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Post by stephaniebines on Jun 22, 2007 10:33:18 GMT -2
Hi all Can someone please tell me what I'm doing wrong! I've been making cakes for a long time but I have a problem with cracks on the sugarpaste on every single cake so clearly I must be doing something wrong but for the life of me I don't know what! I read on Delia to use the microwave to warm up the sugarpaste (at about 10 seconds at a time) and I roll it out using icing sugar, it appears to be fine and crack free but as soon as I lift it and put it onto the cake I get cracks particularly on the edges. I then can't get the cracks out! I don't know if I'm not making it elastic enough (what should it feel like?) if I'm rolling it too thick, using too much icing sugar (if I don't use enough it sticks!) or quite what. It's the one thing, that if I'm honest sends me over the edge and I really dread doing! When I look at other cakes they always appear beautifully smooth and shiny and just how I'd like mine to be but for the life of me I can't achieve that smooth polished finish! Can someone please point me in the right direction! Thanks for your help Stephanie
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Post by rach on Jun 22, 2007 12:14:17 GMT -2
Sometimes it is because the paste is not kneaded enough before rolling..so knead abit more..also when lifting the weight of the paste can cause it to stretch and when putting it onto the cake ir pulls at the sides because there is too much weight pulling on the paste at the side of the cake..one way round this is to not have so much paste as excess so not soo much pulling ...if it does pull and it happens to me aswell it get my smooter out and trim then smooth all over and yes I still do have some cracking sometimes on the edge so I use trex and put that over the cracks and it smoothes then straight out and I do tems to put it over all the cake to give it a shine sheen not much though ..and I rub abit more into the cracking area and it goes beautifully smooth.
You can always do it with hot water and a knife or finger and rub aswell but I prefer the trex way cos I like the shine aswell and when i sprinkle on my glitter it sticks..lol...
Hope that helps
Rach x
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Post by stephaniebines on Jun 22, 2007 14:50:51 GMT -2
Rach, you're a star,
I'll kneed a bit more (should it feel a bit like elastic or is that too squelchy?) and I'll try and get a more exact fit so I don't have such an excess - I must confess I do have a fair bit of overhang. Maybe that might go towards curing my problem, I do have a couple of smoothers but to be truthful, maybe I'm using them wrong but I don't rate them that much! I normally use a piece of the same sugarpaste to polish the cake or maybe that's why mine don't shine as much as everyone elses! When I'm using smoothers should I use them when the icing has set or straight after I've iced the cake? How do you get your cakes shiny? Is it just by using smoothers?
I'll certainly try the trex option to fill in any cracks (who am I kidding by any cracks, there's always cracks!), what's tems? I've not heard of that.
I like the idea of trex and then a bit of sparkle, does it work the same if I used a lustre dust on top of the trex or does it have to be the disco sparkly stuff! Would that work with those new magic sparkles? I've seen them in the shop but haven't tried them.
As you can see I'm entirely self taught! I tried to find a course but there was nothing locally I could go to so i have to rely on what I find out in books or this forum!
Thanks Stephanie x
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Post by rach on Jun 22, 2007 16:18:21 GMT -2
I am totally self taught too..more fun I think..lol....
tems is tend..i cant type well...lol.....I put the trex all over very lightly with a brush and sometimes if i put too much on just wipe it off abit with a kitchen roll..then I sprinkle over glitter not the lustre just glitter..the lustre you would use without the trex...the magic sparkles I dont like but each to their own ..for me they are too chuinky and not sparkly enough....but I do sometimes use them on my castle cakes around the bottom of the turrets.
the smoothers always use as soon as the cake is iced and smooth out the paste and buff and buff I work on a cake for at 5 mins or so that it is silky smooth and has a nice sheen to it....then I still sometimes use trex to give it even more sheen..lol...and to cover any little cracks if there are any.
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Post by juliebtaurus on Jul 5, 2007 19:51:56 GMT -2
hi im just reading your post and to be honest i dont use a smoother i just use the flat of my hands dusted in cornflour in small circles all over the cake to smooth and polish and must admit they finish very smooth and have a nice sheen
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Post by stephaniebines on Aug 4, 2007 6:33:03 GMT -2
Hi all,
Thanks, for the advice, I think my problem is when I lift the icing to put onto the cake, I must be stretching it too much and have too much of an overhang so it's pulling down at the sides. I also think I overdose with icing sugar when rolling out so it dries out too much but if I don't use a lot it sticks! I was thinking about rolling out on Bake-o-glide - has anyone tried it? What does everyone else roll sugarpaste out on to stop it sticking?
