Im having a few problems getting a smooth coating for under my fondant. my BC sometimes tears the cake or when im leveling the cake it tears a bit and then if it stick the bit back on it comes off again when i crumb coat - any tips? I just did my first square cake and it was a nightmare as the corners nearly all came off!!
Do you slightly freeze your cake before crumb coating? This firms up the cake and makes it a little easier. Sounds like your icing might be a little thick .... if you thin it down, it will go on smoother, won't grab the cake and will avoid those tearings you're having.
It was frozen but had defrosted quite a bit by the time i had got it levelled. il have to work a bit quicker obviously! will also try thinning my bc
I use just icing sugar (say 300grams) and butter (say 200g) (and then add flavouring) which is pretty thick. Whats the best way of thinning, can i use boiling water? i dont really want to use milk in case i affects the longevity of it out of the fridge.
I would tell you what I always do...
* I always freeze my cakes and then crumb coat while partially frozen.
* When crumb coating, I always use a thinned down version of my icing. I use whatever liquid I originally used in the recipe, to thin it down as well.. whether it is milk, water, or some other medium.
* I always make sure my cake is a good "stable" cake. Chocolate cakes are always a bit harder for me because they are more moist than say a white cake
My WASC's never tear either. For smoothness under fondant, have you tried ganaching? When I used BC as filling, and a large Symphony milk choc. bar, melted w/ heavy cream, for the outside, I got great results. For me, it was easier to smooth than BC. I used the hot spatula method.
I read about using the Symphony bar here at CC (I don't like ganache made w/ semi-sweet).
I just have to say, you should consider finding a good icing recipe. The milk and/or corn syrup in a recipe is what makes it workable. Just adding water to butter and sugar won't achieve what you're looking for since water doesn't mix with fat (butter). That isn't a very practical recipe in the long run. Consider some of the many recipes here. Indydebi, Sugarshack, and my favorite Serious_Cakes all have very delicious recipes. A little milk in a recipe is NOT going to affect it's ability to be outside the fridge. I've had cakes out for days and they are fine. The sugar acts as a preservative.
i just use the thin version of buttercream icing that is thinned down just a LITTLE bit more so it is easy to spread and coat thinly. Since it is a crusting butter cream it dries quickly and seals everything in.
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