Cake Decorating FAQ's
Basics
What are the steps from start to finish of baking and decorating a cake?
Let me say first that everyone approaches this question differently, and it may take a little bit of experimenting to find the way that works best for you. Some crumb coat, some don't, some let their cake settle, others don't, some dam, others don't, you see what I mean...
This is what I do-- It really doesn't take nearly as long as it looks when I write it all out!
1. Bake the cake, allow to cool about 10-15 minutes until it is warm. Flip onto a cake board, wrap with plastic wrap, then foil, & freeze. I do this even if the cake is for the next day, but of course it is an optional step. I think that it adds moisture to the cake, and also, it is easier for me to assemble the layers & crumb coat when the cake is partially frozen...especially if I am not working with a dense cake. I also really prefer working with partially frozen layers when I am doing any kind of sculpted or carved cakes. (***If your cake layers have a dome or are uneven, you can level the tops off now before freezing, or you can level after the cakes have been frozen and come back to a partially frozen or completely thawed state. It makes no difference. However, if your cake is very soft or fragile, you may find it easier to level the layers when they are partially frozen.)
2. When you are ready to start putting your cake together, remove layers from freezer if you have frozen them and keep them wrapped. Condensation will collect on the foil. I do not thaw completely for reasons mentioned above although you can if you prefer to. I unwrap them when they are still partially frozen so that they will be easy to handle, but not cause condensation issues.
3. Assemble your leveled cake layers. As I demonstrate in my Crumb Coating video, I pipe a dam of medium consistency buttercream using a medium sized round tip (Wilton 12 for instance) about ½" from the edge of the cake and then fill with either a soft filling or buttercream. I used to apply an extremely stiff dam, and so you will see this in some of my older videos, but now I no longer find it necessary as long as you settle your cakes. The settling step alone, if done properly will prevent any chance of bulging. (I demonstrate this in my crumb coating video) **As I said, some people skip the dam altogether when filling with buttercream, however, it is essential that a dam is used whenever using a very soft filling such as cream fillings, mousses, curd fillings, etc. Your tier will be assembled on a cake board that has been trimmed down to the size of your cake or just slightly larger (to account for the final layer of frosting that will be added soon.)
4. Level and Trim as needed. You want nice level tops to your cake and also you want the sides of your layers to line up nicely. Use a serrated knife, an Agbay leveler, or your method of choice to trim off any domes, etc. I have a video on this in "decorating basics" if you don't want to do it freehand. ***If you are working with a soft cake, you will not want to trim the sides of your layers. Soft cake is too fragile for you to remove this outer "crust" & it will fall apart when you try to frost. You will just have to apply icing slightly thicker in some areas if your layers of soft cake don't line up exactly. If you are working with a denser cake, you can trim the sides with no problems. **Fill in any gaps in between your layers with frosting. I prefer to do trimming when my cakes are partially frozen.
5. Crumb Coat & Settle. I like to crumb coat. This is the thin layer of icing that catches all of the crumbs. It's the "rough draft" so to speak. I have a tutorial on this in our Decorating Basics section. You can crumb coat your cake either before setting your assembled, filled, layers...or you can crumb coat an unfrosted cake after settling.
Settling~ Just about every cake that you make will settle, at least a little bit. In other words, it will become a little shorter over the course of several hours! The denser the cake, the less settling will occur. But, to be on the safe side, always settle your cakes. You can let the settling happen naturally over the course of many hours before applying the final coat of frosting to your cake, but I prefer to settle my cakes under a weight of some sort. This ensures steady pressure, it ensures that your cake actually will settle nicely even in a cold refrigerator, and it actually helps to flatten out the top of the cake a bit too! I discuss all of this in my "Crumb Coating" video. For a weight, I tend to use either a fairly thin book or large magazine that is wider than the top of the cake. Approximately 1 pound is good for me. You don't want to crush your cake...just something that will lend a steady pressure. After several hours, (3-4 at minimum), your cake should have settle all that it will settle. ***If you do not allow your cake to settle before applying the final coat of frosting or fondant, your frosting will likely buldge, get hairline cracks in your crusting buttercreams, or cause bulging in beneath your fondant.
Some skip the crumb coat altogether and instead apply their icing with an "icer tip" or just apply a very thick layer and scrape away the excess with a bench scraper. So, I encourage you to experiment to see what you like best.
And finally, if you have a cake emergency & have no time to spare in between assembling and frosting the final coat, just place a cake board on top of your tier, give it a good "mash down" for a few seconds, and say a prayer :0) -- haha.
6. Final coat of frosting (for people who have crumb coated their cake) -- After your cake has settled, you'll apply the final coat of frosting or lay your fondant. I bring my cakes to room temperature before frosting a final layer of frosting, if I am using a smoothing method that requires the icing to crust. If you frost a cold cake, condensation will prevent the icing from crusting properly. Also, I don't like to cover a cake that is cold through and through with fondant. Instead, I bring the crumb coated (or ganached) cake to room temperature, and then I "flash chill" it just long enough for the outer icing to become firm. Then I lay my fondant. (See my "Covering Cakes with Fondant" video and this will all make sense!) -
I prefer to do my decorating on a turntable--it makes everything move so much more quickly. Once you are finished, you can move your cake to a cake pedestal or your cake base. If using a cake base (this may be a cake drum, a wooden board, foamcore, cake cardboards stacked and glued, etc.) -- make sure that your base is strong enough that the board will not bend! Take into account the weight of the cake. ½" thickness is a pretty safe bet for heavier cakes. If your cake base bends at all when you pick up your finished cake, it can cause hairline cracks in your crusted icing. So, when it doubt, be on the safe side and use a thicker board!
