Paper Towel Smoothing Technique for Icing

Learn to Decorate Cakes using the Paper Towel Smoothing Technique for Icing.

This technique works best with a Crusting Buttercream.

Generally speaking you will need the following ingredients:

2 lbs. sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened.
1-1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
2 tbsp. clear vanilla extract
1/3 cup water for icing cake -OR- 1/4 cup for stiff consistency.
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1-2 tbsp. meringue powder, if needed.
Follow your standard instructions:

Cream butter, shortening, and extracts until smooth.
Gradually add powdered sugar and water.
1-2 tbsp. meringue powder (I always add this but it’s especially important if it’s a humid climate.)

"Glue" your cake onto your cake board using a dollop of buttercream in the center of the board.

Ice your cake in the normal fashion. It is usually, but not always necessary, to do a crumb coat. I like to really slather it on – this also prevents any crumbs from appearing in your icing. I prefer to apply buttercream with the "big Wilton tip" as I like to call it and then using the "big Wilton spatula" (angled, 15" 1/3 off on Amazon right now) to smooth it down. Some people prefer to use a cake scraper for the sides. (More details on these are addressed in other articles.)

As you know, there is generally a pesky little area that sometimes doesn't want to behave itself and won't smooth out.

Wait for your icing to set or dry: crust. If you touch it, the icing should stay on the cake - nothing should come off in your fingertips. No sticky fingers.

Take a paper towel with very little texture built into it.
Place the paper towel on the top of the cake and press lightly on the paper towel. Use your fingers to smooth the surface of the cake. The cake will reflect some of the texture of the paper towel. You may in fact want to choose a deeply textured paper towel as it can become a part of the cake design.

When you are cake decorating, anything goes!

The little bit of texture will be a nice backdrop to the real cake decorating. Some people refer to this technique as “faux fondant” because the icing smoothes out almost as nicely as fondant.

Don't forget the sides of the cake!

Do the same thing, press the towel lightly using your fingers - just enough to even out any lines or wrinkles left from icing the cake. You can rub up and down or side to side, but be consistent.

Be careful when you remove the paper towel so you don't disturb all your work!

This technique is very useful when you are first learning to decorate cakes. Not only does it help even the surface of the cake, but it can enhance the design of the cake as well.