Hi Gals,
So I have an all buttercream wedding cake that I will be doing here in a couple weeks. This one is a small one, but then next month I have some BIG ones. Obviously, I have no problem at all transporting and stacking, etc. fondant cakes, but buttercream is a completely different story! I only use SMBC (please don't recommend something else!) and I love it, but it is non-crusting, so every time you touch it it gets dinged. Do any of you who also use SMBC or IMBC have any great ideas for transport and stacking to keep the smooth finish safe?? I just read something from Jkalman (or scratch something now) the other day in which she said that she traveled a huge amount of miles and then took a ferry boat with a cake that looked to be SMBC covered. I was thinking "How in the freakin' heck"!!! Well, if anyone knows how to keep it safe and smooth...please let me know!
Thanks! 
Hi Gals,
So I have an all buttercream wedding cake that I will be doing here in a couple weeks. This one is a small one, but then next month I have some BIG ones. Obviously, I have no problem at all transporting and stacking, etc. fondant cakes, but buttercream is a completely different story! I only use SMBC (please don't recommend something else!) and I love it, but it is non-crusting, so every time you touch it it gets dinged. Do any of you who also use SMBC or IMBC have any great ideas for transport and stacking to keep the smooth finish safe?? I just read something from Jkalman (or scratch something now) the other day in which she said that she traveled a huge amount of miles and then took a ferry boat with a cake that looked to be SMBC covered. I was thinking "How in the freakin' heck"!!! Well, if anyone knows how to keep it safe and smooth...please let me know!
Thanks!
Chill your cake really well before you transport it, and the icing will firm up pretty good. Sitting at room temp, it'll soften right back up. I transported a cake 45 min. with SMBC on it, no problems. (Or at least, not until I got out in the full sun, in which case I saw the icing start to get a little TOO soft, but it was all good--the kitchen there was cool enough!)
Chill your cake really well before you transport it, and the icing will firm up pretty good. Sitting at room temp, it'll soften right back up. I transported a cake 45 min. with SMBC on it, no problems. (Or at least, not until I got out in the full sun, in which case I saw the icing start to get a little TOO soft, but it was all good--the kitchen there was cool enough!)
I have done that for other cakes, but not for a wedding cake yet. You are right, the frosting gets really nice and firm. Well then that is what it will have to be! It will be a long drive for this delivery, so perhaps maybe even freezing the darn thing for a bit would be wise?? Thanks so much. You have confirmed my thoughts. hehe
On and to the other poster, it's not like I am throwing the cakes around or anything...It's just that in my SMBC's soft room temp state (pretty much the consistancy of cool-whip), every touch leaves a little imprint....that is not at all the same with fondant, you can pretty much handle and handle fondant cakes and they will still be perfect....I know that not all SMBC's are alike, in that some have a lot more butter, adding more firmness, but a more buttery mouth feel. Mine has significantly less butter than most intentionally for the taste aspect of it. I really just was looking for a good method of transport because I am a little nervous to take this cake on the long drive. hehe Thanks though.
I only use SMBC (please don't recommend something else!)
Hear hear! 
Seriously though, I am an SMBC gal myself, and don't do anything differently as far as transporting that or fondant. What necessitates touching the cake while transporting?
Well there is no necessity, but sometimes it just happens, ya know...accidentally while moving it, etc. and what about stacking it! You physically HAVE to touch it while stacking...
Ah, no you don't ever have to touch it, by the sides that is. I don't, I'm really careful though. I chill my tiers before stacking them, and only insert the tea straws half way in to the bottom tiers which are going to have a cake on top. I position the tier with my fingertips underneath, over the tea straws, and let it slide on down on it's own, the weight pushing the straws all the way in. Adjustments are made with a long spatula, pushing gently on the cake's foam core base until it is centered right if I didn't get it right the first time.
ah nice. I will have to try that little trick of yours. I like the putting straws in halfway bit...hmmm thanks!
Oh...and when a tier doesn't quite settle all the way down on top of the supports and needs a little more weight, I stick a long gumpaste tool, the kind that looks like a long fat toothpick with a pointed end down through the top of and push it down. I try to do this where the next set of straws will go (if another tier will be going on top of that one), or right in the middle if it's the very top tier, and pipe a little ball of icing into the hole it left. That's easy enough to smooth over and hide.
I would not recommend freezing it. You could potentially bring on condensation issues--colors if any could run.
Chilling and then boxing it is a great idea--anyway that's how I do it in Memphis heat/humidity.
Thank you Jamie for the great tips! You have been so helpful!
K8, oh definitely can see where would be problems there. I typically never freeze, guess I was just thinking it would make it harder for longer?? lol anyway, refrigerating and boxing sounds great. How about the real big suckers though?? I don't have any boxes big enough for those...do you just use a regular cardboard box for those??
you know those blocks you get, keep them in the freezer, and then use them for things like cooling a lunch box? if you can pack some in your cake box, it can apparently help to keep it cool.
xx
hmmm never would have thought of that! Great ideas! This is why I LOVE this site!
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