Buttercream
What buttercream do you recommend/use most often?
I like all of the frostings in the Recipes section. I use both the "Fluffy" and the "Classic" buttercreams from the recipe section most often. The "Classic" is all butter, and is the flavor that I love the most. The "fluffy" has a lighter texture, and holds up better in warmer temperatures because it has shortening in it. The shortening also makes it a little less flavorful, so there is a trade-off. Both "Fluffy" and "Classic" crust nicely. I use "Fluffy" most often in the hot summer months.
Why does the icing on my cake crack when I pick it up?
Hairline cracks in your buttercream-frosted cakes happen when the cake base or cake board is not thick/strong enough to support your cake. Once the icing on your frosted cake has crusted, any bend in the cake board will cause hairline cracks in the icing. For this reason, you will want your cake base or cake board to be approx. ½" thick for your heavier cakes. You can purchase wooden boards, masonite boards, or thick foamcore boards or drums....or you can double or triple up on your cardboard cake boards for added support. You can use ½" foam core boards on any of your smaller cakes so that you can eliminate worry of hairline cracking as you move your frosted cakes to their cake bases or pedestal. However, since foam core is more expensive than cardboard cake circles, we use cardboard cake circles for most of our cakes that are 10" round or less. The trick is that we either move the freshly frosted & smoothed cake to it's final cake base before it has fully crusted, OR, we chill the cake in the freezer or fridge (still on the turntable) just long enough for the icing to become firm. Then, we can easily move it to it's cake base without worry. I discuss this in our "Basic Tier Stacking" video in the Decorating Basics Section.
Is it possible to tint my buttercream red or black?
Yes, but it takes A LOT of color. The best thing that you can do is to tint your icing in advance, since your colors will intensify over time (this is true of many dark colors). Try tinting your buttercream several hours in advance of decorating your cake-- bring the color to within a shade or two of what you need, and then let the buttercream rest. The color should intensify to your desired shade by the time you are ready to decorate (and if it hasn't, add a bit more color and go with it :0) ) **** As a side note, chocolate icing is easier to tint black than vanilla buttercream, so if chocolate goes along with the flavor of your cake, use this to your advantage.
What is your favorite smoothing method for buttercream?
I used to ALWAYS use the hot knife method, but in the past couple of years, I have become more and more attached to the Viva paper towel method of smoothing. I usually use my foam roller on sheet cakes and cupcakes.
Why doesn't the Viva or Foam Roller work for me?
These methods of smoothing only work with crusting buttercreams. The "Classic" and "Fluffy" buttercreams (as well as the chocolate versions) in the Recipes section are all examples of crusting buttercreams. Some frostings (for example, the Swiss Meringue buttercream) do not crust. If your icing does not crust, try the "Hot knife" method.
If you are using a crusting buttercream, you MUST apply the final coat of frosting to your cake when the cake is as room temperature. If you are trying to apply the final coat of frosting to a cold cake, condensation will occur and crusting will take a very, very long time. It really should only take 5-10 minutes for your icing to crust and be ready to smooth.
Do I have to crumb coat my cakes?
No, crumb coating is optional. I do prefer to crumb coat--it's a great way to catch all of the crumbs and "shape up" and smooth your cake in preparation for your final coat. HOWEVER, many people do not like crumb coating and instead either apply their frosting a little thicker, or apply their frosting with a fat "icer" piping tip. I'll be adding a tutorial on this method soon.
How long can I leave my buttercream-frosted cake out at room temperature?
All-butter buttercream (such as the "Classic Buttercream" recipe) is fine to sit out for 24 hours. Many would say 48--but I usually try not to go over 24 to be on the safe side. The confectioner's sugar in the recipe does act as a preservative. -- Cakes frosted in buttercream and refrigerated are good for 3 days or so. ***You can refrigerate buttercream frosting for at least a week with no problems, and you can freeeze it in an airtight container for 3 months.
Cakes frosted with buttercreams containing shortening (rather than butter) as a base---or at least that contain some shortening have a longer shelf life. They are fine at room temp for I would say 2-3 days for the frosting containing ½ butter, ½ shortening...and even longer for frostings containing all shortening as a base. Still---I wouldn't leave a cake sitting out at room temp for more than 3 days because the cake itself won't taste as fresh.
My Buttercream Icing is too crusty!- Our crusting buttercreams in the recipe section ("fluffy" and "classic" ) crust fairly quickly which is nice for smoothing and also for use with impression mats. You will find that when you use milk or whipping cream with a high fat content as your liquid, the buttercream doesn't crust over quite as quickly or as firm. If you use water or skim milk as your liquid, the buttercream is crustier. I prefer using milk with a higher fat content.
If you do not like crusting buttercreams, give a non-crusting frosting a try. I really like Swiss Meringue Buttercream, although you will have to use the "hot knife" method (rather than roller or Viva) if you are going for a smooth look.
Will My Buttercream Hold Up? Buttercreams with shortening hold up in high temperatures better than frostings that are made with all-butter as a base. I prefer the taste of my "Classic buttercream" recipe, which is made with all butter. However, in the summer months, I frost my cakes with "Fluffy", which contains shortening. Heat and humidity can make it difficult for your icing to crust properly. Even frosting a cake next to a running dishwasher can cause issues!