Viva Method of Smoothing~Video
I love the Viva Paper Towel Method method of smoothing frosted cakes!
Table of Contents
What is the Viva Paper Towel Method of Smoothing Buttercream?
With the Viva Method of Smoothing Buttercream, a cake that is frosted with a crusting buttercream can be lightly smoothed with a paper towel.
Since the frosting has crusted, it does not stick to the paper towel. The imperfections in the frosting can easily be smoothed away!
Not only is this method an effective way to smooth around the sides and top of buttercream frosted cakes, it is fun too! Once you get started, you won't want to stop- it is addictive ;0)
Why are Viva Brand Paper Towels Needed for this Cake Decorating Technique?
Viva brand paper towels are perfectly smooth- unlike most other brands, they have no quilting or patterns.
What is a Crusting Buttercream?
A crusting buttercream is a type of frosting that develops a very light crust after sitting out in the open air for 10 minutes or so (sometimes it develops faster).
This thin "crust" is not noticeable when eating a bite of cake, but once the very thin crust has developed, you can lightly touch the frosted cake without removing any frosting.
This crust makes it possible to lightly smooth a paper towel over the frosting and lift it away without messing up the finish of your frosting. Instead, it makes the finish even more smooth.
Other Methods of Smoothing and Decorating Cakes
Over the years I have flip flopped back and forth between this method of smoothing and the Hot Knife Method. The Hot Knife Method involves smoothing frosting over a chilled, frosted cake with a very hot spatula.
These are my two favorite methods- Give them a try and see what you think!
Textured Buttercream is a Great Option Also
Years ago, when I first started learning about cake decorating, most cakes were frosted with a smooth finish.
These days, anything goes- textured and rustic cakes are popular as well as cakes covered in piping. I'm a big fan of finding what works best for you as you develop your style.
Materials used in our viva method tutorial
This is an 8 inch, three layer cake which is made from the White Almond Sour Cream Cake recipe (doctored mix found in the Recipes section--also known as WASC) --
I'm using our High Ratio Buttercream recipe for this but any crusting recipe will do ("Classic Buttercream" & "Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream" are two other examples from the Recipes section)
Cardboard Cake Circle cut to the size of the cake (or foam core board--½ inch)
Small Spatula(s)
Bench Scraper
Fondant Smoother (optional)
Viva Brand paper towels (or any brand of paper towel or napkin that is completely smooth, with no quilting or impressions.)
Remember, the crumb coated cake should be at room temperature when applying the final coat of frosting. Otherwise, the frosting will not crust properly.
Tie Dye Cake- Colorful Example of Viva Method of Smoothing
We used the Viva Paper Towel Method of smoothing when we created this fun Tie Dye Cake Tutorial!
We also used it when creating a video tutorial for leopard print buttercream cupcakes and our camo cupcakes video.
In these examples, we piped on the colors, allowed them to crust, and then smoothed over the frosting.
We hope that you enjoy experimenting with this fun technique!
This is such a great video! I really love how you've gotten the top edge so sharp and you've explained how you did it in such easy to understand steps! I can't wait to try this!
Thanks Kristy!! Let me know how it goes!
Melissa, I am making a cake for a 50th anniversary reception. I will be making the cake the day before the party. I was thinking about using a lemon curd filling. Should I store the finished cake in the refrigerator (minus the fresh flower topper the florist is making for me) and then bring it back to room temperature the day of the event?
Hi Linda, yes, you are right. You would need to refrigerate your cake with the lemon curd filling and bring back to room temperature on the day of the event.
I may have missed it, but how long did you wait before you started smoothing? Thanks!
Hi Aquarius-- I would start testing it after 5 minutes--it make take closer to 10. Humidity levels can effect the speed of crusting. :0)
I love this vido.
Love it! Now I know why my BC takes ages to crust with the final coat cause I was not waiting for it to come back to room temperature. Thanks or making this so obvious. I will be careful next time.
Thanks.
I am fine on the paper towel method but I am terrible on frosting the cake. I can't do it. All of my frosting ends up on the bottom of the cake, then when I use my bench scraper the frosting is never level. I never know if I should try to fill the frosting on the upper side to match how much frosting is on the bottom or try to scrape off all the bottom to match the top. I don't know it is terrible. Thanks
Hi Melissa,
Thanks a lot for all your videos, I absolutely LOVE "mycakeschool.com"! I've learned already so much from you!!!
Unfortunately, I always have a problem with my buttercream: I always use your recipes of the "classic vanilla buttercream" or the "fluffy vanilla buttercream", but they never turn out as "smooth" as yours. When I make it, the buttercream (both recipes) always look a bit like a "mousse" and when I ice my cake with it, then there a lot of tiny (and sometimes also big) "holes" in my buttercream, just as if it was a mousse. I can't get it smooth! I made pictures of it, but I don't know how to upload them here to show it to you. What do you think am I doing wrong with the buttercream?
Thanks a lot for your answer!!
Greetings from Europe,
Tatjana
Hi Tatjana, after all the buttercream ingredients are incorporated I mix on medium high speed 6 to 8 minutes......during the last 2 to 3 minutes I turn the mixing speed down to very slow and this slow mixing usually eliminates most of the air bubbles. If there are still more air bubbles than I would like I add more liquid a teaspoon at a time. If you are using a Kitchen Aid mixer, use the paddle attachment rather than the whisk attachment.
I hope this helps. Let me know how it goes the next time you make buttercream.
Hi melissa. I have a question Do you refrigerate the cake and then you star smoothing using the viva or just wait in the kitchen 5 to 10 min with out leaving the cake in the refrigerator?
Thanks