Large Air Pocket In Buttercream After It's On The Cake
Decorating By pbhobby Updated 31 May 2011 , 7:37pm by sugarshack
The strangest thing happend to me yesterday. I frosted my cake like I aways do and about 1/2 hr later I notice a large air pocket forming under the buttercream. The buttercream was pulling away from the cake. It looked just like an air pocket in fondant but it was very large and it was in the buttercream (no fondant on this cake). I've been decorating for 7 years and have never seen this. I gently smoothed it back on the cake and it happened again in two other places. Does anyone know what caused this and how I can prevent it from happening again?
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
I had this happen one time. I didn't let my frozen cake thaw enough before frosting and the frosting bubbled and started sliding down the side of the cake. This is why I will never frost a frozen cake again.
Just take a straight pin and poke the bubble and lightly tap it down. Fondant does this too.
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
It was fresh baked the night before and had not been in the refridgerator or freezer.
how was stored overnight from the baking to the icing part the next day? in plastic by any chance?
A bubble can really only come from two places:
1. Trapped air from the construction process makes its way out.
2. Something bad is happening and creating gas. (ie yeast or bacteria)
Assuming safe food handling, you trapped some air in there when you were building your cake, most likely when you were torting and filling.
Some people always put a small weight on their cakes after this part, from anywhere to 2 hrs to overnight.
For others, they never encounter it because their construction process naturally takes care of it.
As for the nasty stuff, fresh fruit fillings and dairy that are mishandled can be the culprits.
A bubble can really only come from two places:
1. Trapped air from the construction process makes its way out.
2. Something bad is happening and creating gas. (ie yeast or bacteria)
Assuming safe food handling, you trapped some air in there when you were building your cake, most likely when you were torting and filling.
Some people always put a small weight on their cakes after this part, from anywhere to 2 hrs to overnight.
For others, they never encounter it because their construction process naturally takes care of it.
As for the nasty stuff, fresh fruit fillings and dairy that are mishandled can be the culprits.
Thanks. This is helpful. There was no fresh fruit filling or dairy. I practice all food handling safety procedures so I'm not worried about any "nasty stuff". I could see how some air could have been trapped when building the cake. This is likely the cause. I'll research more details on this to prevent it from happening again.
Thanks everyone. You've been most helpful 
I knew I could count on CC's to help me figure this one out.
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
It was fresh baked the night before and had not been in the refridgerator or freezer.
how was stored overnight from the baking to the icing part the next day? in plastic by any chance?
Sugarshack, are you asking this because it should not be covered in plastic wrap???
I have been reading alot about air bubbles and I'm getting a bit scared. I have a 3 tier cake in a couple of weeks, it's due on a friday evening, I plan on baking Wed., icing/decorating Thurs, and that way I'll have friday to finish anything up or fixing it if disaster strikes( like AIR BUBBLES!)! Should I not wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and leave them on the counter? I really don't want to freeze or refrigerate if possible.
Help from any of you pros would be appreciated!!
Sorry OP, not trying to take over this thread just thought I'd ask here instead of starting another topic about storing cakes 
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
It was fresh baked the night before and had not been in the refridgerator or freezer.
how was stored overnight from the baking to the icing part the next day? in plastic by any chance?
Sugarshack, are you asking this because it should not be covered in plastic wrap???
I have been reading alot about air bubbles and I'm getting a bit scared. I have a 3 tier cake in a couple of weeks, it's due on a friday evening, I plan on baking Wed., icing/decorating Thurs, and that way I'll have friday to finish anything up or fixing it if disaster strikes( like AIR BUBBLES!)! Should I not wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and leave them on the counter? I really don't want to freeze or refrigerate if possible.
Help from any of you pros would be appreciated!!
Sorry OP, not trying to take over this thread just thought I'd ask here instead of starting another topic about storing cakes
it is my opinion that blow outs are mostly caused by moisture issues. If a cake is wrapped in plastic, and iced before all of that condensation/dampness from being in the plastic dries off, they are more prone to them.
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
It was fresh baked the night before and had not been in the refridgerator or freezer.
how was stored overnight from the baking to the icing part the next day? in plastic by any chance?
Sugarshack, are you asking this because it should not be covered in plastic wrap???
I have been reading alot about air bubbles and I'm getting a bit scared. I have a 3 tier cake in a couple of weeks, it's due on a friday evening, I plan on baking Wed., icing/decorating Thurs, and that way I'll have friday to finish anything up or fixing it if disaster strikes( like AIR BUBBLES!)! Should I not wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and leave them on the counter? I really don't want to freeze or refrigerate if possible.
Help from any of you pros would be appreciated!!
Sorry OP, not trying to take over this thread just thought I'd ask here instead of starting another topic about storing cakes
it is my opinion that blow outs are mostly caused by moisture issues. If a cake is wrapped in plastic, and iced before all of that condensation/dampness from being in the plastic dries off, they are more prone to them.
AH-HA! This is it! I did wrap them in plastic overnight. Once I took the wrap off I frosted the cake right away. I don't usually do it this way. I usually fresh bake and let it sit to cool and then frost.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
It was fresh baked the night before and had not been in the refridgerator or freezer.
how was stored overnight from the baking to the icing part the next day? in plastic by any chance?
Sorry OP, not trying to take over this thread just thought I'd ask here instead of starting another topic about storing cakes
Nothing to be sorry about. Your post help me figure out where I went wrong. Thank you.
That is a blow out, most usually a moisture problem, IMO. was your cake very cold or wet with condensation when you iced it?
It was fresh baked the night before and had not been in the refridgerator or freezer.
how was stored overnight from the baking to the icing part the next day? in plastic by any chance?
Sugarshack, are you asking this because it should not be covered in plastic wrap???
I have been reading alot about air bubbles and I'm getting a bit scared. I have a 3 tier cake in a couple of weeks, it's due on a friday evening, I plan on baking Wed., icing/decorating Thurs, and that way I'll have friday to finish anything up or fixing it if disaster strikes( like AIR BUBBLES!)! Should I not wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and leave them on the counter? I really don't want to freeze or refrigerate if possible.
Help from any of you pros would be appreciated!!
Sorry OP, not trying to take over this thread just thought I'd ask here instead of starting another topic about storing cakes
it is my opinion that blow outs are mostly caused by moisture issues. If a cake is wrapped in plastic, and iced before all of that condensation/dampness from being in the plastic dries off, they are more prone to them.
AH-HA! This is it! I did wrap them in plastic overnight. Once I took the wrap off I frosted the cake right away. I don't usually do it this way. I usually fresh bake and let it sit to cool and then frost.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I would bet $ on it!
Sooooo.....I should wrap them in plastic wrap overnight, then unwrap them and let them sit for awhile before I frost them??? OR....Should i bake, cool, frost in the same day??? I read NOT to do that because the cake should settle first.
It's funny because I don't think twice about any of this when it's a cake for my family... but this one is for someone else....now I'm paranoid about every little thing!
mine are filled, bagged overnight, unwrapped next day; left to dry off and then i ice
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