the last two cakes that i have decorated i had a problem with the icing. when i put the icing on it was a different texture or something, and it would not stick to the sides of my cake. i made it the same way i always have, changing nothing. the first time i thought ok, something must of happened somewhere but when i did it twice in a row it really aggrivated me.

I am wondering if your icing may have been too thick. I have noticed that when it gets really cold that I have to add more liquid to thin my icing. You might try making it a little thinner next time. Maybe someone else can answer also.

Do you chill or crumb coat your cakes? I have had this happen only when I do one of those. I never crumb coat anymore btw....

I seem to have the same problem if I crumbcoat! I do not know how people get their cakes so perfect when they crumbcoat...I end up with a horrible mess that ends up in the trash!

You can thin your icing with corn syrup to help get it to the right consistency and give it that little bit of "glue" to help it stick better to the cake.

i have never tried to crumb coat. i usually dont ever have a problem with the crumbs when i go to ice it. squirrelycakes, pm'd me and said that i should add more icing if this happens. she said maybe either the sugar i was using had more cornstarch in it, or either it was settled more and i used more sugar than usual. but anyway, she said that should help the problem.
thank cake pro, for the cornstarch tip also

Be sure to use corn syrup, not cornstarch. You want your icing to be a little thinner, and cornstarch will actually stiffen it. If you don't thin down the consistency of your icing, adding an even thicker layer will just make it heavier and even more likely to fall off the sides!

It's all about consistency.

i never sift my p.sugar, and it has always worked just fine. my cakes were completly cool. maybe it was just a fluke..twice in a row...
thanks for all your tips, next time i will know what to do if it happens again

I always crumb coat the night before, and if there is no time for that, I crumb coat then stick the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes. I have never had a crumb in my icing, or a problem icing it since I started doing this.

I've noticed that if my icing is too thick and wet like it will not stick...so I thin it down with milk to get the right consistency, since a little goes a long way and the sugar acts as a preservative I never worry about it going bad.

I always sift my powdered sugar. If not, I end up with lumps in my icing, or it clogs my tips when decorating. I also sift my cocoa powder. i think that the corn syrup or milk idea is good. But careful with too much milk, or your icing won't crust. Good Luck next time, maybe it'll turn out better then. God Bless All and Merry Christmas!