My instructor says.....
Always 'pre-ice' a cake and after doing so it is fresh for 5 days.
Her recipe for pre-ice is 2c ps and 3 tbs milk

Wrap your cakes in plastic while still warm to decrumb the sides easier when cooled. She rubs her fingers around the sides.
And only take the browned sides off the cake for weddings. The cake should always be white to show purity for marriage

Only use egg whites in ALL cakes

What do u think?

and we should fill in air bubbles left in the cake w/ bc or the cake might be unstable.

Well, I don't get the "pre-ice" thing. Pre-ice before what?? And that recipe is just weird... almost sounds like a glace for use on cookies.

The wrapping in plastic, well, a lot of people do that but not for decrumbing. Wrapping in plastic and then freezing gives you a very moist cake and I think much less "crumby".

The wedding thing, I have no opinion, but it sounds silly. I mean, once the icing is on, no one sees the "sides" of the cake anyway.

The egg whites thing, nope! Don't agree at all. I use whole eggs, even in white cake. Personally, I think that unless you are a serious professional baker and you have some use for egg yolks, that winds up being a HUGE waste of yolks. AND... even my white cake is still white with whole eggs in it.

Just my personal opinions.

Please remember that instructors often tell you what works best for them. One thing I have learned about cake decorating on message boards, like this one, is that what works in my kitchen may not work as well in yours. What is 'right' for one person may be not be 'right' to someone else.

Take everything you are told and process it yourself, before you decide it is 'cake law' and has to be done just so so.

I have never pre-iced a cake with a sugar glaze.

I've heard about the pealing of the cake sides, but have never done it myself. I could see it in something where you will see the whole cake (like strawberry shortcake) but not when you are covering it with icing.

And I have used whole eggs in all cakes, even cake mixes.

She pre-ices before putting on the bc. And it does look like a glaze. And the cakes is VERY sweet.
And I always use 4 eggs in all my mixes. She thinks that would make them dense. I really hope I didnt waste my money and learn some stuff!

If it isn't broken don't fix it. If you like the taste and texture of your cakes with the 4 whole eggs, then don't feel like you have to change that because someone else says so. You can always try it, but don't feel you are doing something wrong if you liked your way over hers.

Since the class isn't over, there many be many more things you learn, so keep an open mind.

wait a minute........ you're saying that she cuts away the entire outside of the cake??????????? is that struturally sound like that?????

I crumb coat my wedding cakes before I ice them, but I just use the same icing that I am going to final coat them in.
Like some PP have said take all the advice you are given and then do what works for you in your situation.

Jibbies

Only use egg whites in ALL cakes

Every professional baking book ever written, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Fannie Farmer, Joy of Cooking. Versus your instructor, Debbie, who gets paid in Wilton dollars. Who would you trust?

The cake should always be white to show purity for marriage

"Hi. We'd like a wedding cake. One tier chocolate, then other carrot. Or maybe butter/yellow."

"Oh, but I can't! Debbie told me that was wrong!"

Cake Law...I love it! But, it is true what works for one does not mean it works for all. Keep an open mind and give it all a try and see what you like. I like to tell my students that you will learn lots of stuff in class but the most valuable thing you will get (I hope) is confidence to just try something new.

..........Always 'pre-ice' a cake and after doing so it is fresh for 5 days.
Her recipe for pre-ice is 2c ps and 3 tbs milk .......
Simply cover the cake completely w/a *thin* layer of icing....it is called a "crumb coat"; does the same thing w/o having to make a special recipe
........Wrap...cake in plastic while still warm to decrumb the sides easier when cooled. She rubs her fingers around the sides........
I never have had trouble w/crumbs....especially if one crumb coats.

....take the browned sides off the cake for weddings. The cake should always be white to show purity for marriage .......
An interesting concept. Never have in almost 30 yrs of decorating. Well..... I think I did a few times way back in the beginning but haven't for more than 25 yrs now. Today so many couples are choosing flavors other than white for their cakes - what does she say about that?

........Only use egg whites in ALL cakes.........
Why?? Yolks make a stronger cake IMHO. Even in my white cakes (re: my *original* WASC recipe)! Use 2 whole eggs for one mix and 3 if WASC. That's it.

Everybody has their own spin on baking. That's why there are so many recipes in the world I'm happy w/my ways. I've tried most of what this women has told you and don't buy it being necessary or any better.

In the first class I've seen several things I wouldn't do. But she has a couple of neat tricks. She puts her bc in plastic wrap, sausage rolls it, then ties one end. preps her frosting bag w/ the tip she plans on using. then snips the untied end of the roll and drops it in. I havent tried it but thats something I would have never came up with on my own.

As for the icing "plugs"....I use them and love them.
It makes it easier to use the same bag for different colors of icing, makes for quicker clean up, and if I don't use all the icing, I simply take the plug out of my bag, and throw it in a ziplock, along with any others, and put them in the frig till next time.
It is one additional step before beginning to decorate...but seems to save me so much time after...when I'm tired of messing with clean up anyway.

Here's a couple of links for how to do an icing/frosting plug:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-588591.html

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-38404.html