Hi all,
I'm attempting my first tiered cake for my parents 40th anniversary...I want it to look like an actual wedding cake since they never really had one. Though I'm a little concerned about getting it to look perfectly smooth and perfectly shaped. I've done a few round layer cakes that didn't turn out so swell. So I'm wondering if anyone has tried the upside down technique for their wedding cakes and would you recommend it? Or if you have a better technique or any other help..I would so greatly appreciate it! Thanks so much!!-Alison
I have tried it and it works well, sometimes. It creates smooth sides and squared off edges, which are hard to do sometimes by hand. What I had trouble with was my icing sticking to the parchment paper once I flipped it over and started to peel. I tried the refidge, freezer, nothing, it would still stick in places.
So, someone made the comment on CC to try wax paper instead of parchment. Something about parchment makes the cake stick to it during this process. I am going to try this next. If that does not work, then I will perfect my spatula and hot water method, lol.
Good luck!!!
Amybeth, here's a link...
http://www.cakecentral.com/article6-Upside-Down-Icing-Technique-for-Perfectly-Smooth-Icing.html
Well I just tried the upside down process tonight on another cake, only with wax paper. I left it in the freezer for about 15 minutes and it sort of crusted, all was fine, I thought. I flipped it and went to take off the wax paper and it started fine, then the rest of the top layer came off with it. 
I give up! I am going back to just piping on the icing and using a bench scraper. I am getting better doing it by hand anyways.
Does this happen to anyone else, btw?
This is the only way I ice now. I don't even bother with drawing the circles. I just tape some parchment to a masonite round that's 2" bigger than the tier I'm icing and go to town.
If you're having problems sticking it could be your icing. More butter = more better. I use SMBC which doesn't stick to parchment at all once it's chilled. I ice, throw in the fridge while I'm working on the next tier. 10-15 mins later it peels right off.
The only icing I've had sticking problems with is cream cheese icing. I usually give that about 30 mins fridge time, peel off the parchment and then smooth the top over with a hot knife.
As to a whole layer of icing coming off- I've never heard of that happening. My only suggestion would be to crumbcoat and chill before doing the final ice.
Sorry, I'm a newbie. SMBC? Buttercream I get, I think, but SM?
Thank you
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
There's also IMBC = Italian Meringue Buttercream 
I have done the upside down method twice now and I think I plan on using from here on out. I love the straight edges you get with it. I've used only wax paper and have never had a problem sticking. I use the half crisco/half butter buttercream frosting for it.
I too love the straight edges. I just don't understand why I am having problems. I have tried this technique with various icings, the last time with 1 cup butter/1/2 c shortening, the time before that was an all butter meringue buttercream. I guess I will try keeping it in the freezer for a longer period and see if that helps. I also think I will go back to parchment. It only took off bits here and there, the waxed paper took off practically the whole top, lol.
Rodneyck - you & I talked about this once before, so I have a couple more questions for you.
Are you crumbcoating the cake first? If not, you definitely should. Let that set a good while.
How long are you leaving the icing in the freezer? I would not take it out until it's been at least 30 minutes. If you are spreading on the icing rather thickly, leave it in longer. Your patience will be rewarded.
I adore this method and won't use any other now for round cakes. I'm even thinking of trying it on square ones.
Great tips!!! I usually do not crumb coat and do the piped on method with a pastry bag. I hate crumb coating, lol.
I only leave it in for 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer and it is a little over 1/4" thick, so next time I will try 30 minutes. If this still does not work, I will reluctantly crumb coat ...lol.
Thanks!!!
Hey gang,
I do not like using the upside down method. I usually bake very large cakes and this is not applicable for me. However, I use a paint roller to smooth the top and sides. Hardware stores - 4 inch very smooth sponge roller. Works every time for me. Thanks for reading my $.02 input. wifey
I am seriously considering using a version of this technique for my ice cream cakes. I have been having trouble with decorating when the design is a bit more elaborate... condensation starts to form and the icing won't stick... when I pull the bag away, the icing comes with it.
It's all very time consuming because I have to keep putting the cake back in the freezer and the more I open the freezer, the longer I have to leave the cake in due to recovery time.
I am going to experiment with putting a 1/4" thick circle of icing on wax paper and decorating it. Then put it in the freezer. When frozen, peel the paper off the back and put it on the cake. I can patch and spackle where the sides join the top.
What do you think? Will it work?
Does this method work for huge wedding cakes??? Like 16"-18"??? Has anyone even attempted this technique with a cake that large???
Yes and yes. Just be careful when you're flipping the larger tiers. It's cumbersome because they're so heavy. If you're not very strong you may need some help to do it.
Oh, Tell us more about the paint roller!! I too am going to start of with just the cardboard round and the waxpaper and see what happens.
Great tips!!! I usually do not crumb coat and do the piped on method with a pastry bag. I hate crumb coating, lol.
I only leave it in for 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer and it is a little over 1/4" thick, so next time I will try 30 minutes. If this still does not work, I will reluctantly crumb coat ...lol.
Thanks!!!
I would definetly let it sit longer than 30 mins. When you do the FBCTs you leave them in the freezer for about that long, and it is a smaller amount of icing.
Also are you pulling the paper off right after you take it out of the freezer and not letting it sit any? I haven't tried this techinque yet, but I'm guessing it is like the FBCTs where the icing starts to thaw really fast.
I tried this on my last wedding cake and it didn't work out for me at all! Big chunks of frosting peeled off with my parchment. I'll probably try again, but I need a decent frosting recipe that has more butter than crisco, I guess. Mine was pretty heavy on the shortening....
I tried it saturday. It was just a practice cake but it turned out much better than I could have done it freehanded. I goofed on my iceing, and I think I beat it to much cause there were alot of airbubles in the iceing. I was going to change the iceing for the real cake because no one Liked it but since the type of iceing seems to determine if it works well or not, I may just try to do a better job with the cream cheese. One thing I noticed was that the iceing was thicker on the top, I guess I need to hold better preasure or something.
Also are you pulling the paper off right after you take it out of the freezer and not letting it sit any? I haven't tried this techinque yet, but I'm guessing it is like the FBCTs where the icing starts to thaw really fast.
I do pull the paper off right out of the freezer, but I think like you said, it needs 30 minutes or more. I have to bake a cake and put frosting on it for class this week, so I will try this method again.
Shelain22, not sure a cream cheese icing would be the best for this type as it does not get as hard as butter when cold and still has a sticky tact to it. The thicker top can be controlled by how much icing you put down. Like I said, piping it out of a bag with a tip is the best because it creates a uniform thickness all over the cake.
The iceing firmed up ok, but I think Im going to stick with a regular buttercream. What recipe would be the best. Is there any more types of frostinc that are good, you can decorate with, and is fairly fool proof?I took my practice ckae to decoration yesterday, and DH put it in the back of the durango, by the time we got there it had melted, and I didnt even get a pic 
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%