I made a cake for a cake walk and I did a crumb coat chilled it for 1/2 hour then put my other coat on iced smooth and then let it crust for about an hour and then used viva paper. Ifter I was done and then used the viva on it I noticed that the cake looks wrinkled, like up close you can see lines, and I also got a bulge around the sides, I just used my buttercream to fill it. The buttercream recipe I use is the wiltons but with half butter do I need to make my icing thinner will that make it soother, or could it maybe be the meringue powder? Do I really even need that in my icing? I know it is to stabalize but does anyone else really use it? any suggestions on a good icing recipe would be great!! also with the bulging do I need to keep my crumbcoat in the fridge longer is that why I got the bulge? or do I need to put a thincker layer of icing on?
any help would be great!!!

Some of mine does this to. I'd really like to know the answer!!!

I know anyone have any ideas???

You're using Wilton recipes and that's not a bad thing. There are those of us out there that have done it. And, sometimes we still do. My family's favorite chocolate buttercream, came from a W yearbook.

Unfortunately, if you are trying to cover a cake, that recipe will give you grief even if you freeze the cake.

So you may PM me and I will share some recipes I have gotten from Wilton instructors. They are great for class work, but people being thrilled with taste, not so much.

In the mean time, I suggest you look at IndyDebi, and Antonio74 recipes. When you want to do fondant then you must look at Michelle's. Sorry I can't remember her handle.

Gomo, thanks for your response. I don't use the wilton recipes but ones I got from another source that have certain online books you can buy. They taste really delicious but I have problems when I fill a cake. I know that they are from a different climate region so can it have any thing to do with the humidity? Here in Louisiana I have to check and see what the humidity is every time I make a cake or the icing might slide right off the cake. I will PM you. Thanks a billion!

I think that you need to let you cake settle for several hour, preferable overnight for you bulge problem. It also sounds like you may have let you BC crust too much, causing you the "cracks" or little lines when you went to smooth it out. I use Indydeb's recipe (here on CC) and smooth it out almost immediately after I've applied the frosting with Viva towel method. I also like to use the frosting on the thicker side. I live in FL, so I also know how humidity can be an issue.

Good Luck

I was going to say what Delisa said, it sound like you may have let your bc crust too long. I check mine about every 5-10 mins, lightly touching the top and side. When it stops pulling off onto my finger, then I smooth it. Hope that helps!

***could it maybe be the meringue powder? Do I really even need that in my icing? I know it is to stabalize but does anyone else really use it?***

I've wondered about this as well. I have recipes that use the meringue and ones that don't. The ones without seem to crust as well as the ones with. Anyone have any feedback on the meringue issue?

You really only need to let the buttercream crust for like 7 to 15 minutes before you do the viva. You only want to wait long enough for the towel to not stick to the icing. I don't use a meringue powder recipe any more. But it works the same as if I did.

I could never do a crumb coat , let it crust and then go back over with a finish coat. They always dragged up together and the crusted bits make for a stucco look. So I really load up the icing in one go and then take away to smooth it down. Wait 2 minutes and Viva. Total time no more then 20 minutes from start to finish because butter cream is time touchy.