I hate working with chocolate cake!!!!! No matter how much I crumb coat, I feel like in spots you can always see the chocolate cake through the white (final) coat of icing. I try to make my crumb coating layer a little thicker when I work with chocolate cake, but I still feel like you can see it after the final icing. (I use the Viva paper towel method to smooth out my cakes after icing).

Does anyone have any tips for preventing the chocolate cake from showing through the icing? I have to make a chocolate cross Communion cake this weekend and am dreading it. That cross pan has so many contours to it, I know the cake will end up showing through and ruin the effect!!!

TIA!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use Wilton's icer tip with no crumb coat and it works great - crumbs never show through.

Have you ever thought of coating your cake with a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled together...you can add flavoring too) before you frost it? It give the cake a little more moisture and might help minimize the crumbs for you.

don't make the crumb coat thicker. chill the cake for 45 min after putting on the crumb coat. I also don't ice with "thick" icing ever (the texture of the icing itself I mean) because I find a it easier to coat evenly and consistantly when I have a "workable" icing.

I refrgerate also.

Mike

Thank you for all the great tips!!

When you use the Wilton Icer tip, can you still use the Viva method to smooth the icing out afterwards? I wonder if smoothing the cake is when I'm running into some of my problems? Would the icer tip make the icing too thick and then I'll have "bulges" when I'm trying to smooth it out?

I apply the icing using the icer tip all over covering every inch of the cake. Then I take my spatula (the metal one) and smooth it out, removing excess icing. Then once it crusts over, I do the viva method. Check out my photos. All my cakes are done that way, even my carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

double post!

Here are the pics that I'm referring to. I guess I should clarify. You can't just apply the icing with the icer tip and then smooth it with the paper towel method. You have to first smooth it using your spatula, scraping off the excess icing. Did that make sense?

Another tip that our instructor told us was to not lift up the icing when you are smoothing it with your spatula and if you do, to make sure you wipe your spatula on a paper towel instead of redipping it in your icing. Those crumbs multiply faster than bunnies

Just re-read the OP. It sounds like you aren't putting enough icing on your cakes if you can see the cake under the icing. You can argue that some people don't like icing which is why you do a thin coat of icing, but as someone once said to me, a cake looks terrible if you can see the cake through the icing so put enough icing on so you don't see your cake and if someone doesn't like icing, they can scrape it off. HTH.

Thank you SO much, Trixyinaz for all of your help! And, thanks for clarifying to use the spatula after applying the icing with the icer tip. That makes perfect sense! Your icing (and cakes) look great!!

Okay Michelle! Your cakes are beautiful! I think I need to get some pointers from you! Let us know how your chocolate cake comes out this weekend!

Thank you so much Trixyinaz for your detailed advice on using white frosting on a chocolate cake. For a cake I'm making I wanted to have a top tier of chocolate cake but was to afraid for fear and hate for the 'chocolate crumb' issue. You put my fears aside and now I just may give it a try.

B2B