I need HELP!!!

I've been having trouble putting fondant over a buttercream covered cake. I usually chill my cake just prior to covering it with fondant, figuring the slight condensation would help the fondant adhere better, but lately...the buttercream seems to be too wet under the fondant. It seems like the buttercream is breaking down & becoming moosh underneath the fondant & sliding down to the base of the cake & just creating a mess! I've gotten a lot of buldging sides too, which seems to be a combination of air bubbles & sliding buttercream!

Questions:
~About how thick is ideal for a layer of buttercream under fondant?
I thought I heard that some cake decorators only crumbcoat the entire surface & not put an actual frosting layer on or have put a crumbcoat on the top surface and then put a frosting layer on the sides only. Has anyone else heard of doing either of these?
~Is it better to have the frosted cake sit out & dry before applying the fondant?

I guess it's frustrating because every cake decorator has their own technique, but does anyone think there's a general consensus as to what's the "best" technique?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks!!!

Do you by any chance live where it's hot and humid? I do and I have terrible problems putting buttercream under fondant. I've gone over to using ganache (the filling kind, not the poured kind). After it sets up, it has the consistency of peanut butter. I just crumbcoat the cake with it and then put the fondant on. If it seems like I'm going to have problems with the fondant sticking, I spread the ganache with a little shortening I've rubbed on my fingertips. This way, there's not a lot of humidity under the fondant, which is the real problem in a climate like this. Buttercream is just too moist, and a heavy layer of anything just gets squishy under fondant. HTH!

I'm not really in a warm climate, at least yet. I'm in Northern Illinois. I do have two ganache recipes: a dark chocolate and a white chocolate, but my client really doesn't want the strong taste of a ganache. I know ganache works easiest for crisp smooth edges, but I'd really like to master this buttercream issue if possible. Thanks for your input!

Happy Decorating

How long are you chilling the cake? If it is getting too cold, you might have a condensation problem. I use a full layer of BC. I put the cake in the freezer for 10-12 minutes before I cover (Any more than this and I seem to have problems.) I don't use the frig, the freezer is my go-to.

I live in a warm climate. To address the bulging problem, you need to dam your cakes, even if only using a BC filling. Secondly, I use a layer of bc under fondant that is thicker than a crumb coat, yet thinner than regular amount used for a bc only cake...I pop mine in the freezer for only about 10 mins, NO LONGER. You do not want to chill the entire cake, just that outer layer of bc to make it firm. Chilling too long will cause too much condentsation. It sounds like a combination of too much BC under the fondant, and too cold of a cake. Blow outs or air bubbles under the fondant can still happen, to remedy that just take a safety pin and poke a small hole. If the hole is showing after you have decorated the cake, take a little royal icing tinted the same, or close to your fondant color and fill it in! HTH!!!

Thanks for all your feedback. I think I may have not paid as much attention to the clock as I needed to and I had exceeded 10 minutes. I will definitely set a timer from this point on.
One last question, everyone seems to agree that a quick freeze is better than the fridge, but what about the cakes that will not fit in the freezer? Should I just let it sit out to set or should I put it in the fridge for longer than 10 minutes?

Thanks again everybody!!!

I had not thought of cakes that are too large to fit in the freezer, I suppose everyone assumes if you are doing cakes too large for a regular freezer, you are probably doing cakes commercially as a bussiness, and possibly have a larger freezer?!?!?! The biggest cake I can make right now at home is a 14 in...that doesnt fit in my freezer perfectly, but I just dont shut the door all the way, and just leave it a few extra minutes. Once its firm and cool to the touch I get it out...

I've been known to take everything out of my freezer and just put whatever I need to quick-freeze in by itself. After I'm done, I put everything back and no harm done. If you take everything out, is your cake still too large?

I'm hoping to get a large freezer in the near future, but for now I'm having to make do with a narrow side by side.
Everyone's advice has been extremely helpful. This website is the best!!!

Happy Decorating!!!