How to use the Ruoth metal cake scraper for buttercream.

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Using a cake scraper transforms a cake decorated with buttercream from ordinary into sensational! Scraping a cake is not as difficult as it appears and is the perfect way to decorate a cake but it does have its challenges and certainly, practice makes perfect. We have plenty of tips to help you get really impressive results straight away.

Gather the tools you will need.

The biggest key to success is to use the right equipment:

• Metal cake scraper - The Ruoth metal cake scraper is ideal as it is made from top quality food-grade stainless steel that is sturdy but surprisingly lightweight and easy to use and clean. The Ruoth metal cake scraper is 25.4cm (10 inches) long so is perfect to use as both a standard cake scraper and a tall cake scraper.

• A cake turntable - A cake turntable does make scraping much easier and produces a better and more even finish.

• A damp cloth - You will also need a damp cloth for cleaning your cake scraper.

• Spatula - This makes spreading the buttercream easy.

Start with good buttercream.

Like using cheap wine to make a wine sauce will not produce a good flavour, it is essential that your buttercream has been perfectly made and has a smooth consistency so you can achieve excellent scraping on your cake.

• Make sure that the butter is at room temperature – soft to touch – so that it will blend easily with the icing sugar.

• Ensure that the buttercream contains no lumps – it is worth spending an extra few minutes sieving the icing sugar into a large bowl and then adding the softened butter.

• If you are adding colour, use a gel if you want an intense colour. Because you will need plenty of colour drops to achieve a deep colour and this can alter the consistency of the buttercream.

Prepare your cake for buttercream scraping.

1. Fix the cake using a small spoonful of buttercream onto your chosen cake board.

2. Place the board onto the centre of the cake turntable and spin the turntable slowly to ensure the cake is well-balanced.

3. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the buttercream, working from top to bottom and smooth the buttercream into place using the spatula.

4. Scrape the top of the cake first by drawing the scraper evenly across the surface from the far side, towards you.

5. Hold the Ruoth cake scraper tool at a 30º - 45º angle to the side of the cake with the end of the scraper just on the board.

6. Very gently start the cake turntable steadily spinning.

7. As the cake turns gently scrape the sides of the cake, holding the cake scraper gently against the buttercream. When the cake has completed one circuit, check where the buttercream is too thin in places and add a little more if necessary, smoothing it with the spatula. Always remove the scraped buttercream from the cake scraper before you scrape again to avoid spreading the icing back to the cake. Use the spatula or a damp cloth.

8. Very gently start the turntable spinning once again and repeat the process of scraping the sides. The icing scraper has a lovely square edge that will produce excellent results. Are you pleased with the results? Are there any air bubbles? If you are not happy, repeat the process.

9. Once you are happy with the appearance of the sides, leave the cake to cool in the fridge until it is set then you can use the oval-shaped Ruoth cake edge scraper to remove any excess and tidy up the top and bottom edges of the cake.

10. Very gently spin the turntable whilst you double-check that you are happy with your achievements.

The most important point is to relax and enjoy your cake scraping! In the beginning, to get an absolutely perfect result, there will nearly always be small flaws, but the good news is that with practice you will always work towards the straight edge you desire.

Cake scraping for buttercream is a classic technique that has long been used by professionals and amateurs alike because it produces such impressive results. The latest 2021 cake trend in scraping is creating ‘a tall cake’, a fun variation of buttercream scraping for you to try with your Ruoth metal cake scraper.

Let us know, how do you use your Ruoth cake scraper?

Buying your Ruoth metal cake scraper couldn’t be easier. Order from our website or from Amazon.

Ruoth Metal Cake Scraper

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