeen plastic one - i bought the silver one first and all the silver came out in the fondant. :'(
Grrrrr... The one I bought was the silver one!!!!! I hope it'll be ok. I reckon if it isn't I'll be going to buy the green one... *sigh*
On the plus side, I got my cake stands for the wedding cake today!!! They are absolutely perfect for the cake I am planning. I can't wait for it all to come together. The bride is going to be picking me up next week sometime to go looking at flowers
Edited because this is the wrong cake LOL These cake stands are for the other wedding cake and this is the other bride. Hmmmmm I have to keep these straight!!! LOL
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