I used to do all that paper towel and paint roller and heating a spatuala up in hot water crap. I now ONLY use my white plastic scraper (50 cents from DecoPac) and my yellow thermo scraper ($1.00 from Bakery Crafts) and a turntable. I put the icing on, and then give the cake a spin around with each of these scrapers, and my cakes are smooth as glass. I can ice a cake in about 1-2 minutes depending on the size.

Mmmmm, I wouldn't give up my hot water and spatula for anything.

Oh I think there are many ways to achieve smooth bc. I think Toneda and Sugar Shack prove that! I just tried the roller thingy and was amazed how well it worked. WHatever works for each person is whats best!

I agree, i use viva and a roller and i love it! my cakes are pretty smooth, i should say, smooth enough to satisfy and my customers!

I watched sugarshack bc a cake using the hot bench scraper, and it looks amazing. I am going to try doing it that way, but until I can learn (if possible) I will use roller hehe

Thanks for the weight guys

Wow, Tee-Y, quite touchy!

I work in a commercial bakery. I remember my first day of work bringing in some viva! I'm glad they didn't see it or would've probably looked at me like I had 3 heads.

I learned real quick "their" way...which I have inturn, brought home for my hobby baking also. Sorta like Jeff's method, but I spray the cake with alot of water while I'm spinning it...and I don't wipe off my spatula. I take it out of piping hot water and go straight to the cake. It must GLIDE constantly. If there is ever a tug, then I respray or rewet spatula. When I'm all done, I tilt the cake and let the excess water drip onto the counter.

Buttercream can be flawless! I've only been decorating for a year, but a couple weeks and what seemed like a couple hundered cakes at the bakery got me good and quick. Good luck. Whatever works for you.........do it! Any method will take time in perfecting. Heck, it took me weeks to figure out what height of turntable and spatulas worked for me.

Jeff your cakes are beautiful! Thanks for sharing your recipe. As far as the hot whipping cream would that be the same thing as Cool Whip or the cartons you buy at the store that say heavy cream?

Jeff...can you explain the faux fondant buttercream technique you used for Mel & Marg's cake?

Wow, ddaigle, your buttercream is super smooth! I can't wait to try my hot scraper and spray bottle. So you don't smooth with anything after you use your scraper? Thanks for all the tips; I haven't heard these ones!

I use the bench scraper like Edna does to get the excess icing off and to get the boxed effect (if a square cake) or just even sides and top of a round or square cake. I only use the bench scraper to take off excess icing. I then move on to the spray bottle and wet HOT spatula. I haven't seen Sugar Shack's video so I'm not sure of her technique. I've only seen Edna's youtube.

Jeff and ddaigle -

Would you mind sharing your buttercream recipe (if you haven't already)?

I imagine it crusts really well?

Mine is a crusting, but don't know how well. I use 2 sticks of crisco, 2lb of powdered sugar and 1 cup heavy whipping cream. The rest is my extracts. I have used tons of different icings and still get the smoothness including cream cheese and bettercream. In my opinion, it is technique...not recipe. However, I do understand some techiques (viva, roller) will not work with all icings.

Much appreciated. I can absolutely agree with you about technique being the key, but at the same time... if the buttercream I make tends to have maybe more shortening in it or something, I didn't know if that might cause it to not react as well to the hot knife. Just a thought. Cover them bases.

Thanks Jeff!

Thank you Jeff!

And thank you ddaigle!

Very helpful information!

I'm completely shocked! I buy those huge 7lb bags of powdered sugar from Costco. I was in a hurry once making royal icing and didn't sift. It was a nightmare! I had a hard time getting the icing through the really small tips.

Maybe it differs with the brand you buy. I suppose some are presifted and some are not.

I would LOOOOOVE to not sift sugar!

I don't sift mine. Do you have a lot of humidity or is it in a moist area that might encourage it to clump?

Well I am in the south, but that actually happened to me the week before Christmas. Humidity isn't that bad after October.

Maybe I will throw caution to the wind and try it with buttercream. You just don't know how happy it would make me to not sift pounds and pounds of sugar!

I use to sift mine until I started using Sharon's recipe & haven't sifted in a little over 2 yrs now

I'm gonna make a small batch of buttercream without sifting and see what happens. I'll let you know....

i make sugarshack's bc and never, ever sift.