I'm making my first cake to cover in fondant. I have a quick question. I want to fill the cake with chocolate chip buttercream filling and frost in just buttercream frosting. I have tried both the filling recipe and frosting recipe and they are very yummy. However, I figured I would make the frosting recipe and then once it is made seperate it so I can add the chopped chocolate chips for the filling. Do people usually make seperate buttercreams for the frosting and one for the filling? I'm sorry if this is confusing! These are the 2 recipes I tried and want to use.

Filling recipe: http://www.easy-cake-ideas.com/buttercream-filling.html
Frosting recipe: http://www.easy-cake-ideas.com/buttercream.html

Also, when you cover in fondant, do you just crumb coat and then add the fondant or do you add another layer of frosting and smooth, like if you were just going to decorate that buttercream frosted cake. I've only purchased cakes and then covered them in fondant, so the frosting on them has been fairly thick. Which I kinda like. But I'm wondering what folks do here. I have a few methods I like to try, like the upside down frosting method and viva method. Are those intended to then be covered in fondant?

I really appreciate the help. I've made a few fondant covered cake, but mainly focused on the decorating part and they were single layer with just regular store bought frosting. I want to master the whole making it myself with the filling. I did one multi tiered cake for my son's b-day, but that was a costco cake.

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I've done separate flavors for the filling and the crumbcoat - I've actually used key lime curd as the filling, a good thick buttercream dam, and then buttercream crumb coat. With your fondant - depends on whether you want a good amount of BC per serving - some people do a thin coat, and others do it thicker - and really smooth it well so it doesn't create bumps in the fondant.
It basically takes practice and finding out which method works best for you - so try your new methods and have fun!
Happy caking!

I would make the filling and frosting (for the whole cake) separate just so the final coating of the cake is smooth and no chunks of chocolate.

As for the buttercream under fondant, it really depends. There are people who use a thick layer of buttercream and some are just almost a crumbcoat. Go with whatever you are comfortable with. Just don't make it think enough, that the indentations would show.

I also suggest you try using ganache under fondant. It is easier to smooth and works totally great.

Most of my fillings are not buttercream based (fruit, custard, etc.) so for me it's not really an issue, but I have thought about adding flavor to a filling, so I think adding the chocolate to the filling would be fine.

When I cover mine in fondant, I put a layer that is a little thicker than a crumb coat but much thinner than my normal layer of icing. I'm always afraid that too much icing will allow the fondant to slide more (I don't know if that's true or not, but it makes me feel more comfortable). You don't have to worry about the icing method, just try to ice as smoothly as possible because many imperfections do show underneath the fondant.

HTH!

Thanks so much for your replies! I really appreciate the respones.