I'm trying to practice.....looking for any excuse to make a cake to get practice. I can get a pretty smooth top and side of the cake, BUT.....can't seem to get that crisp edge on the cake (round or square)!
How do you all do that?

Hello i found this
http://www.cakecentral.com/article51-How-To-Frost-a-Square-Cake.html

Hope it helps!

My Wilton instructor told us that if you pull your icing in from the edge it helps to get that crisp edge. She was icing her cake by doing the sides first then the top, once she put the icing on the sides and smoothed them she pulled the excess around the top edge onto the top of the cake, then added more icing to top as needed. The edge looked very nice when she was done.

Miss Robin is exactly correct. (Hello Robin, it's Tracy)

I ice the sides first, then the top. I use the edge of the spatula to smooth/pull from the edges to the center. This will give you a nice crisp corner. I use a papertowel after the icing crust to clean up any spots that didn't get smooth.

There is a gal on this site, sugarshack, who does the most amazing buttercream-iced cakes, and whose edges are and pristinely straight as anything I've ever seen. I've been doing this for 36 years and I'm not that precise. I don't know how she does it, but she is an EXPERT in my book. Send her a pm and maybe she'll provide you with some hints and tips ... and look for her work in the galleries. You'll be amazed!

HTH

Odessa

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-19948-.html

That is a link to a post Sugarshack did about her icing technique. HTH!

Here's something that might help:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-47677-.html

See Tracy I was listening in class!!!

Hey all!
I usually do the sides first and then the top - but I could never get it smooth enough. I've gotten better and I do use the Viva paper towel as well as a hot/warm off set spatula or a "icing smoother"...the triangle one with the three different "sides". The next time I do a cake, I'm going to try some of SS's techniques. I checked out Sugarshack's photos....OMG!!!! her cakes are - can we say F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!!! I need to really start practicing and making cakes again. I stopped to focus on my Personal Chef business (while still working fulltime), but I'm going to get back into the cake thing for real.

Wow! You people are amazing! I am soooooo thankful for this post. I have wondered "How'd They Do That", for a very long time.

I love the ideas and the instruction is GREAT!