I haven't ever taken a class, but watch a lot of youtube videos and am addicted to cc! I've noticed when watching videos of ppl icing their cakes, their cakes are always so firm! Mine aren't ever that firm, especially when trying to 'trim' them. Should I freeze them before I start cutting away? If so, do I let them sit out before I start trimming? Or trim, then thaw? then ice? A step by step would be VERY helpful! What I've been doing is bake, cool, stack and fill, trim, then ice, and i always have crumbs and my cakes are always flimsy, never firm like the vidoes. Is a 'crumb coat' just a thin layer of buttercream? Do you do that, freeze, then do a thick layer of buttercream? Thanks so much for helping out a newbie! I'm a sponge, give me all the info you want!

I never freeze or chill and never crumb coat. IMO, that's just a wasted step.

But, you have to develope a system that you are comfortable with. What may work for someone else, might not work for you.

Best wishes -

Jen

I don't freeze anything.

It depends on the cake. Some cakes are just too soft and some are firm. I don't freeze before a crumbcoat.

Just like Jennifer mentioned, work with what you are comforable with.

what i always do is bake my cakes, let cool enough to level, level them, then wrap up in plastic wrap, freeze overnight, then put in the fridge until i'm ready to stack and decorate (usually the next day or that night). they are thawed by the time i get to them, but still very cold. My cakes always turn out very moist, and every one raves about how great and moist they are. But for me they are still firm enough to decorate w/o any problems. I think by freezing them, it sort of locks in the moisture. but by only freezing them a little while, they don't dry out or anything. hope this makes sense! good luck