Has anyone seen my post about Crumb coating? I swear I posted this last week. I went back several pages here and elsewhere.

Lately my crumb coating is tearing up my cakes. Do you chill yours before applying icing? Is my icing to thick? How long do you chill your cakes before and after the process?

It sounds like your icing is definitely too think. It needs to spread on fairly easily. then you can chill it to firm up the cake and the crumbcoat, making the icing go on easier.

If my crumb coat "tears" up my cake I thin it out with Corn syrup. After crumb coating I let set in fridge for a couple of hours!

Best of luck to ya!

I put a thin layer just enough so you don't see cake showing through. Then put it in the fridge until firm. maybe 15 to 20 mins. Then go back a put the final coat on. Make sure that your crumb coat is smooth too or you could pick it back up when you go over it. I use the same methods of smoothing the crumb coat as I do for the final.

I have nothing to add except your topic header made me laugh out loud

Try heating your b'cream for a crumb coat
I put *just* enough icing in a cup/small bowl (usually about 1/4 c) and melt it in the MW - that only takes maybe 5-10 seconds. Watch it carefully - you will see it start to melt - take itout and stir it until completely smooth. Spread on your cake as quickly as possible. As it cools it dries and you don't have to wait or put it in the frig...it's done!
Spread it *very, very* thinnly w/your cake spatula.
Once it has been heated you cannot use it if it cools so you have to work fast! It cannot be reheated so don't use too much at once. YOu can alwaysheat more but cannot use it cool or reheat.

kakeladi that is an awesome tip...I'm going to try that on my next cake!