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I just cant get it right... Goto page 1, 2  Next      CakeCentral.com Forum Index » Cake Decorating Author Message tiffevans Junior Member Joined: Jan 01, 2007 Posts: 23 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:08 am  I feel like I should have this down by now but how do I ice my layered cakes so you cant tell that they are 2 cakes...you know so it looks just like one cake. WHat am I doing wrong?!?!? You can see this line aroung the middle of the cake?!?!?!? all4cake Forum SuperStar! Joined: Jul 02, 2006 Posts: 3968 Location: NC Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:16 am  I would say stiffer icing would help tremendously...not only with the filling but also to give you better external coverage by allowing you to apply a somewhat thicker coat... crisseyann Forum Fanatic Joined: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 1191 Location: Michigan Birthday: Jan 14 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:18 am  Are you using a stiff dam for your filling between layers? kakeladi Forum SuperStar! Joined: May 26, 2004 Posts: 6258 Location: Northen Indiana Birthday: Aug 11 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:28 am  Make sure each layer is level. Use a stiff consistency icing to make a dam on top of one, then fill. If there is still any opening fill w/Spackle (just a stiff mixture of cake crumbs and icing) until side of cake is perfectly smooth. sulia Junior Member Joined: Jan 16, 2008 Posts: 28 Location: Netherlands Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:59 am  sometimes the reason may be that you are not placing the top layer of cake exactly in line with the bottom layer after you've filled it. i also had this problem until i started properly realigning my cakes. you may already know this but i'll mention one tip i use to ensure this realignment. as soon as you've split the cake, but before separating, insert 2 toothpicks in line with each other on the top and bottom half. after you've filled the bottom layer, place the top layer ensuring that the toothpicks are in line again. i find this gives a neat finish (almost like putting 2 pieces of a puzzle together) and makes sealing the join a little easier. hope this helps. good luck.sulia mseif Newbie Joined: Aug 13, 2009 Posts: 8 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:09 am  I agree with Sulia! Aligning the cake so that you are putting the two layers back in exactly the same position is really important. There are all sorts of different methods you can employ (like the toothpick idea) such as cutting a small notch in both layers before separating. It could also be about building a dam for your filling. I'm not sure if you described how you're noticing that it looks like two layeres--is the cake bulging out (lack of/insufficient dam) or are the layers clearly not in alignment from top to bottom because one of them was rotated or otherwise not placed back exactly in position? K8memphis- Forum SuperStar! Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 5170 Location: Memphis 10 C Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:17 am  I trim the sides of my cakes before icing. It makes a difference for me. I never use a stiffer icing, this works for some folks but no bakery I've ever worked for does this. I shave the sides of my cake so they are completely level -- it's like Spanx* for cake-- *modern day huggy underwear/girdles all4cake Forum SuperStar! Joined: Jul 02, 2006 Posts: 3968 Location: NC Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:24 am  I thought the OP was only using two layers...not splitting them sulia Junior Member Joined: Jan 16, 2008 Posts: 28 Location: Netherlands Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:06 am  hi k8 - thats a great idea - of course, you're right, the circumference of the cake is definitely harder as it has crusted and shaving this hard bit off will definitely make for a smoother look... Kiddiekakes Forum SuperStar! Joined: Jul 07, 2004 Posts: 5010 Location: Calgary,Alberta,Canada Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:13 am  I find once I fill the middle I lightly crumbcoat the entire cake and it seems to cut down on the centre line. hilly Regular Member Joined: Feb 24, 2008 Posts: 153 Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:42 am  Definitely a stiff dam around your filling 1 inch from the edge of the cake so it has spreading room and so it doesn't come out the sides as it settles... Also letting the cake settle well enough before icing it. There was a thread not too long ago about letting it settle or settling it yourself (by pressing down until you see the dam reach the edge of the cake). I always had the line until I read this tip, especially when using this fillings in oh so hot texas. CBMom Regular Member Joined: May 09, 2007 Posts: 109 Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:02 pm  Stiff dam. Trim the outside crust. Let it settle, or squish it - evenly...don't just push down with your hands...use a cookie sheet so you get even/level squishing. Spackle. Crumb coat. Spackle,again if needed. Chill and let it settle some more. Oh, and don't forget to level the individual cakes before you even start...I'm wondering if you may have a domed top on one of the cakes, and that might be causing the line around the centre as well...?? When you fill your cake pans, overfill them a little more, sothat your sides bake up as high as the edge of the pan. You can then trim the tops easily, for cake balls, yumm... Or... When I'm cooling my cakes, I flip the pan over onto the cooling rack, and compress the cake back into the pan, so it's level.. that way, no worries about trimming anything.. I use my pyrex measuring cup on top of the bottom of the pan for weighing it down. HTH you_say_like_too_much Forum Addict Joined: Jul 15, 2008 Posts: 692 Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 12:16 pm  I always make sure to let my cake settle for several hours (even overnight) after it is filled to make sure that gravity does its thing before I ice it. Once it's all settled, I trim off any bulges that formed and I'm always left with a perfectly straight, smooth cake. mkolmar Forum SuperStar! Joined: May 19, 2006 Posts: 5514 Location: at the computer Birthday: Jun 02 Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:07 pm  If you don't have time to have your cakes settle overnight, do this instead. Take a sheet of plastic or parchment paper and put it on top of the cake. Then take some books that are somewhat heavy but won't kill your cake, and set them on top for 3-5 hours. It works really well. I've been doing this for a wile now and it helps with bulging issues. indydebi Forum Matriarch Joined: Jul 07, 2006 Posts: 22155 Location: Indianapolis IN Birthday: Jan 19 Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:15 pm  The best visual on avoiding the bulge: http://www.cakeboss.com/PreventBulging.aspx When you pipe your dam, pipe it slightly inside the edge of the cake.... not right on the edge. Then when you put the top layer on and as the cake settles, if the dam is pushed out at all, it's pushed out TO the edge, not OUTSIDE the edge, which is contributor to the bulging thing. Quote: I thought the OP was only using two layers...not splitting them I also thought this. I read the toothpick advice a couple of times before I slapped myself on the forehead and said, "Oh! Now I get it!" Ooops to me! OP the toothpick trick is good advice if you are torting the layers. 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