I iced a cake recently and the 6 and 8in cakes were fine (crack free) but the 10inch cake had cracks - I did try the trex method but didn't get on that well, it didn't seem to get rid of the cracks - maybe I didn't use enough or rub it well in - should I be really rubbing it in - I didn't want to rub too much in case I made it worse!
I do use my hand to smooth and buff the sugarpaste, but again it doesn't come up as shiny as others I've seen - should I be doing this when the sugarpaste is set or just after I've put it on? How long should I buff it?
I'm going to have a go at uploading some pictures of the cakes I've done, so here's hoping it works!
Stephanie x
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Post by stephaniebines on Aug 4, 2007 6:41:25 GMT -2
Right, I give up, how do I upload pictures?
Stephanie x
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Post by victoria on Aug 4, 2007 7:19:02 GMT -2
go to www.photobucket.com username cakedecorating, password cakes and upload your pics onto there, then copy the img code at the bottom of the few lines of text under your uploaded picture and paste it into your message on here then it should show the picture when you post. When I'm covering with sugarpaste I always give it a good kneading, then roll it out a few times to make it really elastic (I just roll out on the kitchen table using icing sugar). I leave it a bit thick and not quite the size required, then hang it over the rolling pin put it on the centre of the cake and smooth it with the smoothers...as you are smoothing outwards with the smoothers, it will thin out the paste a little bit and stretch it down to the edges of the cake to cover it nicely. I rarely get cracks doing it this way. I've never used trex, so can't comment on that, but i actually prefer a dull finish to a cake rather than a shiny one anyway.
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Post by stephaniebines on Aug 4, 2007 8:27:16 GMT -2
Do you mean you just lie the sugarpaste on top of the cake with just a little overhanging and then smooth it all the way down? Does it cover all the way down, I've never tried that, i'll give it a go! Thanks. I've uploaded some pictures so here goes with the link! IMG]http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c293/cakedecorating/weddingcakes005.jpg[/IMG] I made all the flowers and pearls etc, if I'm honest that's probably the bit that gives me the least amount of stress, if i could just get the hang of this sugarpaste lark, I'd be happy! Stephanie x
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Post by juliebtaurus on Aug 4, 2007 15:47:51 GMT -2
what the heck are you talking about girl youre cakes are absolutely gorgeous i have never attempted wedding cakes but if mine looked like this i would be well pleased
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Post by victoria on Aug 4, 2007 16:29:37 GMT -2
I have to say, Stephanie, that there doesn't look like there is much wrong with your coverings, those cakes are lovely...and when i say i leave it a bit short, its only a centimetre or so. Do you have a really long rolling pin? I have recently bought a 17" stainless steel one, it was only about £8 on ebay and is the best thing I have bought so far...
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Post by stephaniebines on Aug 5, 2007 15:56:40 GMT -2
Thanks, I was pleased with the cakes it's just when I look closely sometimes I can see cracks where there shouldn't be cracks! I think you're always more critical of your own work and just want it to be exactly right rather then nearly right!
I've just recently bought myself a long rolling pin? Not sure what size it is but it cost me £26 in the local cake shop! I think I was robbed! I also bought some spacers to have a go at using them. I'll try the whole leave it slightly short then try smoothing it down to the edge thing, I always cover the board and cake separately anyway so I'll give it a go.
I've got another 2 wedding cakes between now and the middle of September, one of which is my daughters (no pressure there then!) so I'll get a bit more practice sugarpasting and trying out my new rolling pin! I've got a mound of sugarflowers to make for the sprays and arrangments and I'm going to have a go at the all in one method of makng roses, up until now I've always made them petal by petal which I like but it's really time consuming.
I'll upload pics when they are finished.
Stephanie x
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Post by rach on Aug 5, 2007 16:55:46 GMT -2
the cakes all look amazing and again I dont think you have a problem with your sugarpaste..I think you are like most of us over critical..lol... I still do my roses petal by petal I am going to try the all in one method too..I must admit I always lift my icing over the cake with my hands I find it much easier than a rolling pin..just me I supose..we all have our ways of doing things..do whatever works best for yourself..
Got three cakes this week to do and no time t do em ..panicing abit now....lol
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Post by victoria on Aug 5, 2007 19:22:51 GMT -2
No, I don't think you were robbed, I've seen the plastic rolling pins for that much all over the place...
I don't think I would dare to pick up the icing with my hands, I would be sure to put my finger through it!!! I think one cake every couple of weeks would be sufficient for me...I've got a ruby wedding cake to do next fo my friend's mum and dad, but not until mid september, need to get the fruit cake baked this week though.
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Post by juliebtaurus on Aug 5, 2007 19:27:43 GMT -2
victoria can i ask where you get your beads and wires from for your toppers and do you just make them up as you go along or do you have a book for inspiration
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