CAKE ICING BLUES

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW I CAN ICE MY CAKES SMOOTH. I HAVE BEEN USING ALMOST A WHOLE TUB OF ICING, I KNOW THIS IS NOT SO. I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING PLEASE HELP.ALSO
EVERYTIME I BAKE A CAKE IT ALWAYS COME OUT UNEVEN I HAVE TRIED MEASURING CUPS AND STILL THIS HAPPENS, I EVEN PURCHASED THE BAKE EVEN STRIPS. ANY SUGGESTIONS.

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CAKE ICING BLUES

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Oct 17, 2009
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level cakes and smooth icing
by: bamagrama

First off, place a level inside your oven and make sure it is level, otherwise, there are no tricks that will bake a level cake. Bake your cakes at 300 degrees. You need to nearly double the baking time. Experiment to find what's best for you. Only increase time in 15 minute increments. Also, you can get an oven thermometer from Walmart pretty cheap to be sure your oven thermostat is in proper working order. I also use Pam spray for all of my cakes and line the bottom of the pan with a sheet of waxed paper. It will insure your cake will release perfectly. Remove the cake from the pan 20 minutes after removing from the oven; peel the waxed paper off when the cake is completely cool.
Trim off any crisp edges before filling and icing.
Cover the cake with a very thin layer of icing to crumb coat the cake. Chill the cake for 30 minutes. Put another coat of icing on the cake but this time put enough to cover all areas of visible cake. Using a lazy susan {also available at Walmart very cheap} turn the cake while holding the spatula at a 90 degree angle. As the icing builds at the top edge of the cake you can smooth it by pulling the spatula across the top while turning the lazy susan. Another tool that I use is a drywall knife that is used to spread spackle. They are available in several sizes and also very cheap to buy. {I do much of my cake decorating tool shopping in hardware departments.]
Fill a tall container with very hot tap water. dip the spatula into the water and run it around the sides and top of the cake in the same way you did the last time. You will have to dip several times and always clean the spat off between dips. This takes practice but it's sooo worth the time. Chill the cake until the icing crusts before adding the rest of the decorations. I'm including my recipe for buttercream icing.

Buttercream icing

1 cube of butter or parkay margarine slightly softened
1/2 cup of Crisco shortening
1 tsp clear vanilla
1 tsp Wilton butter flavoring
2 lb bag of powdered sugar, sifted
whole milk

Beat the shortening and butter until creamy; add the flavorings and mix well; add the sugar a cup at a time, beating thoroughly between additions until the icing begins to crawl up the beaters. Scrape the bowl often. Start adding milk in very small amounts beating constantly, alternating milk with sugar until all the sugar has been added. Beat thoroughly. If the icing is still dry, add small amounts of milk until you reach the desired consistency. Now beat at high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping bowl often. It is now ready to use. Keep a damp towel over the bowl when not using to prevent crusting. This icing lasts a couple of weeks in the fridge in an airtight container. Just rebeat it before using.
This recipe makes enough to ice and fill a 13" x 9" cake or an 8" 2 layer cake.

Oct 16, 2009
Rating

smooth icing.
by: Pat

Maby You should try making a homade butter cream frosting .it's firmmer than store bought. It's not hard to make. you save money too. Onc you make it you'll never buy again. Also try using an ofset spatula. hope this helps.

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