Smooth icing is key to professional decorating!

I decided today I was going to talk about icing a cake. I was checking my e mail just now and came across an email that came from one of my contacts,Donna Pickens
www.ButterCreamCakeDecorating.com, and I couldn't have put it better.


Did you know that the first cakes baked in America where small loaves of sweet bread? Look how far we have come.
Home bakers should not be intimidated by the elaborate cakes being made today. You do not need to be a pastry chef to make beautiful cakes, you just need the know-how and practice. Of course the right tools will go a long way in your cake decorating endeavors. Here are a few ideas you might like to try.

Every cake worth merit starts with a smooth icing. The cake needs to cool completely before they are iced and decorated. To keep crumbs from ending up in your icing and ruining the look of your cake, start with a thin base coat of frosting that is not quite as stiff as the regular layer will be. Once this coat is on, set the cake in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This will set the icing and any crumbs will be caught in this first layer. Now you can spread a regular layer of icing without worrying about crumbs.

Use an icing spatula to apply and smooth the second coat of icing. Once the icing is on the cake, start smoothing on the sides by running the spatula around the perimeter of the cake. One trick for smoothing the frosting is to dip the metal icing spatula in cold water, this will aid in smoothing the frosting. To smooth the top, dip the spatula in cold water and holding it horizontally over the top of the cake. Start at the point farthest from you, holding the spatula in both hands, skim the top of the icing by bringing the spatula straight toward you.

This and more tips are available at:
http://www.buttercreamcakedecorating.com/newsletter.html

Donna Pickens
Sharing is a good thing, don't you think? Try this trick and let me know how it improved your finished cake.

www.ButterCreamCakeDecorating.com