Can You Get Super Smooth And Sharp Edges With Smbc?

Decorating By nancylee61 Updated 29 Apr 2014 , 9:24pm by nancylee61

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AZCouture Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 8:45pm
post #31 of 51

AOh yeah, I can't use anything else, I just can't. Except ganache if I need to make a madhatter.

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hula1974 Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 8:55pm
post #32 of 51

Beautiful AZ!

 

So, I'm assuming it is the ability to chill (harden) the frosting that helps you get the crisp lines, right?

If that is the case, do you lose any of the perfect form when it starts to warm up a little?

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nancylee61 Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 9:09pm
post #33 of 51

AGorgeous! I have been practicing and practicing and I can get the cake pretty smooth, but still don't get those knife edges. Sigh. Will keep,working on it. Nancy

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FioreCakes Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 10:16pm
post #34 of 51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rosie93095 
 

Yes, Fiorecakes- it worked just right for me. I only had to fill a couple of small divots with more icing, chill and smooth again.

Thanks for answering! 

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AZCouture Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 11:26pm
post #35 of 51

A

Original message sent by hula1974

Beautiful AZ!

So, I'm assuming it is the ability to chill (harden) the frosting that helps you get the crisp lines, right? If that is the case, do you lose any of the perfect form when it starts to warm up a little?

First part of your question, yep. Last part, nope, not a bit.

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AZCouture Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 11:26pm
post #36 of 51

A

Original message sent by nancylee61

Gorgeous! I have been practicing and practicing and I can get the cake pretty smooth, but still don't get those knife edges. Sigh. Will keep,working on it. Nancy

What exactly are you using to smooth with? Don't describe it, find a picture to link to if possible. Might be the problem.

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hula1974 Posted 28 Apr 2014 , 11:43pm
post #37 of 51

Thanks!

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nancylee61 Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 9:04am
post #38 of 51

AAZCouture, A bench scraper. I'll go find it..I can only find those flexi cutting boards in big pieces and know if I cut one, I'll screw up the edges! Nancy

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AZCouture Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 9:08am
post #39 of 51

ANope nope nope, those flexible mats are for the fondant, not for icing with.

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AZCouture Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 9:09am
post #40 of 51

ADang it, I entered too fast. Bench scraper, ok, good to hear. Just keep trying, maybe find a video that will help.

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nancylee61 Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 11:24am
post #41 of 51

AWill do. I'm glad I didn't use the mat on SMBC! Nancy

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-K8memphis Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 1:49pm
post #42 of 51

bench scraper yes sometimes called dough cutter--some peeps go to the hardware store and get those real long scrapers-- idk -- they brandish them around on tv but i always wonder about the food safetiness of them but they sure work great --

 

i actually have my first dough cutter i bought let's see--over 40 years ago--and this back when commercial utensils and products were very separate from retail/home use ones--then i somehow accumulated a drawer full--some of them have rulers on them too which comes in handy

 

bench scraper thoughts

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nancylee61 Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 2:01pm
post #43 of 51

Thank you!! Many of the videos I see use American buttercream, but I use SMBC. Do you know of any good videos that use it? 

Nancy

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-K8memphis Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 2:19pm
post #44 of 51

no, i don't sorry-- i mean you could watch a brick layer video or a video of a wall plasterer maybe and get the same idea though--you just pile on too much icing and especially the top edges and pipe a big fat glob up each corner on square cakes--smoothy smooth it a bit just so it's all adhering to itself--then just scrape off the excess to reveal the exactly proportioned cake underneath--

 

what helps is if you use a thick smooth foam core board to set the cake on, that will be same size as the iced finished cake--so you pile icing on the cake all over past that board (ice color outside the lines)  then scrape off the excess using the board as the guide--turning the turntable at the same time--alls you gotta do is hold the scraper upright

 

voila

 

videos are nice though--but don't know none-- i opted for alliteration over good grammar ;)

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AZCouture Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 2:40pm
post #45 of 51

APretty sure I've mentioned the Sugarshack DVD before for you. Not SMBC, but most of the methods can be adopted. Definitely use a stainless steel bench scraper, dough cutter, same thing.

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AZCouture Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 2:41pm
post #46 of 51

APerfecting the Art of Buttercream, is what it's called, if it's still out there.

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nancylee61 Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 3:38pm
post #47 of 51

AZ,

You did, but she uses shortening buttercream, so her advice is different. I rented it, and I did get a lot of good tips from it, but the timing is different, refrigeration is different.

Nancy

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morganchampagne Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 6:25pm
post #48 of 51

AYou should really look into the upside down method on jessicakes blog. It's very easy and will give you sharp sharp edges. I promise. The video is about 15 minutes long

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enga Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 6:54pm
post #49 of 51

Nancy the thing is it takes repetition to be able to get a cake really smooth. No matter how many times you look at a video or someone else do it, the only way you are going to be able to get it right is doing it over and over.

 

When I first started icing cakes, the instructor did one demo and told us to get out our straight or off set spatulas and plastic bench scrapers, grab a bowl of icing and get started. You want to talk about some lump sided, crumb filled messes. You see, we were all striving for perfection instead of just getting the icing on the cake.

 

I wish I had of learned to ice a cake with just an off set spatula instead of a plastic bench scraper. It would have saved me some money as the plastic ones tend to wear out with time and the metal one leave lines if you apply to much pressure while releasing them from the icing. One of my co workers can get her icing perfectly smooth with just the spatula. I'll get there one day but it all depends on using what tool is comfortable to you and what helps you get a smooth finish.

 

One of the most surprising things I've learned from coming to the site was the Viva towel method. I had never heard of such a thing. If I had tried something like that at work, I would have been the laughing stock of the bakery. "You want to do what to make your icing smooth?" Working in the industry is like piece work, you have about 10 to 15 minutes to get a cake layer sliced level, filled, iced, and decorated. There is no such thing as a crumb coat even for chocolate cakes, there is no time. You have to get it done in one whop. This video is one of the only ones I could find that used the technique I was taught. Where you don't lift up on the spatula while icing the side so that you don't get cake crumbs in you icing.

 

Repetition Nancy that is what it is going to take. I would say to get some frozen cake layers and make a batch of SMBC and practice over in over by scraping it down and starting over again. When the cake gets too warm, pop it in the freezer until it gets firm and start over again. Don't strive for perfection, just try to get the icing on the cake first, then use your bench scraper to take the icing off. After you have gotten down to the least amount of icing left before the cake will show underneath, pretend like your scraper is a light as a feather and let the turn table help you to achieve a smooth cake and lift off the cake very lightly.

 

The best thing for me was working in the industry because that is where you start off when you are new, by getting the cake smooth before you can are even allowed to decorate a cake. I hope this helps. You will get there, it just takes practice ;-D

 

http://zoebakes.com/2011/06/07/how-to-video-smoothly-buttercream-a-cake-recipe-included/

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AZCouture Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 7:25pm
post #50 of 51

AYes, like I said though, the recipe doesn't matter, I don't use that stuff either, but the [B]method[/B] is completely appropriate. That's how I learned, with SMBC, and I still pretty much follow it today.

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nancylee61 Posted 29 Apr 2014 , 9:24pm
post #51 of 51

Thank you, ladies!! I have been practicing bu hadn't thought about scraping the icing off and starting again - will do!!

Nancy

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