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!
Hi Karina-- There is no need to refrigerate...just leave the room temperature, freshly frosted cake out for about 5-10 minutes and the frosting will crust!
(The only time that I chill frosted cakes before smoothing is if I am using the "hot knife" method rather than the Viva method.)
I typically only use this method of smoothing but I always have the same problem. I get a small ridge around the top after smoothing the sides and no matter what I do I cannot get it smoothed out nicely either way, onto the top or down the sides. Any ideas as to what I may be doing wrong? Thanks!
Will viva method work on Swiss meringue buttercream?
Hi Kristine, The viva method will not work on Swiss meringue buttercream. For the viva method to work you will need a crusting buttercream.
Is there a receipt for chocolate high ratio crusting frosting? If I am transporting chocolate cake with chocolate frosting to destination that is 6 hours away so I place cake in a Wilton cake carrier? Than you.
Oops should I place cake in a Wilton carrying container?
Hi Sylvia, We do not have a chocolate recipe using high ratio in the Recipe Section on the site, but this is one that we have used.
Chocolate Buttercream using High Ratio Shortening
1 cup (193g) high ratio shortening
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt (popcorn salt, if available) this will cut the sweetness if you like a less sweet buttercream
1 cup (84g) unsweetened cocoa powder....measure then sift
6 to 7 cups (690 to powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk, more if needed
Mix the shortening, butter flavoring, vanilla extract, and salt until blended. Add the cocoa powder, 1/2 of the milk and about 4 cups of the powdered sugar. Cover the bowl to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar and mix on low speed gradually increasing the mixer speed to medium. Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar and milk and mix until it reaches the consistency you like.
This will make 5 to 5 1/2 cups depending on how much powdered sugar you add.
If you are transporting a cake it is best to refrigerate it before the trip, if possible. You can use a Wilton container to transport the cake, just make sure it is on a flat surface such as the trunk of your car, or the floor of the car. The cake carrier should not slide around as you are driving, that is what causes the most problems.
Will the cake not sweat if I place a cold cake in a Wilton carry container? Thank you for you help. I love your site. It is addicting!
Hi Sylvia- The greater the temperature change from fridge to car, the more likely that a bit of condensation will form. So, if it is a very warm day, you will have more condensation. You can keep the cake in bakery box if you'd like which will allow the cake to breathe a bit. Another option (especially on a hot day) is to place a bakery box in a cooler or insulated bag with ziplock bags of ice, etc.
Love this video! No matter how hard I have tried, I have never been able to get that pretty smooth look on my cakes. This weekend I made the doctored strawberry cake with the fluffy buttercream frosting from this site and used this smoothing method and my cake turned out beautiful (and delicious)! Thank you so much for this video!
I'm so happy to hear it Heidi! xo
hi Melissa, I am baking a three tier wedding cake and the bride wants a smooth cream cheese frosting finish. Is there a better recipe which has more stability?