I thought I would start a new thread to answer T Martin's question about the quick caramel icing. You do have to work fast in order to spread it evenly and keep the sheen. My trick is a thin crumb coat (very thin) with buttercream to fill in any gaps and then a chill in the freezer. That way the caramel icing has a smooth surface to slide over and you can pour it warm like a glaze. You do have to work extra extra fast though because the cold cake makes it set up even more! Treat it like a ganache or poured glaze and just guide the caramel over the cake instead of spreading has worked out pretty good for me. It is worth the trouble,it is a terrific icing!
Hope that helps,
birdy

I should mention that the cake never looks quite as nice as the one in the book but it is sure delicious!
birdy