I’ve decided to start a series of posts on my essential cake decorating kit. When I first started decorating cakes I only had a few tools of the trade, but as time goes on, and you get chatting to other decorators and helpful shop assistants and you learn about these clever little gadgets that make a job much easier and your cakes look more professional. Over the coming months I’ll be sharing my favorites with you with the hope that they will make your life easier too!
The Side Scraper
Have you ever tried to do a buttercream coating on a cake and wanted to get it perfectly straight? By straight I mean at a 90º angle. I am totally useless at seeing if things are straight – you should see the shelves I put up at home! So I find it really hard to see when a cake looks right. Well ,this nifty tool does it for you. What’s more it’s less than a fiver. Money seriously well spent.
I hadn’t seen one of these before. I always used my Plain Edge Side Scraper but never really got the hang of getting the cakes to be really straight. There’s far too much room for error! My local cake shop(Cake Craft World) has a You Tube channel which I found out about in their newsletter. I checked out the video on ‘How to cut and fill a sponge cake on YouTube and saw Louise using this metal edged side scraper and knew I had to have one. It took me about 5 trips to the cake shop to remember to buy it as usually I go into the shop with a list for boxes, boards, icing and cutters for whatever cake I am about to make and I kept on forgetting to buy the scraper. Then by luck I was chatting to Sue and I remembered and I haven’t looked back since. Sue also showed me a taller scraper for the really big cakes. I really wished I had bought it as I had a 7 tier cake to decorate last weekend and it would have been really useful.
Anyway, the way the scraper works is simple.
Give your filled cake a layer of buttercream on the outside edge.
Press the side scraper against the cake and drag it around the circumference, ensuring the bottom angle is flat on the surface the entire time.
Look how easy that is!
Et Voila! A nice and straight edged cake without any fuss.
I mean really. This is as 90ºs as it gets!
You can get a ‘Perfect Angle side scraper’ from your nearest cake decorating shop or check out my fav cake shop for theirs. Here’s the link to it on their website!
enjoy.
EmmaMT
all these little tricks I didn’t know about! Looking forward to finding out more 🙂
This looks great, but am having trouble finding one here in Australia. Just wondering if you have seen any online? Thanks Jacqui
Well that’s very annoying! I thought that they would have one on Amazon (not that that is such an easy option for you in Australia. My brother lives in Sydney and I couldn’t believe the price of Amazon stuff and the postage they charge! But that’s another rant for another time!)
I can’t find a side scraper in Oz so I have done what I usually do in these circumstances…. I facebooked Australian cake decorators and asked for their help. If and when I get a response I’ll let you know. I’ll also ask my sister in law. She may know.
Spk soon hopefully
EmmaMT
Please what is the nameo this particular brand so I can search for it on Amazon. Ca. I leave in CAnada, still trying to get this one that you recommended. I would appreciate your help. Thanks
Hello,
Thanks for your question. I have had a look for scrapers in Canada but my Mac seems to only be finding UK sites! Not very helpful to you I know!
The official name for this tool is a ‘Perfect Angled side scraper’. I hope that will help you with a Google search. This is the link to the one I have.
http://www.cakecraftworld.co.uk/shop/products/id/pulss7.htm
I think my scraper is a PME or Wilton brand.
I hope that helps. Good luck with your search.
EmmaMT
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