I have a question. Every time I ice a cake I still end up with crumbs in it, even with a crumb coat. Can someone please share with me how I can avoid this. I let the cake sit after I apply the crumb coat. I don't know what I could be doing wrong. Please help I want to get this right.

TIA

Maybe chill your crumb coat so the crumbs really get set in that coat. When you go to put your buttercream on the cake, you want to try to gently spread it on in a thick layer and don't fuss with the crumb coat. You get that outer layer on thick and then remove it from the outside in so you don't get close to those crumbs.

Have you tried sticking it in the fridge after you crumbcoat it?? That helps me tons. The icing with the crumbs is cold enough afterwards that you can go ahead with another layer of icing without it pulling back into the new stuff.

When you go to put the final "layer" of icing on, put it on thick enough that your spatula does not touch the cake.

Don't forget that icing a cake is all about taking it off, not putting it on. Cover that baby thick and fast (after the chilled crumb coat) and then scrape it off nicely.

I sometimes use the large Wilton icing tip and don't even crumb coat. It goes on thick enough and then you just smooth.

tyty,

maybe it is the recipe? maybe you can share the recipe here...i believe that the fat to sugar ratio of the recipe may affect the buttercream's ability to crust

Yep, chill that crumbcoated cake before you apply the final coat. Oh, and make sure you don't stick your spatual in to the bowl of icing if you have crumbs on it....now you will spread crumbs in to the rest of the icing.

Thank you all for the wonderful advice. I will definitely use all these tips. You guys ROCK!!!! (as my son can say)

Jamie85364
I used Indydebi's buttercream and I don't have a problem with it crusting. I think I didn't let it sit long enough. You know hind sight is 20/20 so, when I thought about it again I didn't have enough on the spatula and it kept touching the cake. I'll keep practicing. Thanks for the replies.

I think the most important thing that I do personally, is chill the heck out of the cake after I crumb coat. Then it is like applying icing to a wall...nice and smooth, firm, and no crumbies are gonna pop out into your icing.

Thanks, will make sure that's what i do next time.