I Just Learned A New Tip For Smoothing Frosting (B4 Viva)
Decorating By LukeRubyJoy Updated 19 Sep 2006 , 10:35am by SScakes
Ok,
I bought this cheap-o cake decorating book at Barnes-n-noble. It has a bunch of cool ideas, but the decorating is pretty sophomoric (I think that I could maybe do better, and that isn't saying much 
)
BUT, I saw this tip that I haven't seen on here before (unless I missed it, which is a distinct possibility). They say to use a metal straight-edge to gently pull across the top of your cake! I think that is brilliant, but I haven't tried it yet, so maybe if you have, you could tell me if it is or not 
) Maybe they teach this in the courses (alas, I haven't taken them yet, either 
)
Using the straight edge eliminates the need to re-warm your spatula and leave those creases/wrinkles (I don't really know what to call them). You just pull gently toward you. Then, maybe you wouldn't even need to viva. Or if it was a non-crusting BC, it would maybe be smoother. I think it will work especially well with those pesky sheet-cakes.
What do you all think???
Both my Grandfather and my Uncle were baker/decorators, they would use the edge of their icing knifes to smooth out their cakes when the cake was freshly iced. But they both could do it with a few strokes and the tops or sides were always even. However for cakes that had to withstand heat of weather, their recipe would be different and it was with this recipe that they would use a warm knife. Great find on the book, hope you enjoy it.
Gloria I
I have found that a 12" stainless steel cement trowel works very well for smoothing the top of a cake, while the 6" pallet knife works well for the sides.
Theresa
In a hardware store, in the paint and paper department.
Theresa
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