Please help with icing layer in squares

[CanadianBakin']

Nanaimo bars is one of the items on the menu at the coffee house I bake for. (opening this tuesday) Tonight I made it for the first time in a half-size sheet pan. The second layer is a pain in the butt to get smooth before pouring chocolate on top. Any ideas on how to do this more quickly? Here's the recipe and a link. I have both so it's easier for you to get to.

Nanaimo Bars

Official Nanaimo Bar Recipe by Joyce Hardcastle

Bottom Layer

½ cup unsalted butter (European style cultured)

¼ cup sugar

5 tbsp. cocoa

1 egg beaten

1 ¼ cups graham wafer crumbs

½ c. finely chapped almonds

1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8" x 8" pan.

Second Layer

½ cup unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream

2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder

2 cups icing sugar

Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer

4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator.

I vary it a bit but you get the idea. I thought maybe I was beating too much air into the filling so I used the paddle attachments and it didn't help. I don't want to be mixing it by hand as that will kill my wrist. After I spread it as even as I can, I run the back of a hot spoon over it. But it takes quite awhile for me to get it even before doing that. Maybe it's just me being too much of a perfectionist but there's got to be a way to do a good job quickly.

Edited December 27, 2004 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[cakedecorator1968]

Offset spatula will smooth the second layer.

I also like to pass the small teeth of a cake comb across the top of the second layer so the chocolate layer has something to grab onto-Ever eaten a Nanaimo bar and the chocolate top comes off as you bite into it!?

So what else are you baking for this new place?

[CanadianBakin']

I'll give the offset spatula a try although I don't know how it will make things different from the smaller spatula I'm using at the moment. It's the air bubbles that seem to make smoothing it difficult. I've never had problems with the chocolate adhering although I think the cake comb will also help with smoothing the filling so i will definitely try that. Thanks for the ideas.

I will be baking a variety of muffins, scones, cookies, loaves, cheesecakes and assorted squares. I'm really excited about the opportunity. I'm not a pastry chef by any means, just an avid home-baker so I really appreciate the help everyone offers here.

[chefpeon]

Whenever I've had to smooth or level something down inside of a baking pan, I've just used one of those freebie bowl scrapers that my suppliers shower me with when they're trying to get me to buy stuff. You know how one side is curved and the other side is flat? I just use the flat side and it works pretty darn well. Do you have some of those lovely scrapers? If not, ask your supplier next time they waltz in. If they don't have any, threaten to go to the competition. Then, you'll have more bowl scrapers than you know what to do with......

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks Anne! I don't have a plastic one but I know what you're talking about and I will hit my supplier up for a couple. I just made another square that has an icing filling and used my metal dough scraper to smooth it and it worked a treat. Great idea!

[choux]

I was going to suggest that myself. Hit up Snowcap for a bunch of them, they work great. They have paring knives too, good if they are free because they always seem to get lost!