Help! How To Pipe Straight Horizontal Lines On A Round Cake
Decorating By Jimbos76 Updated 7 Aug 2011 , 12:49pm by Lemmers
Wilton has a new tool that you can set to different heights:
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=2C61B096-1E0B-C910-EAE02E9BA668ADD2&fid=BF217A88-1E0B-C910-EA89E774397C0ED7
But in a pinch I have made one out of a styrofoam block and a toothpick!
Line or lines? If you don't have a steady hand, which most of us don't, you could find the right tool to do the job for you. For example, a cake comb (of sorts) could replicate the look you want for multiple lines or a mortar trowel. You could even make your own customized comb with a piece of thick card stock to ice the cake with the relief pattern of your choice. HTH.
Let me clarify, I'm not worried about marking where the line goes, I'm worried about piping the buttercream line on the cake using a steady hand. Even if I mark where the line goes on the side, it's keeping the piped line straight that worries me. I do not have steady hands and when I go to pipe the line on the side, I'm afraid gravity and a shaky hand will take control and the line will be wobbly. 
I even considered making a fondont "string" and placing that on the cake instead but I really do not want to use fondont.
Hmmmm, I would think that marking the line and using a steady hand is the only way, really.
The only other thing I can think of would be to use a thickened buttercream, like you would use for your dam and pipe it on. That way if it's not straight, you can move it around a little without wrecking it. I'm thinking thickened like how Sharon Zambito does hers, adding enough powdered sugar to where you can roll the BC into a ball and not have it stick to your hands...or at least almost that thick.
I think you need a steady hand.
But not sure if something like this would help. I have that Cuisipro food decorating pen and the tip is pretty small. I don't have the other one, but that's electronic so maybe it's even better. You might be able to hold them on top of something at all times, so that they don't move up or down, but I'm still not sure what that could be.
Anyway, here's the two links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0018Z02T0/?tag=cakecentral-20
http://www.pastrychef.com/FROSTING-DECO-PEN_p_1770.html#
http://www.pastrychef.com/EZ-DECO-ICING-PEN_p_1942.html
I'll see if I can think of something else.
Definitely tilt the cake back. Treat it like string work - don't pipe with the tip close to the cake. Once you start the line keep it a couple of inches off of the surface of the cake and lay the line down. I don't know if that makes sense or not.
Whenever I try to pipe up close, I always end up with more wiggle in the lines. Just keep at it - you'll get it down.
I've never tried this, but in my head it works: Make sure your your cake is perfectly centered in the middle of your turntable. Place your decorating bag on something (like a stack of books) that leaves the tip at the exact height you are wanting your piped line almost touching the cake. Tape the bag down if you have to. Next, push down or apply pressure in another way to the decorating bag while turning the cake on the turntable. Again, I haven't done this, so I'm sure this idea is flawed, but I think it might be worth a try? I would think your bag would have to be pretty full and the pressure would have to be applied from the back of the bag so as you pipe it won't effect the height of your tip.
I've never tried this, but in my head it works: Make sure your your cake is perfectly centered in the middle of your turntable. Place your decorating bag on something (like a stack of books) that leaves the tip at the exact height you are wanting your piped line almost touching the cake. Tape the bag down if you have to. Next, push down or apply pressure in another way to the decorating bag while turning the cake on the turntable. Again, I haven't done this, so I'm sure this idea is flawed, but I think it might be worth a try? I would think your bag would have to be pretty full and the pressure would have to be applied from the back of the bag so as you pipe it won't effect the height of your tip.
I'd seriously like to see a tutorial of this contraption in action!
Tilt the cake back slightly (taking care not to tilt so far the cake slides off the board) and you may find you have more control as you can let gravity help.
I have to do something similar soon, and was planning on doing this. Hope it works!
Umm-If you are using a tip 2 or 3, you cannot use thick icing-it won't go through that thin of a hole. I think your best bet is a clay gun and fondant-but even then it might be hard to keep it perfectly straight, but at least it'll give you a fighting chance. I'm sure it will be great!
To pipe a straight line - move the entire arm not just the hand when piping, attach the icing then lift the tip and continue piping and moving the arm/hand and reattach the icing. If you have squiggles, you can straighten by using a dampened artist brush and use the brush to straighten the lines.
When I do straight lines, I don't usually pipe them. I use a Clay Gun/Extruder. But if you must pipe them, I suggest piping them out of Royal Icing, but don't put the tip too close to the cake to help prevent the lines from being crooked and be sure to mark the places on the cake where you want the lines to go so that they are even/straight. Just hold it about 3 inches from the cake and let it fall in place while piping. I hope that makes sense... Good luck!! 
I've never tried this but instantly in my mind I can imagine attaching 2 strips of greaseproof paper the same width apart as you want your line, pipe with a larger tip OVER the strips of paper and then lift away, taking the excess icing but leaving a (hopefully) neat horizontal line?
Just a thought!!
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