Few Questions Please...and Some Frustration
Decorating By katwomen1up Updated 22 Aug 2007 , 11:41pm by katwomen1up
Hi everyone! I have a few questions and a little vent from frustration. Hope you don't mind
Is there a quick way to dry gumpaste? I'm trying the baseball cap and need it dried tonight. Can I put it in the oven to dry faster?
When making BC with the new Crisco have you noticed when you spray it with water to smooth on the cake it get's sweeter the more water you have to use? I know this because on a cupcake it's perfect tasting. When I've tried a piece of my cakes (9 Birthday's this month) it's so sweet. The only thing I can contribute it to is the water when smoothing.
What is the trick to frositing a cake fast? I was so frustrated last night!! 
It took me (I won't really tell you how long you'd laugh me off the site for good!) soooo long, no matter what I did UGH. Either my sides are terrible or the top isn't flat. When I fix one the other goes!
I just wanted to quite for good. 
TIA for any tips or encouragement. Ready to throw in the towel...
Kat
You can put your gumpaste piece in front of a tabletop fan on high and it will dry pretty quickly. I do everything last minute so I always dry GP this way. 
I smooth BC using water (x 10 yrs) and have never noticed the icing increasing in sweetness. That's pretty interesting.
Try trick to quickly frosting a cake is practice, practice, practice! 
Your speed and skill will increase with each cake you do. You could use the cake icer tip and a 16" pastry bag to ice your cake. That goes pretty quickly.
~ Sherri
I LOVE the big icing tip....I do however crumbcoat and a lot of people dont with this tip...you just run across the cake sides and top then smooth...works like a charm...and make sure your icing is thin and not thick or else you will have trouble getting your icing smooth....if you can stand a wooden spoon in your icing and it doesn't move then it is to thick....make it to where the spoon wants to fall over a bit....that is the right consistancy.
HTH
Ok I am VERY NEW at this whole cake decorating process, but how do you use water to smooth BC??
And do most people make their own BC or do they buy it??
Ok I am VERY NEW at this whole cake decorating process, but how do you use water to smooth BC??
And do most people make their own BC or do they buy it??
Some people take their flat spatula and dip it in hot water and then wipe it off and smooth the sides and tops of their cakes. Personally, that has not worked well for me. The best thing I have found is the Melvira method. I really don't have a clue about spraying your BC with water to smooth.
I think if you took a poll, you would find that most people make their own BC.
As far as the BC tasting sweeter, maybe it is just from sitting a while. I can't imagine the water making it sweeter. With this new Crisco, though, who knows??? That's all I'll say. There's several other threads on that subject. 
Diane
To smooth your icing with water, simply spray a fine mist of water on your cake from a misting spray bottle. The water allows the spatula to glide over the surface of the icing, smoothing seams and flaws, and if you don't overdo the water, it evaporates pretty quickly. You can speed the evaporation by putting the cake in front of a tabletop fan.
Oh Kat I feel your pain! I am a buttercream clutz but am learning. I have an eye for perfection and when i don't get it I keep going until I either get it close enough or make such a huge mess that it cannot be saved! I heat my spatula and find it works better for me. The icing tip is great! I still crumb coat before I use it.
Elle
Ok I am VERY NEW at this whole cake decorating process, but how do you use water to smooth BC??
And do most people make their own BC or do they buy it??
JennerRed01, I spread my BC with an angled spatula all over the cake...and then I rinse off my spatula with HOT water, and while the spatula still is hot and has water on it, I go over the BC and smooth it out. Between the heat and the water, it just helps the spatula to slide over the BC and smooth it better. I have heard of people actually using a spray bottle and spraying a fine mist of H2o on the BC and then going over it with the spatula to smooth it out, but I've always ran my spatula under HOT water. It's like everything, trial and error to just find out what works for each individual the best. You'll find on Cake Cent. that there are a couple (maybe 3) other ways of smoothing out BC.
And yes, I think most of us make our own BC. There's a couple different recipes that you can find on this site. I prefer "Julie's Less-Sweet BC frosting that is listed under BC recipes.... I put a teaspoon of Creme Bouquet in mine and everyone simply loves it!
I ordered some Butavan and will try adding a little of that next time I make up BC.
Hope that helps. If you can't find a BC recipe, let me know and I'll send it to ya.
I am also new to all this and have never heard of using water to smooth BC. Please, do tell!!!
Thanks cakepro, I will put it under fan, great tip! 
I will look into purchasing the big tip. A few cakes have been fast but the majority have been slow. Should have it by now I would figure.
Wgoat5, another great tip. Never was really sure on the right consistancy, this will work like a charm!
JennerRed01, the classes I take we are taught to use a spray bottle with water to smooth the icing. I spray the cake and the spatula or sometimes just the spatula to run it across the cake and smooth it.
I do make my own BC.
lionladydi, . Can't explain it. I smoothed the the sport cupcakes I just did and they weren't half a sweet as the cake I just did last night. Who knows.
thanks for your help, I appreciate it.
Kat
I tried running the spatula under the hot water. Actually I heated up my kettle, pored the water in a mug and dipped the spatula in it. Didn't work but won't give up. I do know that for whatever reason I can smooth chocolate frosting a lot easier than regular BC. Don't know why. I definately like the spoon trick for consistany I will give that a try tonight for sure. The frosting tip will have to wait as the shop is closed. I have another one to do for Sunday I will try it then. Do you still have to smooth when you use the frosting tip?
Kat
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