Yes, it's about buttercream...but i was afraid if i put that in the topic people would start throwing couplers at me!
When you're smoothing (yes, this again)...you dip your knife into hot water...are you heating the knife so the knife warms the buttercream to smoother glossy finish...or is it the warm water that's doing it...
bottom line...should i wipe the water off the knife after dipping?
Personally, I would wipe off the water.
Good Luck! 
Anna
Most of the time I wipe it off, but I make sure that the water is as hot as I can get it. Sometimes though, I leave a little of the water on there because it seems to help smooth things out when the knife alone isn't working perfectly. I think it's because the water is still hotter than what I can get the knife to be. (But, this may only be my imagination 
)
Good Luck! In the end, just do what works for you!
Sarah
Most of the time I wipe it off, but I make sure that the water is as hot as I can get it. Sometimes though, I leave a little of the water on there because it seems to help smooth things out when the knife alone isn't working perfectly.
I agree - I think that little bit of water helps.
I'm a dipper and a shaker!! LOL I think a bit of water helps. Actually, I use a bench scraper--Plastic--for smoothing and then use a spatula if needed. I put the water in a bowl wide enough for my bench scraper and heat it to almost boiling in the microwave. HTH
i watched a video of a professional chef, and he put his spatula in the very center of the cake, spun the turntable around and slowly brought out the spatula (as if making a spiral) but the cake was perfectly smooth on top.....it was like magic...right before your eyes....(do you think he twitched his nose???)
i watched a video of a professional chef, and he put his spatula in the very center of the cake, spun the turntable around and slowly brought out the spatula (as if making a spiral) but the cake was perfectly smooth on top.....it was like magic...right before your eyes....(do you think he twitched his nose???)
This is how I start every time I ice, but my icing is just never smooth enough, and then I just HAVE TO MESS WITH IT too much and I end up making more work for myself because I always have to go back and smooth it again! Just can't leave well enough alone here! 
Sarah
One little thing I learned is that if you take a spray bottle and squirt just a little water directly on the cake then smooth, it works perfectly. Doesn't matter what tempurature the water is.
Barb
The bakery where I briefly worked at took a spray bottle of water to the cake, then smoothed with a spatula. I did this for awhile, but found if I wasn't careful I had too much water before long, and then the bc was harder to work with (too soft). Now I take my spray bottle, spray the spatula, then shake off excess then smoothe cake. Sometimes if my bc is particularly stiff that day I'll also give the cake a few light sprays, just always be careful not to get too much on it.
Tonja, That would be Sugarshack. Her cakes are fantastic!
Emily, according to other threads, wax paper is just like viva. I even remember someone using copier paper. I guess whatever works for you.
Personally, I throw tons of BC on the cake with the icing coupler and then remove it till it is fairly smooth with one of the cake spatula's then finish with Viva. 
I tried the hot water method and my results weren't as great as the other method.
http://www.cakecentral.com/article10-How-To-Create-Faux-Fondant-The-Paper-Towel-Method----Viva.html
This is a link to the Viva papertowel method... it's the only method I use!!
I dip into boiled water & use the water left on the knife too.
I always use viva, but I'm getting kinda tired of it lol Why can't cakes just bake and ice themselves so we can get to the fun part? hehe
This popped in my head when I read the title to this thread. What about using a hair dryer or something like that to heat up the spatula? Wouldn't it get the spatula hotter and maybe stay hotter longer? Or would it be too hot? Just curious.
I always use viva, but I'm getting kinda tired of it lol Why can't cakes just bake and ice themselves so we can get to the fun part? hehe
This popped in my head when I read the title to this thread. What about using a hair dryer or something like that to heat up the spatula? Wouldn't it get the spatula hotter and maybe stay hotter longer? Or would it be too hot? Just curious.
I like the idea of a cake just baking and icing itself - in a perfect world. Anyway, so I didn't try a hair dryer, but I did try to heat over stove years ago and I think my icing melted - it was too hot. 
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