Does anyone know of something to add to buttercream icing to prevent it from cracking? I have heard of adding vinegar - does this work? and how much do you put in? or does anyone know of anything else?

Thanks

I would love to know as well..

I have read 1-2 drops per batch and will actually be trying it this week for the first time. Have you tried to do a search in the forums yet? I'm not very good or I would try to link you to the topic. It's in here somewhere!

I've never tried the vinegar but a number of people on here have recommended that, so I've no doubt it works. You also want to make sure your boards are sturdy enough to hold the cake. I use 2 boards on an 11x15 and 3 on a 12x18. Wedding cake bases are masonite, silver plateau's, or I have a wooden one that I picked up. If you freeze your cakes, be sure they are thawed (i.e. not frozen solid) when you ice them. I found that out the hard way! It was a family event, so it was ok that the cake wasn't "perfect", but I iced the cake while it was still frozen. As the cake thawed, the cake expanded (cold contracts ..... warm expands). As the cake expanded, it (of course) cracked the icing.

Just a couple of drops of vinegar per batch and it won't even be detectable. It definitely works . . . there is some chemical reason that's been explained to me but once I heard that it works, I didn't pay enough attention to the why!

Thanks for all your comments and help. I will be trying the vinegar this week.